At DABORACONWAY we are very pleased to be able to report that following a positive start to 2013 we have increased business across our Branch Network as well as with our Guaranteed Rent Schemes throughout London and the Home Counties. The housing market is improving locally as well as nationally as the following article summarises...

UK house prices went up in June, according to Halifax, standing at £167,984. Meaning June house prices were up 0.6% on May, and up 2.1% on a year ago. Nationwide is quoting house prices at £168,941, while the Land Registry...
Click here to read HOUSE PRICES STILL RISING SAYS HALIFAX.

Anyone buying a property will invariably come across the dreaded stamp duty, but how many of us consider the effect of rising house prices on how much we pay. Below is a link to an interesting article from the Telegraph studying the effects it has on families moving up the housing ladder...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertynews/10082816/Stamp-duty-traps-families-on-rung-of-housing-ladder.html

For further information please contact Peter Gale 0208 360 1000 or peter.gale@daboraconway.com

WANT INFORMATION ON ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES JUST USE THE EASY TO CLICK LINKS BELOW

To see all of the properties that are currently available For Sale with our Wanstead Branch please click HERE 

To see all of the properties that are currently available To Let with our South Woodford Branch please click HERE

To see all of the properties that are currently available To Let with our Winchmore Hill Branch please click HERE

 

Much like the multi-coloured sticker on new appliances, EPCs tell you how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). The idea is to let the person who will use the building know how costly it will be to heat and light, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be.

 

‘Bushwood Area’ of Leytonstone, commonly referred to as just ‘Bushwood’ is defined by many as a small pocket of Leytonstone located south of the apex of the High Road Leytonstone & Bush Road just off the Green Man roundabout and determined by the curved boundary of the road called ‘Bushwood’ (Figure.1). This area includes a Conservation Area consisting of six terraces of ‘Georgian’ cottages, preserved as a reminder of the special historic and architectural interest present during the rapid urbanisation of the then small hamlet of Leytonstone following the introduction of the steam railway to the area in 1856 and date as far back to the early 19th century (Figure.2) As well as rows of characterful Victorian & Edwardian houses displaying many attractive period features of bygone era, there are also later additions including some 20th Century apartment blocks.

Figure 1: Map of the area defined  as ‘Bushwood’

The draw for potential purchasers and residents alike to these few roads besides the comparatively sizeable Victorian and Edwardian houses of all types that configure these tree-lined streets, is to the greenery of the surrounding forestry with the aptly named ‘Bush Wood’ in close walking distance and the views over Wanstead Flats, as well the transport links into central London via Leytonstone Central Line station (approx. 17 minutes to Liverpool Street) and the local amenities of the High Road Leytonstone. The proximity of this area in relation to a number of primary and secondary schools ensure that many young professionals looking to start a family or those with children looking to attend a good primary school are often amongst the most motivated to move to the area.

Figure 2: The Browning Road area was designated a Conservation Area as a tranquil reminder of Leytonstone’s rural past just yards from the hustle and bustle of the High

The North Star Public House

Situated on Browning Road, originally two cottages converted into a Public House, (Figures.3/4) it is thought that the name of this establishment comes as a direct result of a sailing voyage taken by the founder of the North Star, Frederick Wildsmith which involved his returning from India with a monkey and so fond was he of this memory, he decided to name the pub after the twin-masted, 253 ton Brigantine in which he had travelled. The North Star’s first mention is in the 1858 Rate book with Frederick listed as a ‘beer retailer’ in the 1891 census at the tender age of 23.

We are finding the property market in this part of Leytonstone particularly buoyant at the moment with demand for houses consistently high. We are of the opinion that the Bushwood area will continue to see prices rising at a rate higher than the average yearly percentage increase experienced by the London average until the prices are more in line with the adjacent areas such as Aldersbrook and Wanstead. During a recent open weekend, we were able to secure a buyer for a traditional three bedroom Victorian house (Figure.5) requiring extensive modernisation for a price well in excess of its valuation by other local agents. We feel that this highlights the current and potential growth in the price of property in this sought after area.

Figure 5: Mornington Road, ‘Bushwood’ E11, SOLD STC well in excess of what other agents valued the property at.

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Coming Soon………… DABORACONWAY are delighted to have received instructions from a well-respected local builder/developer to place on the market, 4 newly -built stylish homes that are due for completion in September 2013 in the Bushwood Area of Leytonstone. These 3 bedroom houses are to be completed to a very high specification and will offer views across Bushwood and towards Wanstead Flats. This highly desirable location is perfect for the commuter being only a short walk from Leytonstone Central Line Station and close to the various shopping amenities of Church Lane and the High Road. A 10 year NHBC guarantee will be offered with each house.

