Fisks Gateway issue 96

CONTENTS

GOODBYE CARPETS, HELLO STUNNING HARDWOOD FLOOR

Following on from last month’s article, we help you decide what to do with that new hardwood floor.

PREPARING YOUR DRIVEWAY FOR WINTER

It’s time to get your driveway in order before it’s too late.

GET YOUR CAR READY FOR THE WINTER

We help you keep safe and moving this coming winter.

Welcome to our

magazine

Welcome to another issue of our Gateway magazine. If you’ve been following the property market in the news, you no doubt would have heard of the property market slow down. While the current cost-of-living crisis and other financial troubles do play a huge part in the slow down, it is also worth noting that historically November is always one of the slower months for the property market in general.

As always, if you have any questions regarding the property market, reach out to us at Fisks - we’re always here to help.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Gateway, and don’t forget to think of Fisks when making your next move.

Enjoy!

John Pring FNAEA(Honoured) & MARLA | Director

GOODBYE CARPETS, HELLO STUNNING HARDWOOD FLOOR

Following on from last month’s article, we help you decide what to do with that new hardwood floor.

So, you’ve taken the leap and decided to get rid of those carpets (helped by our article last month we hope), but now what do you do with your newly exposed floor? We suggest a few cost effective, and stunning, things you can do to make the most of your flooring. First up...

PAINTED FLOORBOARDS

If your floorboards are in good good condition, then painting them may work out the cheapest for you. If you’re finding a few floorboards that have seen better days, then try replacing them - it’s not as difficult as you first think. The good thing about painting them is that a majority of the time, you only need to clean them before painting, and not sand them down, which requires a lot of hard work and cost of hiring too.

CONSIDER STAINING

If you’re up for a bit of hard work, then staining the floorboards will always impress. As mentioned, staining floorboards does require some hard work and cash for equipment too - e.g. an industrial floor sander. Start by removing any tags left in the floor, then give the whole room a good sanding. If you’re going with a darker stain colour, then you don’t have to aim for perfection. After staining the floor (2 or 3 coats should do it), always use a varnish after (again, 2 or 3 coats should do it).

LAMINATE FLOORING

If you want something different than your floorboards on display, but still want that eye-catching look, then laminate flooring is the way to go. Start off by cleaning the area and laying down a moisture barrier - this will help keep that dreaded moisture away. After you’ve done that, it’s time to lay down padding and your chosen laminate flooring. Pro tip: place your laminate floorboards in the room where they’re going 48 before placing them down to give them time to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the room - this will help stop shrinking or expansion after they’ve been placed down.

VINYL FLOORING

Perhaps the easiest of the bunch, vinyl flooring is perfect for those wanting results fast. It’s often not too expensive and gives you great hard wearing results. To get the right measurements of the room, you must record the length and width of the room, make sure you’re as accurate as possible and include any alcoves and the centre of any doorways too. After you’ve done the measurements, add 75 millimeters to each edge for final trimming and cutting.

Like all things DIY, don’t go above your skill level. If you’re uncomfortable with doing anything mentioned in this article yourself, hire a professional.

Meet the team...

Ian Carey Sales Manager

Harriet Plampton Sales & Lettings Consultant

Simon Pring Director

Nicola Rattenberry Director’s P.A.

John Pring Director

Tina Webster Management Accountant

Leanne Wright Administration Manager

Penny Ash Property Manager

Albie Poole Property Consultant

We cover the whole of South Essex.

Contact us for a free valuation on 01268 565555

Kerrie Watts Property Consultant

Ben Nelson Property Consultant

Our Vision & Strategy

The residential estate agency market is increasingly populated by large corporations; nevertheless, our independent family-run estate agency continues to succeed and grow a loyal client base, due to our core values, ethos and flexible approach to clients’ requirements.

Ebony Woods Office administrator

PREPARING YOUR DRIVEWAY FOR WINTER

It’s time to get your driveway in order before it’s too late.

The nights are getting longer and the days are getting colder, which means only one thing - winter is coming! With that in mind, it’s important we address those small things that will make our lives that little bit better during those winter months. If you didn’t know already, cold temperatures can weaken lots of surfacing materials, while snow and ice can make cracks grow bigger. It’s time to address that driveway before it’s too late...

KEEP IT CLEAN

You should already be doing this step all year round, but particularly during the colder months. Getting rid of leaves, mud and other debris from your much loved driveway will stop it from establishing plant growth that could do damage.

DRAINAGE

Never underestimate the importance of good drainage during those winter months. Before the big freeze happens, ensure that water doesn’t collect on your driveway or run down it - if it does, the water will turn into ice during a cold spell and expand, which will develop or enlarge holes and crack your driveway.

SEAL IT

It’s time to go that extra mile. If you didn’t know already, you can actually seal your driveway to get it winter ready. A sealant will coat your driveway with a strong protective layer and minimise damage throughout the year.

SAY NO TO SNOW AND ICE

While snow covered ground looks pretty, it can be damaging to your driveway. When the snow eventually melts, it will no doubt freeze and turn into ice, which will cause the damage. Make sure you have a shovel or a heavy duty broom for when that snow lands.

SAY NO TO CHEMICALS

It’s easy, and cheap, to buy chemicals to throw on your driveway when snow or ice is there, but you’ll be making a huge mistake if you did. Sure, they do what they say, but chemicals will damage your driveway pretty quickly if they’re used frequently. As mentioned previously, have a shovel or a heavy duty broom at the ready to do the trick instead. As an extra step, throw some sand down to increase traction if the snow and ice is worse that normal this year coming.

