Four of its staff have undergone training by local community healthcare provider, Anglian Community Enterprise (ACE), so together with staff from ACE, they are now able to offer guidance and support to improve the health and well-being of their colleagues at Boydens’ six offices.

Karen Stimpson, Workplace Health Coordinator at ACE, said: “One of our key priorities is to work with local employers to improve the health and well-being of their workforce. As well as benefiting the individual employees by improving their health, it makes good business sense because sickness rates and absenteeism can be reduced and staff feel more valued.

“We are delighted that Boydens, such an established, respected firm, has signed-up to our initiative and we look forward to working closely with its four appointed work-place health champions to deliver health and lifestyle advice and training.”

David Boyden, Managing Partner at Boydens, said: “We are a fourth- generation family-run business and the welfare of our staff has always been a high priority. When we heard about the work-place support ACE offers local employers, it appeared very tempting.

“We have a generally very healthy and active workforce, with London Marathon runners amongst them. However, when it comes to your health, you can never have enough help and guidance. Our four health champions won’t be pushing anything down people’s throats. The advice and support will be there if people want it.”

Simon Fookes, Braintree Branch Manager

One of Boydens’ four health champions, Braintree branch manager, Simon Fookes, said: “My role is to pass on health tips and signpost colleagues to where NHS help can be found if they want to, for instance, lose weight or give-up smoking. I’ll also be liaising with ACE staff to arrange any additional courses and advice that may be required. I certainly won’t be adopting a preaching role but colleagues will know where to come if they want any help with health and lifestyle issues.”

LOCATION, location, location: apart from perhaps 999, the most popular thrice-repeated words in the English language.

Television property celebs Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp have made many a programme (and many a penny) based on the premise that people don’t care so much as to what they buy, as to where they buy – but is location still king?

Well the answer is a pretty resounding yes, but perhaps the more interesting question is, what is it exactly that people want to be near?

Schools are often cited as being top of the list, though obviously not if you have an aversion to children. Road and rail networks run schools a close second, while the reputation – good or bad – of a given part of town will always pull in or push away votes.

However, when all is said and done, a home is what you make it, wherever it may be. In this job, you are privileged to meet some lovely people and some lovely homes. Some of the homes which stand out in my memory are those which had the warmest atmosphere – those homes which really felt like they were lived-in for the benefit of the householder, not their neighbours and friends.

You see, the trouble with those homes which Phil and Kirstie show you around is they are so clean and tidy, they make us mere mortals feel unclean. You can see your reflection in every worktop and floor – even the carpeted ones! It’s just not normal!

So take it from me: yes, location is still important – but home is ultimately where the heart is.

Boyden's Block Management Team

Russell O’Connor, who has worked in property management for 10 years at a national level and for a property company managing more than 36,000 units, joined the business last year as head of the department. His two assistants, Laura Bowes and Angela Baines, are now property managers in their own right.

Keira Hope-Thompson has joined the team from a firm of chartered surveyors in London and will team up with Michael Porter to prepare accounts and prepare budgets. Charter surveyor, Peter Finlay will complete quarterly inspections and manage section 20 major works.

The team will be supported by a brand new IT system using software which provides a specialist residential/commercial service charge management package which has been developed during the past 20 years.

Russell said: “We enjoyed a very busy 2011 and, with our restructuring now complete, we are anticipating an even busier 2012. Clients like the fact they are dealing with a locally-based company because it means we are able to react quickly to their needs. We also place the emphasis on a service which is both personal and transparent. Each contract is tailor-made to match the client’s specific needs.”

Boydens’ block management portfolio includes converted listed buildings and modern purpose built blocks. As members of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) it offers a professional service at all levels. The firm has offices in Frinton, Braintree, Kelvedon, Sudbury and Ipswich as well as Colchester.

ONE of the undoubted truths of life is that we all like to be told what we want to hear. It’s human nature to prefer to be told that your thinning hairline makes you look like an older George Clooney rather than a younger Bobby Charlton – or that whilst your posterior might look a tad big in that dress, it’s probably because the washing instructions were wrong.

It’s just the same when it comes to having your home valued. You want to be told by an estate agent that your two-up, two-down in a street where even the drug barons have moved out is worth, well sir, with a lick of paint and a bit of a garden tidy-up, at least £500,000. Really! Where do I sign that sole-agency agreement!

OK, so I exaggerate slightly to make my point (you’d actually have to paint the front door as well!) but sadly there is a tendency among some estate agents to tell would-be vendors what they want to hear rather than what they ought to hear – namely, an accurate valuation of their property which will enable it to sell sometime this side of the next millennium.

