News

Welcome to our news archive page containing details of Fenn Wright news.  Please scroll down the page to read all of our news, or use the following links:

2008 News Stories

Mark’s Mountain Walk (24.04.08)

New Partner for Fenn Wright (01.04.08)

Brick and flint cottage has impressive addition (07.04.08)

Wee building in Maldon for sale   (17.03.08)

House to stir a Sheik near England’s newest racecourse (17.03.08)

Horses for courses – Fenn Wright supports the Marks Tey races (17.03.08)

We are selling property! (07.02.08 )

The signs are looking good – so don’t wait for Spring! (15.01.08)

Click here for 2007 News Stories

Click here for 2006 News Stories

Click here for 2005 News Stories

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APRIL 2008

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Mark’s Mountain Walk (24.04.08)

Mark Sargeantson, from Fenn Wright's Ipswich office, is walking the GR10 Coast to Coast (Atlantic to Mediterranean) Trail during June and July this summer, 2008.  This route follows the length of the Pyrenees on the French side.

The total distance is about 560 miles (900kms) and height gain 164,636 feet (49,714 metres), about five times the height of Mt. Everest.  He aims to complete this walk in 50 days and hopes to raise £50,000 for the Cancer Campaign in Suffolk.

From June you can click here to follow Mark's progress throughout his walk

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New Partner for Fenn Wright (01.04.08)

Alistair Mitchell, 39, has become a full partner of Fenn Wright chartered surveyors and estate agents after 17 years with the firm.  Alistair began his career spending four years working as a land agent for a national firm in Chelmsford.

After a short period with two similar companies obtaining experience in other aspects of surveying, he joined Fenn Wright in September 1991, again initially as a land agent but soon moving into the commercial property division in Ipswich.  He qualified as a chartered surveyor in 1995. Born to a farming family in Wix, Essex, he moved to Suffolk in 1994 and now lives in Eyke with his wife Stella, who also works at Fenn Wright, and their two children. Alistair is responsible for commercial property agency business across the firm, which has offices in Ipswich, Colchester, Witham and Chelmsford. “I am fortunate to work with an excellent, dedicated team of people,” he said. “We are continuously developing our business in order to provide clients with what we believe is a first class service in a dynamic and ever changing market."

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MARCH 2008

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A brick and flint cottage has impressive addtion (07.04.08)

A brick and flint detached cottage in the heart of Great Maplestead has an unexpected secret – though appearing quite compact at first sight, a substantial extension has added an impressive master bedroom suite with vaulted ceiling and French doors to the garden.

For sale through agents Fenn Wright at £365,000, Number 7 Stone Cottages lies in Church Street and retains much original character.  Both the sitting room and dining room have attractive fireplaces, and there are some exposed timbers throughout the house.  In addition to the two main reception rooms, there is a cosy family room or study, kitchen, and utility room.

This in turn leads through to a shower room and tiled lobby into the master bedroom.  At 21ft 3ins by 13ft 3ins, this is a splendid room with high vaulted ceiling, long windows on two sides and French doors out to the garden.  There are two more good-sized bedrooms upstairs plus a family bathroom.

Fenn partner Colin Metcalfe says the house is very well presented with the extension adding an attractive extra dimension.

"It’s quite a surprise to discover the attractive barn-style extension to the rear, looking out across a paved courtyard with the garden beyond,” he said. “  Great Maplestead is a popular village, being very handy for Halstead, about two and a half miles away, and not far from Sudbury”.

 Click here for further details or contact Fenn Wright on 01376 516464.

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Wee building in Maldon for sale   (17.03.08)

A wee building in Maldon’s Coach Lane, conveniently placed for the High Street, is for sale by informal tender through agents Fenn Wright. Most recently the town’s Tourist Information Centre, but originally Public Conveniences built in Edwardian times, informal tenders over £65,000 are invited for the little brick and mock-Tudor style building which offers around 343 sq ft of space. In addition to a lofty office area, with 12ft high ceiling reaching up into the roof, there is a kitchenette, storage space and up-to-date WC facilities. A few of the original Edwardian glazed bricks are to be found in the storage area.