TIME TO DO THOSE REPAIRS

It’s time to repair those driveway potholes before they get bigger due to weather conditions and are concealed by possible snow - not only is this the right thing to do for your vehicle, but it’s also safer for you too.

Why use FISKS?

The industry has changed hugely with the development of digital technology - this has created two different styles of agency, the traditional high street agency, and the modern online agency. At Fisks, we believe that the best solution is to be both.

Fisks still do the traditional marketing methods that you are comfortable with, such as high street shop locations with window displays, applicant mailing lists, text and email facilities, linked offices, portals such as Rightmove, leaflet drops, floor plans, boards and branded cars.

These marketing tools have been tried and tested for many years, but with the ongoing digital revolution we have also embraced change. These new marketing methods come in the form of a digital property lifestyle magazine that’s produced in house and emailed to over eight thousand people a month, targeted social media campaigns across all the major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, 4k video tours of your property for our successful YouTube channel, enhanced portal marketing, and from a customer service point of view, we have vendor log-ins so you can see viewers feedback and offers on your home at any time.

Our Ethos & Values

We focus on our clients’ requirements and instructions rather than just doing what’s quickest and easiest for us.

Our comprehensive training program ensures that our staff channels their entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm for the benefit of our clients, whilst maintaining the professionalism and customer service associated with our brand.

At Fisks, we believe we have all your marketing needs covered to get you SOLD!

Protecting your investment should not be taken lightly, with our full management service you can be sure to get the support you deserve...

ARLA - the gold standard professional industry body.

Audited and insured client accounts to protect your money.

Rent guarantee and legal cover - protect yourself with insurance and the increased costs of evicting (subject to status).

Legal hotline - specialised property lawyers helping to answer your questions.

Inventories - protect your deposit with a professional inventory, including time stamped photographs.

Inspection - allay your fears that your asset is being looked after.

Section notices - fully trained and experienced staff can advise and serve the appropriate notice.

Accurate accounting - from monthly statements to overseas landlords, to expenditure and income, we hold all the information the accountant will need.

Gas certificates and EPCs - keep your property complying with the law.

“Happy customer. Very professional service. We had no problems with the sale of our house or the purchase of our new home through Fisks. Staff very pleasant, would definitely recommend.”

- Mr and Mrs Hall

“Fantastic team that pulled out all the stops and helped every step of the way. Friendly pleasant staff.”

- Mrs S Sheavyn

... come and put us to the test!

Landlords: Protect your investment with our full property management and marketing...

Don’t just take our word for it, we have many happy customers...

So, you’ve got your house ready for the winter (we hope), but what about your car? As winter quickly approaches, it’s time to check those essentials and make sure your car is ready to keep you safe and moving. It’s time to familiarise with the acronym known as “FORCES”...

F IS FOR FUEL

We know, it’s pretty obvious, but you’ll be surprised at how many people forget that during the winter months you’re more likely to be stuck in heavier trafficwhich means, you’ll be using up more fuel because of it. Plan ahead, you don’t want to be stuck on the M25 at Christmas with no fuel in the tank.

O IS FOR OIL

At any time of the year, checking your car’s oil is important, but during the winter months, it’s essential. Check your oil level using the car’s dip stick and top-up if necessary. Your car’s handbook will have all the information you need regarding how much oil you should use, as well as what the correct oil to use is. If you don’t know where your car’s handbook is or the whole thing is too overwhelming for you to handle, pop in to your local garage. Remember, if you’re doing it yourself, make sure you replace the cap fully and be careful not to overfill as this will cause more problems.

R IS FOR RUBBER

This one is vital for you to keep safe on those roads. Well-maintained tyres will give you traction and grip on icy, wet surfaces. Your car’s recommended tyre pressure will be in your car’s manual or inside the driver’s door. The legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm for all cars in the UK and Europe. An easy way to check your tyre tread depth if you don’t have a tyre gauge at hand, is to grab a 20 pence coin, place it between the tread depth, and if you can’t see the outer band of the 20p then your tyres are within the legal limit. While you’re at it, don’t forget to check your wiper blades too. If they’ve seen better days, don’t hesitate to change them.

C IS FOR COOLANT

Let’s start by saying “ONLY CHECK YOUR ENGINE COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS COOL” - if you don’t, you could end up scalding yourself. Right, now that’s out the way, you’re probably wondering what coolant does? It’s pretty simple - coolant (a mixture of water and antifreeze) is pumped around your engine to keep it cool. If your coolant levels drop suddenly, take your car to the garage to get it checked. You should always keep your car’s coolant level between the min/max marks on the side of the tank to avoid any damage to your car.

E IS FOR ELECTRICS

Checking your lights and indicators should be at the top of your priority list. Make sure that all our working correctly, and if they’re not, try replacing the bulbs and fuses if required. Battery problems is one of the top reasons for breakdowns over the winter period so check your car battery health while you’re at it - car batteries need to be replaced every few years (depending on usage).

S IS FOR SCREENWASH

It’s important to top up your screenwash with a product that is effective down to at least -15 degrees Celsius. Doing so will make sure your windscreen is free of ice and dirt. Always use a proper anti-freeze screenwash to avoid your windscreen freezing up when you’re on the road.