Prices for each house are expected to be in the region of &425,000.

Further details, including proposed floor plans, are available upon request.

For further information please contact William.line@daboraconway.com

On the 16th May DABORACONWAY were presented with an opportunity to promote their new branding and expertise to the South East London market. 

The Surrey Landlord Property Investment Show is one of 5 events organised by the web company ‘tenantshistory’ to highlight areas with great buy-to-let potential. The event which was held to target the South East area certainly proved to be an exciting insight into how buoyant and prevalent the property market is at present. 

After an early start the far corner of the room at the Croydon Park Hotel was soon brightened by a splash of DABORACONWAY purple. Shortly after the event opened we were approached by a continuous stream of people with an avid interest in the property sector, and with such a range of property related services and seminar sessions available it was simple to understand why. It was refreshing to spend a day conversing with like-minded people who are as enthusiastic on sector as we are.

It was a pleasure for us to be situated at the event next to one of our tendered Local Authority associates, the London Borough of Croydon, who were also the main sponsor for the event. With a tendered contract in place we were able to utilise the opportunity to promote the Guaranteed Rent Scheme and the security of income and many other incentives it provides.

If you are looking to expand your investment portfolio and the Landlord Property Investment Show sounds like an event that you would like to attend in the future we will be exhibiting at the London show held at The Grand Connaught Rooms on Tuesday 15th October.

For more information on future events please visit http://www.tenantshistory.co.uk/ or to simply register yourself for a free ticket please click on the following link www.tenantshistory.co.uk/membership 

Contact Olivia - olivia.lond-caulk@daboraconway.com with any questions.

CONDENSATION

What is it?
Condensation occurs when the amount of water vapour (humidity) exceeds the capacity of the air to contain it. Once the air becomes saturated the vapour condenses out as water droplets. The capacity of air to retain water falls rapidly with temperature. So when the warm humid air inside a property cools as it comes into contact with cold external surfaces (windows, external walls) it condenses. This is the classic cause of cold weather condensation.

Why does it occur?
The average family produces between 14-17 litres of water (in the form of vapour) a day. If the ventilation system of a property cannot remove this water at the same rate that it is produced, the air will become saturated and the result is condensation.

Why is it a problem?
Condensation is not in itself a health hazard, but the black mould it causes is. Black mould is a fungus that, as with other fungi, reproduces by releasing millions of spores into the air. They are ever present in the air, needing just a wet or damp substrate and a food source to germinate. Condensation provides the moisture, whilst the building materials themselves, (plaster, paint and wallpaper) provide the food source. Within a few weeks of germination the mould will start producing further mould spores. It is these mould spores which are the health hazard. Having black mould growing in a property can give rise to a concentration of spores sufficiently high enough to produce toxic effects in humans, most commonly asthma and other breathing difficulties. In addition, the high humidity associated with condensation encourages dust mites to become active and reproduce. Dust mites (or rather their faecal matter) is a common cause of asthma.

Will my property suffer from condensation? *
One can reduce the risk of condensation by:
1. By keeping the property warm.
2. By keeping the property ventilated.
3. By reducing the water vapour produced in the property (by the tenant).

1. Keeping the property warm:
In the ideal situation a property should be kept heated to 21C, keeping the structure of the property warmed at all times. Unfortunately this is somewhat impractical given the cost of heating. Obviously during the warmer months the walls and windows will not get cold enough to cause condensation, but if the external temperature falls to below 5C there is a risk of condensation occurring.

Certain factors will make a property harder to heat and therefore increase the risk of condensation.

a. Aspect: North facing walls or walls that receive little sunlight tend to be colder as do walls exposed to wind chill.
b. Building Material: The less well insulated a wall is the colder it will get. Pre 1914 housing stock with its 9” brick walls are more prone to condensation than properties that have cavity walls.
c. Floor level: Ground floor flats tend to be colder as they lose heat to the ground. In addition occupants are reluctant to leave windows open due to the security risk.
d. External walls: A room with 2 or 3 external walls will be colder than a room with one and therefore more prone to condensation. Add in a poorly insulated flat roof and condensation is almost a given.
e. Size: The smaller the property the quicker the air will become saturated with water vapour and the quicker condensation will form. Condensation is far less likely to occur in heated houses. In the ideal situation a property should be kept heated to 21C, keeping the structure of the property warm. Flats with electrical Economy 7 heating tend to suffer more than those with gas central heating.
f. Weather: Condensation in the UK is associated with cold weather, during the warmer months the walls and windows will just not get cold enough to cause condensation. It was noticeable that the cold spring of 2013 resulted in properties normally free of condensation become affected.