You see, whilst no great harm is going to come of testifying that the aforementioned posterior looks perfectly streamlined in that dress, telling someone their house is worth £40,000 more than it really is – well, it’s dishonest and unprofessional. More to the point, it helps nobody.

The agent who has valued it honestly loses out on an instruction, the vendor who wants to move house will become increasingly frustrated that viewings, let alone offers, are non-existent – and the agent who has received the instruction will be left trying to market an un-sellable property.

So next time you ask agents around to value your property, remember that what we want to hear is not always the same as what we should be hearing. In the same way that there’s none so blind as those who won’t see, there’s none so deaf as those who can’t hear the difference between advice and flannel….

Elisabeth Borg, Chairman of the NSPCC Committee

THIS year’s popular NSPCC book fair held in Colchester has received an early boost.

Boydens estate agency, a long-time sponsor of the book fair, has made five of its six offices available as book drop-off points throughout the six-month drop-off period starting March 1. It almost double the number of drop-off points previously available.

Elisabeth Borg, Chairman of the NSPCC Book Fair Committee, said: “Last year was a record year for the book fair so it will be a huge challenge to better it this year. The addition of five of Boydens’ offices, in prime, high-footfall locations, is a great early boost to our efforts

David Boyden, Managing Partner at Boydens, said: “Our offices are all located in easy to reach locations so we hope we can make a big difference to the number of books being donated. We’ve sponsored the book fair for many years now and are delighted to play whatever part we can to ensure the event surpasses last year’s record-beater.”

Books can be donated at the following Boydens offices:

• Aston House, 57-59 Crouch Street, Colchester, CO3 3EY
• Guildhall House, 34 Bank Street, Braintree, CM7 1UG
• 121 High Street. Kelvedon, CO5 9AA
• 73 Connaught Avenue, Frinton-on-Sea, CO13 9PP
• 64 North Street, Sudbury, CO10 1RE.

The other collection points are:

• Co-op, Butt Hill Road, Clacton
• Co-op, Abbotts Road, Colchester
• Co-op, Peartree Road, Lexden
• Barnplants Garden Centre, Turkeycock Lane, Stanway
• Hearts’ Delight Nursery, Long Road, Lawford
• Tom ‘Farm Shop, Maldon Road, Tiptree
• Stonefield Farm Shop, Kelvedon Road, Inworth

Anyone unable to get to a collection point and who would like someone to collect their donated items can telephone 01206 271616. This year’s book fair will take place at Holmwood House School, October 27 and 28.

Boydens has been involved in property for four generations and is the longest established lettings agency in north Essex with offices in Colchester, Frinton, Braintree, Kelvedon and Sudbury, as well as Ipswich. The company opened the doors of its Ipswich branch in Saracens House Business Centre, St Margaret’s Green, on March 1 2010.

Anne Walton, Lettings Manager together with David Boyden, Managing Partner

“It’s an opportunity for people who may not be familiar with Boydens to come and see what has made us so successful for such a long period of time. We are a licensed member of ARLA (Association of Residential Lettings Agents) and ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents), which means we are required to keep up to date with the latest developments in the market and the changing legislation affecting letting and property management.

“If you are a landlord, we are able to offer either an introductory service or a full management service. If you are a would-be tenant, we will hold your hand through the whole renting procedure. There’s more involved than first meets the eye but we’ll take care of all those unforeseen circumstances which tend to crop up from time to time.”

Further details can be obtained on 01473 253500.

Boydens, which has specialist letting teams at its branches in Colchester, Frinton, Braintree, Kelvedon, Sudbury and Ipswich, says low purchase prices, low interest rates and good rental returns is proving a tempting combination for many.

Lettings Manager, Joseph Hall, said: “In the past few months, we have seen many excellent investment properties come onto the market. With mortgage rates at an historic low and a healthy demand from tenants, becoming a landlord is seen by many as the best means of a return on investment at the moment.

“We would always advise people to thoroughly research their options and our experienced team can certainly offer advice and assistance to people considering buy to let.

“Buy to let mortgages are currently available with a minimum 20 per cent deposit, though the best rates, as low as 2.94 per cent, can be found with a minimum 25 per cent deposit. Most lenders now have a minimum income (normally £20-25,000) but there are some available without proof of income.

“Buy to let should not be seen as a short-term investment but, in the current economic climate, are certainly worth seriously considering for people looking for a monthly return on their investment as well as good potential for long-term capital growth.

“We work very closely with Colchester-based independent financial advisors, Richard Arnold Financial Management, who are able to offer expert advice on the best mortgage deals available.”

Boydens is a licensed member of ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) and ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents). Further information on buy to let opportunities can be obtained by telephoning Boydens on 01206 762244.

DIY to me is a bit like that tenth pint of Kronenbourg (other gold-coloured liquid refreshments are available) – seems a good idea at the time but you then spend a period of time regretting it.

