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For the first time in the 21st Century, the cherished family home of a major music industry figure is coming onto the market. Husband and wife team Charley Foskett and Lauren Field have lived in and loved their Bedfordshire home for 21 years, but have now decided it's time to move on.
Charley has enjoyed a dream of a career as a globally respected record producer and songwriter while Lauren has followed a parallel path as a singer/songwriter. Charley's expertise in the studio and at the mixing desk has made him a highly sought-after partner for a huge array of musical stars over the decades.
While he can count working with two Beatles, one Rolling Stone and a member of Led Zeppelin on his CV, the range of his talents has made him the producer of choice in all kinds of different musical genres for other rock veterans including Steve Harley and pop acts such as Bucks Fizz and Alvin Stardust as well as new wave giants including Elvis Costello, the soul legend Edwin Starr and the pioneers of world music Osibisa.
In the 1980s Charley was instrumental in setting up The Anti-Heroin Project, modelled on the Band Aid concept, which resulted in the release of a 30-track double album, 'It's a Live in World', with songs recorded by a cast of international musical stars, of which he co-wrote twelve and produced fifteen.
"We have had such fantastic times here,' says Charley, "building up our music production business and, at the same time, having the chance to entertain some of the music industry's most famous names."
The house incorporates a remarkable home studio which has hosted recording sessions by the likes of Paul Young, Jethro Tull and British blues legend Paul Jones. Like those owned by Peter Gabriel and Sting, in common with many of the industry's favoured recording locations, Charley and Lauren's home is far from the heart of London. However, Charley is convinced that their Dunstable location is one of the attractions that brings such world-class talent to their door.
"Our proximity to London Luton airport and our fantastic rail and road links have made it easy for artists from all over the UK and Europe to reach us," says Charley.
Charley has battled and survived serious illness and even released his own solo album in 2020 as an almost literal 'comeback'. The home he shares with Lauren has been an important part of their lives together, both personally and professionally. But even though, as Led Zeppelin would have it, 'the song remains the same', Charley and Lauren feel it is time for a change.
Charley again: "Now that our kids have grown up and are moving on, we've decided it's time to downsize. We feel so privileged to have been able to spend two decades bringing up our family in such a big, beautiful, happy, welcoming home. The parties we've had are legendary and the memories we take with us are priceless. And we've also had the huge, good fortune to make it our place of business too."
This stunning Dunstable residence is a true one-off. As you walk through the rooms you can see all the signs that it has been treated with manifest care through the years. It is the perfect example of what we mean by 'a well-loved home'.
"We've absolutely loved living here," Charley says, "and we have absolutely no doubt that whoever becomes the new owner will love it just the same and enjoy as much success as we've had."
Deakin-White is immensely proud to have been appointed by Charley and Lauren to market their exceptional home and match it with a very lucky buyer.
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Deakin-White are delighted to announce that we are now working alongside Boomin - the next generation property site. You probably haven't heard of Boomin yet, so allow us to explain what it's all about.
Boomin was launched in 2021 to transform the property market, while making the lives of clients and estate agents easier. Boomin's powerful property site aims to reduce the stress and burden of moving home, as well as provide inspiration to home buyers. Too often, buyers feel left out of the loop of property buying, but Boomin aims to engage them and empower them.
So what is it that makes Boomin so special? Read on to find out.
Secret Properties
Boomin allows you to discover Secret Properties that aren't available to see anywhere else. Secret Properties are properties that are not yet officially on the market. In some cases, they are still being valued by estate agents, meaning that no one else even knows they are going to be listed for sale. With Boomin, you can register your interest long before anyone else even knows the property is available. This allows you to be first through the door when the property comes onto the market, giving you the opportunity to get your offer in before anyone else.
Sneak Peek
Think of Sneak Peek as being like a movie premier: you get to see something before anyone else. Boomin enables you to jump the queue by booking viewings for properties days before details are posted online or anywhere else. This means that you can be the first to view an available property and, if you like what you see, can get your offer in long before anyone else has even viewed it.