2. Keeping the property ventilated:
This is the critical risk factor. With sufficient ventilation the humid air within a property can be removed before it causes condensation. The usual method of ventilation is to open a window, or even better open a few to get a good airflow. If only it were so simple! Opening the windows may let out the humidity but it also lets out the heat. So in winter, just when you need tenants to ventilate, they tend to do the opposite to keep warm. Many tenants view opening windows in the middle of winter as plain daft.

In the last 20 years or so many forms of “natural ventilation” such as draughty windows (crittle, louver and sash), open fires and air bricks, have been removed. Whereas the amount of water vapour from the washing and drying of clothes (who now uses laundrettes), use of dish washers, taking of daily or twice daily showers has increased. The result is a dramatic rise in properties where the ventilation system is overwhelmed.

3. Reducing the water vapour produced in the property (by the tenant):
Some tenants, due to lifestyle, are more likely to cause condensation than others. A family with young children who are in the property all day will produce more water vapour (from cooking, washing, drying and day to day living) than a couple who work 9-5.

In Summary: If ventilation is sufficient to prevent the water vapour condensing one should not have a problem. But the colder the outside temperature the greater the risk of the air inside the property becoming saturated and condensation occurring.

Enough theory, let’s get practical.

So you are a owner with a condensation/mould problem, what to do?

Each property/tenant has to be looked at on a case by case basis.

Items to consider:
1. How many of the above risk factors apply to the property?

2. What, if any, forms of mechanical ventilation are there?

3. Is the tenant opening the windows?

4. Is the tenants behaviour contributing to the problem?

5. What outcome do you want? If, in your opinion, the tenant is at fault do you want to move them out? Will this cost more than the cost of increasing the ventilation to “cope” with the tenant’s lifestyle?

So what can you do? By far the easiest risk factor to deal with is the lack of ventilation. The key here is to remove the humid air from the building without losing heat, therefore just putting in open vents such as air bricks is not advisable.

Where a property has a humidity of say 55% to 65% and shows only light mould growth, it may be sufficient to fit extractor fans (which are set to come on when the humidity exceeds 50%) to the bathroom and kitchen. These are the rooms where most water vapour is produced. By removing the water vapour before it migrates to the rest of the property, humidity will be reduced. These fans extract air and rely on fresh air to be drawn in through naturally occurring gaps in the fabric of the property and as such will reduce the temperature of the property. In addition where a property is well sealed, extract only fans may struggle to draw in sufficient air in order to work effectively.

Where the humidity is higher, say 65% and above, and mould growth is extensive it may be necessary to fit heat recovery units in the affected rooms. The advantage of these units is that they contain two fans, one to extract the humid air and one to draw in fresh air from the outside. They also contain a heat exchanger which uses the outgoing warm air to heat the cold incoming air. This will encourage the tenant to keep the fans on as they are not increasing their fuel costs. In fact, as dry air is cheaper to heat then damp air the tenants fuel bill will be reduced by these fans.

In reaching a solution to the problem of condensation it is often worth seeking expert advice. But be sure to use a reputable and trusted company. From experience it is generally best to adopt a pragmatic approach to the problem. If the condensation is mainly due to the tenant not ventilating sufficiently, do you rely on them to change their behaviour or do you upgrade the ventilation? In general it is better and cheaper to remove source of the problem, excess humidity, rather than keep on treating the symptoms, mould and damp. In certain cases changing the tenants is a possible solution, but it’s not without its costs.


*Before looking at condensation its worth ruling out that there are no structural problems to the roof and guttering or plumbing leaks as these will increase the humidity within a property. If the property is on the ground floor there is always the possibility of rising damp. If the mould affected area is less than 1 metre high a damp survey is to be recommended. The classic test is to drill through into the brick to see it they are damp or dry.

** These are units that use the warm outgoing air to heat the cold incoming air. They reduce the humidity plus help to keep the property warm.

For further information please contact Lloyd.fothergill@daboraconway.com

Every year we all make promises that we will go and visit places and do things that have been on our “To Do” list for ages. Well here at DABORACONWAY we have put our heads together to come up with some suggestions that hopefully you will find helpful and enjoy:-

Do you like gardens; do you like visiting and getting ideas? Then the National Gardens Scheme London Gardens 2013 is for you. Visit the website www.ngs.org.uk for information on all of their activities which include the NGL Gardens Open For Charity; money collected supports Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices, Carers Trust, Alzheimer’s Society , Queens Nursing Institute amongst others.