You see, I have this theory that professionals are professionals for a very good reason – they’ve trained long and hard to become very good at what they do.  So why do people, with no real knowledge or experience of a subject, suddenly think they can become an overnight revelation?

Selling homes is no different.  A growing number of websites are extolling the virtues of people marketing their own property rather than using the professional services of an estate agent.

I know on the surface it might seem a way of saving a couple of thousand pounds but the harsh reality is that opting for the DIY route to a house sale could end up in you not only beign out of pocket but possibly on the wrong end of the law.

We all know it’s popular to knock the estate agency profession and criticise it for not doing a lot for its money, but there’s a very good reason why the vast majority of people choose to use the services of a professional estate agent – and that reason is that a good estate agent will justify his fee many times over.

It’s not only a case of an estate agent being able to negotiate a better price for a property – which in itself can immediately offset the fee charged – but there is much legislation which has to be abided by in the house-selling process which the layman might not be aware if and could easily fall foul of.

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, Equality Act 2006, Data Protection Act 1988 and, perhaps most pertinently, the Property Misdescription Act 1991 are just some of laws which can easily be broken when selling a house if you are not careful.

Here are a few other points to bear in mind:

The sheer cost of advertising and promoting a property – if you decide to sell you own property these cost have to be incurred whether you end up selling it or not

• estate agents validate applicants prior to viewing
• estate agents arrange financial checks on potential buyers
• estate agents don’t run the risk of getting too personally involved with the buyer and so are in a better position to deal with financial negotiations
• estate agents are able to talk to all parties involved in the sale including solicitors, surveyors, financial lenders, builders, contractors such as builders/electricians/damp proofing specialists
• a good estate agent will belong to at least one professional body which means compliance with that organisation’s redress scheme.

Still fancy doing it yourself? Just remember that tenth pint!

Well, here we are: another year, another round of summer holiday adverts bombarding us on TV – and another batch of New Year resolutions which, if they haven’t already bitten the dust, are looking as fragile as an MP’s expense claim-form.

However, resolutions apart, January is always a time of year for a bit of a fresh start. The shortest day is behind us, festive excesses are behind us (though in many cases still worryingly visible all around us!) and in front of us lies a year which will hopefully see confidence return to the economy generally and – from a very selfish point of view – the property market specifically.

If there’s one thing the Christmas holidays can guarantee to uncover, it’s the realisation that many homes are just too small for families as well as the seasonal in-laws visit. One solution, of course, is to tell the in-laws there’s no room at the inn – albeit falling short, perhaps, of suggesting they share the nearest shed with a load of smelly sheep and cows.

Alternatively, you could decide it’s time to move to larger premises – much better idea! I’m not sure how many people move because they have genuinely out-grown their existing home as opposed to those who just fancy a change, but I suspect the vast majority fall into the former.

So if you’re resolving that next Christmas, something has to give, and you don’t want it to be your ongoing relationship with the in-laws, why not take the plunge now. After all, what price can you put on family harmony!

David Boyden, Managing Partner of Boydens, takes a look, sometimes with a little tongue in cheek, at the property scene.

IMAGINE the scene. You’ve decided it’s time to sell your beloved ten-year-old Mondeo. You contact four motor magazines on price guidance. One suggests £1,900, the second £1,800, the third £1,950 – and the fourth suggests £2,900.

For a fleeting moment you might start planning what to do with the ‘unexpected’ extra grand in your pocket. But then reality kicks in and you know in your heart of hearts that the extra crispy bank notes just aren’t going to materialise. The fourth magazine has simply bumped up the price to tempt you to choose them to advertise your car. Common sense prevails and you opt for the £1,950 deal – you didn’t want that holiday in Greece anyway!

So why, I ask, don’t people apply the same logic to their home when it comes to selling?

I know it is human nature, particularly when it comes to our homes (which are our pride and joys and far nicer than anyone else’s home after all!), to want to make a maximum return when selling. But if you ask three estate agents to value your home and one is 20 per cent above the other two, what does that tell you?

Of course you’d like to achieve that extra £20,000, but is it realistic? It is always true, and certainly so in the current market, that there can be a significant difference between a marketing price and a price achieved. If you want to know what properties are really selling for, take a look at the Right Move website and click on house prices.

Properties are selling at the moment, but they’re selling to smart buyers who are very aware of what a property is worth. Marketing your property for £20,000 more than buyers are prepared to pay is a waste of everyone’s time – not least the agent which is attempting to achieve the extra money. If you’re prepared to hang around for months waiting for a viewing, let alone an offer, you might be tempted to take the gamble.

If you want to move sooner rather than much later, well – remember the Mondeo?