Situated opposite the car park of the Blue Boar Hotel, Fenn Wright graduate surveyor Robert Windus (who declines to predict that he will be flushed with success when a sale is concluded), says the building is suitable for various business uses.

“The architects and engineers of the Edwardian period, like their forebears in Victorian days, were encouraged by local authorities to construct Public Conveniences of high standard,” he said.  “Great importance was given to appearance and the quality of their finishes.  This is an attractive little building, and something of an historic landmark.  Its original purpose ended many years ago, though, and today potential buyers will find a pretty, well decorated and handy little office or shop on offer, with no lingering whiff of the past.”

Informal tenders should to be submitted by noon of Friday 18th April. 

For further information, contact Robert Windus, at Fenn Wright Commercial on 01206 216558.

Click here to download a brochure

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House to stir a Sheik near England’s newest racecourse (17.03.08)

A house to stir a Sheik (or bedazzle a banker) has gone on the market for an ice cool £3.5million, just a gallop away from England’s newest Racecourse, which opens on April 4th. It’s pretty much a dead cert that Woolmers Farm, at Beazley End, near Shalford in Essex, will either become the home of a racing magnate or a canny City investor - it stands approximately 68 furlongs (8.5 miles) from the new Great Leighs racecourse, where property prices are likely to rise with an influx of affluent enthusiasts.
		For sale through Zoe Napier at Fenn Wright Country and Equestrian, this simply stunning property is set in 15.7 acres with 8.6 more available if required.  Equestrian facilities include high quality internal and external stabling providing 12 loose boxes, reinforced tack room/foaling stable, feed/rug room and a secure barn divided into three separate storage areas.  In addition to well-drained paddocks, there is a professionally constructed floodlit manege of 50m by 30m.
Other luxury lifestyle requirements on offer include a heated swimming pool with automatic child safety cover, cinema room, gym, and games/billiard room with stylish bar.  Strict security measures include provision of a bespoke guard dog room (plus shower), where the automatic external door is synchronised with the house alarm system and car remote control.  Accommodation includes up to eight bedrooms, including three luxurious suites, and numerous stylish bathrooms. At ground floor level, a magnificent galleried reception hall over 32ft long with under- heated travertine marble floor gives access to the exquisite drawing room, and formal dining room with adjoining pre-dinner drinks area.
		The split level kitchen, with vaulted ceiling and again a Travertine marble floor, is over 35ft long, and fitted with a classic range of Clive Christian bespoke units with deep granite work surfaces.  A plasma TV has been built in to one of the units in the breakfast area.  Beyond the kitchen in a new north wing completed in 2007 and fully air-conditioned, are various service rooms, a guest suite and the basement level leisure facilities.  For Fenn Wright Country and Equestrian, Zoe Napier remarked:  “ Everyone in the horse racing world is eagerly awaiting the opening of the new course at Great Leighs – the first in England for 81 years.

“It could be that someone in the racing fraternity will snaffle up this extraordinary property, but, equally, it could be someone with an eye to future gains. In terms of cutting edge up-to-date facilities, Woolmers Farm seems to have it all, and is exquisitely presented both inside and out.  It may be that we will have a race to the finish, as houses of this calibre are like Classics winners -  few and far between.”

For full information, contact Zoe Napier on 01376 530135.

or click here for Fenn Wright's Country & Equestrian Website

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 Horses for courses – Fenn Wright supports the Marks Tey races (17.03.08)

Fenn Wright land and estate agents are appropriate sponsors of the Marks Tey Point-to-Point meeting on Easter Monday as it was the father of one of the firm’s longest serving partners who founded the races around half a century ago. Nat Sherwood set the course up on around 50 acres of his farming estate in the early 1950s, the first event taking place in 1952, the year of the Queen’s accession to the throne. He went on to win more than 100 point-to-point races, many of them at Marks Tey. He died in February 1998. His youngest son David now specialises in the sale of country houses from Fenn Wright’s Colchester office, and also works closely alongside Zoe Napier in Fenn Wright Country and Equestrian. David’s two older brothers Oliver and Simon followed in their father’s footsteps and both became accomplished jockeys, Oliver as an amateur and Simon in both amateur and professional fields.   Following a spell as amateur champion in the mid 1980s, Simon’s greatest achievement was his memorable victory in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup riding Desert Orchid.