Property Playground
Property Playground provides inspiration for your new home. Buying a property can be stressful, but Property Playground is all about having fun. Get tips and advice on creating your perfect home decor and making your property work for you. See hundreds of photos of aspirational homes and view collections carefully curated by industry experts and people just like you. Follow collections you particularly like to help you put together your dream home.
Book Viewings Online
Boomin understands that when you see the perfect property appear online, you want to book a viewing immediately. The most desirable properties are snapped up before you can blink, so to be in with a chance, you need to be one of the first buyers through the door. Boomin allows you to book property viewings online, 24 hours a day. So when you see your dream home appear, you can book a viewing immediately without having to wait for the estate agent to open or for your call to be returned.
This means now we advertise all our properties not only on DWRealEstate.co.uk but on all the major property portals including Boomin, Rightmove, Zoopla, Prime Location and OntheMarket.com.
We hope you're as excited about Boomin as we are. We'd love to tell you more about our work with Boomin and answer any questions you might have. You can get in touch at any time using the following details:
Deakin-White
Tel. 01582 343 548
E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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As you walk along the streets where you live, there will be certain houses that catch your eye. They may be of an architectural style that you adore or just scream potential, but more than likely it’s because they win you over with their kerb appeal. Kerb appeal is simply how a home looks from the pavement or road, when that initial glance can quickly turn into a stare. Having alluring kerb appeal is always essential but even more so in this sellers’ market, which is why our team at Deakin-White have put together some of our favourite tips to help you wow buyers with your home’s kerb appeal.
A Sellers’ Market?
With not many homes on the market compared to the level of buyer demand, you would think that your kerb appeal is important but not quite as essential as when we’re in a buyers’ market. We can understand this thinking but there is still an advantage to presenting the front of your home in a way that attracts and excites potential buyers. Buyers at the moment are trying to get ahead of the game, they are touring streets and neighbourhoods looking for homes that they love, even if they are not even on the market. We often get calls from buyers saying, “If this home or one similar comes on the market, please contact me straight away.”
Imagine having potential buyers queuing to view your property even before you have made the decision to sell? That is the power of exquisite kerb appeal.
It’s Not About Size
Any home, regardless of the size, can wow buyers with its appeal. “I remember a first-time buyer a few years ago, she had driven down a street and seen a home that just spoke to her. It was a tiny terrace that sat directly on the pavement edge. The house wasn’t on the market at that time, but it had a beautiful hanging basket bursting with blooms and the door looked like it had been freshly painted. She said to her family, ‘That’s the house I want,’ and a few weeks later it was on the market and yes, she did buy it,” said Scott from our Hertfordshire office.
We don’t want you to think that just because you don’t have a drive and garden at the front of your home, you can’t grab buyers’ attention. Kerb appeal is essential for any size of home, no matter how big or small, as first impressions do matter.
Where to Start
Just like with your home’s interior, start by giving the exterior of your home a good clean, from windows to doors, even to the pavement edge. Pathways and paving can start to look tired over time, but it’s nothing a good old jet wash won’t get clean. If you don’t have the equipment yourself, there are plenty of local companies that can help. Tidy up your home’s exterior and find somewhere out of sight for your bins, if possible, as let’s face it, they’re not very attractive.
If you have a fence and gates, what condition are they in? This year’s random weather, from sun to snow, may not have been kind to your home’s exterior, so fix anything that is broken and give it a fresh coat of paint and stain where needed. Peeling paint work on a windowsill and a fence that has passed its sell by date are never a good look, yet often in the stress of getting a home ready for sale, we can forget about that kerb-side view.
Bring Back to Life
Your garden may be seeing signs of spring coming to life, with leaves and blossoms beginning to appear and even some plants adding colour and joy to your flowerbeds. Give your front garden a good MOT: get rid of the weeds and winter decay and add some new seasonal plants where needed, so instead of something that looks barren, you have the most beautiful welcome.
The same goes for any lawn areas; bare and patchy grass just looks like work, so do whatever you can to bring it back to life before you place your home on the market. If you don’t have much, or any, space at the front of your home, there are still ways to add some greenery through tubs, window boxes and hanging baskets.