The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours once a year.

The Big Lunch is what it says on the tin, an annual get to together for the community where neighbours bring food (and drink) to share with one another. There is a bit of a village fete atmosphere with cake making and fancy dress competitions plus face painting and children's games. 

This year was our 5th party so we pushed the boat out by booking a professional band, led by a former punk rocker, who now does Tom Jones covers. The surprise package of the day was the stunning performance by a Capoeira class.

GINGER NUT BISCUITS RECIPE

from Francese DaBora

Preheat oven to gas mark 5, 190C or 375F

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SALMON AND LEMON KEBABS (SERVES 4)

1 bottle of white wine

400ml Lemonade

Handful of Blueberries  

4-6 Strawberries

A few sprigs of mint 1

Lemon and Ice Cubes

AND NOW FOR A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC TO GO WITH YOUR SUMMER EVENING RELAXATION with the sounds of Catherine...

Together, we can fight back!

by Kelly Traylen

Kelly and her team

Although my Race for Life is finished for another year, I am still trying to raise as much as possible for the continued research of this horrible disease. It will affect everyone of us at one point in our lives.

Our best friend is 39 years old; in August 2012 he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Kidney cancer. He has always been physically fit, never smoked, rarely drinks and has always eaten well, the news was quite a shock to all of us, normally it effects people over the age of 45.

He found a lump on his lower back in February 2012 and thought it was just a pulled muscle, being a typical man he ignored it and carried on as normal! When the pain got too much for him to bear, he finally went to the doctors and within a week he was diagnosed, unfortunately it was caught too late and the Cancer had spread to his bones, they found tumours on his ribs, neck and spine as well as on his kidneys. 

We celebrated his 39th birthday in March, shortly after he was taken to Isabel Hospice where he has been since, he can no longer hold himself up in a sitting position or support his own body weight, it has ravaged his body so there is nothing left, his sight is now going and its spreading to his brain, They have done such an amazing job in the care that they have given him and trying to make him as comfortable as possible. 

It is heart breaking to watch someone you care about waste away in constant pain and my story goes to show that even though you think that you’re physically fit and healthy, it could still happen to you. So together with a group of like minded people we entered the “Race for Life” alongside hundreds of people – all joining in to help bring awareness of this disease; so far we have raised nearly &500.00 and it’s still coming in. 

Cancer Research: http://raceforlifesponsorme.org/traylenpinkladies

YOU CAN ALSO DONATE BY TEXTING JGPL47 and the amount (&1 - &10) to 70070

Isabel Hospice:   https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/donate/makeDonationForCharityDisplay.action?charityId=1000214

My bike ride through London

By Darren Spraget

On Sunday 9th June 4000 cyclists took to the streets for the London Nightrider Event 2013 with the aim of raising money for a variety of charities. DABORACONWAY’s South Woodford Branch Manager, Darren Spraget, along with 2 team mates decided to take on this 100km (62 mile) challenge.

This was a very personal choice by my team as we lost a friend, Laura MacKenzie, to lung cancer just a few years ago. 

Darren said, “Although Lung Cancer most often affects smokers; Laura had never smoked and led a healthy lifestyle as a personal trainer.”

“She was diagnosed with hereditary lung cancer and lost her battle at the age of 24. The spirit for life she showed throughout the illness was an inspiration to everyone who knew her.”

At approx 12.05am my team and I  set off for what promised to be an interesting morning.

Almost 7 hours later, a little before 7.00am, our team finished back at Alexander Palace. It had been an eventful morning. The team managed to get lost en-route (a minor detour apparently) and suffered one broken wrist. I  was hit by the wing mirror of an over-taking car. It’s ok…I'll get over it !!

Darren said after the experience, “As the early hours of the morning set in, cycling through the empty streets became a surreal experience.

It was slow going at times having got caught by nearly every traffic light London has to offer but we had an amazing experience.

With a minimum target of &175 each the amount raised so far is a huge achievement.

Darren and team

Should you wish to donate you can still do so at:

www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Sergs_Crew

For more information on the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation please visit:

www.roycastle.org

M

DABORACONWAY's Area Manager Brett Miller explains: As part of a recent RIGHTMOVE marketing campaign a number of London Taxis were sign written and a challenge was set to all of their agents to spot one and send in a picture.