Today, the brothers train National Hunt steeplechase champions at their stables in Lambourn and Bromyard in Herefordshire and carrying on the family tradition, Simon’s son Jack, 16, has just obtained his point-to-point licence.

David still very much enjoys his equestrian connections, which have multiplied since the founding of Fenn Wright Country and Equestrian   with Zoe Napier in 2005.

“The point-to-points area great family day out, and I try to get there when my own childrens' commitments make it possible. I enjoy seeing the point to point course prosper having been set up all those years ago by my father.” he said.

There are meetings at Marks Tey on Easter Monday March 24th and Saturday April 5th .

Further information from David Sherwood on 01206 763388

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FEBRUARY 2008

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We are selling property!

‘Well you would be wouldn’t you?  You are an estate agent!’ I can hear you say.  Well, yes, but the last few months of 2007 gave the property market quite a battering with the credit crunch, Northern Rock saga, jittery stock markets and the rolling out of Home Information Packs.

Although I think we all know 2008 will not be a hot market where all property seems to sell quickly and prices rocket skywards, that’s not such a bad thing is it? I feel that buyers and sellers are more sophisticated and better informed than ever before and what we at Fenn Wright are seeing now is a very encouraging pick up in sales activity based on realistic pricing by sellers and sensible negotiating from buyers. We have more people looking at our website now than any month last year.  Our offices are reporting that viewing activity is up and some pent-up demand from the ‘wait and see’ months of late 2007 is now releasing and sales are happening. The downward trend in interest rates helps consumer confidence and people want to get on with their lives.

With the market stabilising, first time buyers are being encouraged to step on the ladder.  

So if you are thinking of buying or selling, come off the fence and contact one of our friendly team! We will guide you through the process and you could soon be feeing the excitement of moving!

Alan Williams, Managing Partner

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JANUARY 2008

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The signs are looking good – so don’t wait for Spring! (15.01.08)

Interest rates coming down, activity levels in the market up, quality rules over quantity.  Early signs for the 2008 property market are ‘very promising’, according to Zoe Napier at Fenn Wright Country & Equestrian.

"An encouraging level of activity over the Christmas period is set to continue. Plainly, the property market for quality homes in Essex is not quite as the media is reporting on a national basis,” she says, “and early indications suggest 2008 will be as good a year as any in this sector.

“City bonus buyers are due handsome payouts around the end of January and are already actively looking. More & more are heading away from the City towards Essex, and the A12 corridor is key for the City buyer looking for a lifestyle change”. There are, however, fundamental changes to the market, she says.

“ As far as selling goes, whilst there may appear to be fewer people viewing properties compared with a year ago, it seems that the majority are actually buying as opposed to just browsing, and there is keen competition for the ‘good buy’.   For the seller preferring quality viewers through their door rather than quantity, now is definitely the time to get that property on the market. 

“ It’s a good time for buyers, too. At this time of year, sellers are usually committed to moving, are generally willing to listen to ‘sensible’ offers from buyers – particularly those in a position to proceed - and recognise the importance of offering a chain-free situation where possible”.

Zoe also advises that with Easter coming early (Good Friday is March 21st), it is not too early to make preparations for marketing a property over that crucial period.

"A good reputable agent will need time to prepare and present a property for the market so contacting them to arrange an appraisal should ideally take place during January or February for a Spring launch,” she says.  “But don’t hang on until Easter if you are buying,” she urges.”  Now is the time to take a ‘warts and all’ look at your proposed new home.  Study how exposed the garden is with all the leaves off the trees, and how well drained - or otherwise - the land is, particularly if there is acreage.

“Inside, winter is the time to see how warm a house really is, to detect draughts, assess howeffective the central heating is, and whether that inglenook draws smoke up the chimney or belches it out into the elegant drawing room. If you can fall for a house in this weather, imagine how much more you will like it when the sun shines! “

Fenn Wright will be having a Spring London Property Exhibition, to be held at their associated offices just off Liverpool Street. More information will be released and advertised soon in this respect.

Click here for Fenn Wright's Country & Equestrian Website

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Click here for 2007 News Stories

Click here for 2006 News Stories

Click here for 2005 News Stories