A very popular and elegant way to frame your doorway is with symmetrical planting, whether that’s through a pair of bay or olive trees, or even a couple of stylish planters filled with your favourite shrubs.
Front Door
Your front door is the focal point of your house, and is where a buyer’s eye will initially be drawn. With so many fantastic products on the market today, you can even spruce up an old PVC door with a lovely new colour. Whether you choose a bold and luscious red, a subtle heritage shade or a deep and warm blue, there is only one rule: it needs to work with the style of your house, otherwise it could turn buyers off instead of attracting them.
The Big Test
If you want to know how it looks, judge for yourself from the pavement or roadside, but remember to do it with a judgemental eye, just like those of a potential buyer. There is just one major risk: that when you see your home presented to wow buyers with its kerb appeal, you may start to fall in love with it all over again!
For more advice on how to get the highest possible price for your property in contact our team today.
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It's been quite a ride since our mother and son team of Christine and Ed Harrison founded the Deakin-White real estate agency in 2015. The conventional wisdom at the time suggested that it would be optimistic at best and reckless at worst to launch a start-up in the property market when the UK was only a few years out of the depths of the 2007 economic crash.
But entrepreneurs never really got very far by being cautious, so we went ahead anyway. The three counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire are beautiful places individually and united by a shared sense of welcome to home buyers and rental tenants alike. We know what a great place it is to live because we live here. We also know the market, the people and how to sell property. Deakin-White did not exist but we felt it essential to invent it.
And now, just a few years later, the success we've enjoyed and the service we've provided to countless satisfied customers means we're more than ready to expand. We've worked from our headquarters in Dunstable's Quadrant Shopping Centre since we started but the Deakin-White project is getting too big for one office. So we've opened another one.
Deakin-White have launched in Hatfield because it's time we had a physical presence in Hertfordshire to reflect our cross-county status. Like the Dunstable operation, the Hatfield office will make full use of the very latest technology, which has been designed and developed to speed up and simplify the buying and selling process and achieve the very best sale prices.
The new office will be in the endlessly capably hands of Scott Willmott, our St Albans and Hatfield partner. Naturally, we asked Scott how he felt about his new responsibility and he told us:
'Helping people move successfully and with clear communication is my passion. I also pride myself on my commitment to helping the client from start to finish. I'm proud to be a partner and it's my mission to send every satisfied customer away with a smiling face. Buying and selling a property doesn't have to be the headache so many people expect. With the help of an agent who really cares about the process in human terms, it can be an exciting, positive experience.'
The time is right for an expansion which represents the logical next step in our business's growth. The local market is solid and sound, with property price rises running at up to 4.5% over the past year. Prices are well above the national average, but still entirely realistic and well within range of first-time buyers as well as those planning to move on up the ladder.
Scott's brief, on which we know he will deliver, is to extend and strengthen Deakin-White's network and profile in this highly desirable region. All the resources of the agency are at his disposal.
This is a very exciting development for our agency and we welcome any and all new enquiries as well as returning clients. Our services cover both residential and commercial sales, lettings, auctions and mortgages. We are accredited by both the Property Ombudsman and the Trading Standards Institute.
If you are looking to sell, buy or move in St Albans, Hatfield and the surrounding areas then please call Scott Willmott today on 01727 620131 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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No matter what you’re advertising, whether it’s a product, a service or even a home, you want to capture a buyer’s attention. To get results you need to put in time and effort to ensure your property is looking its absolute best. You don’t need to own one of grandeur, any sized home has supermodel potential, which is why at Deakin-White we’ve put together some tips to show you how to prepare your home for its photoshoot.
Understanding The Value
When it comes to selling your home, you only have seconds to make a lasting impression. Buyers will be flicking through the online property websites hardly even giving some homes a second glance. A photograph may not sell your home, but it can open the door to the possibility and prompt a viewing. The more importance you place on getting things right for when your home is photographed, the better the potential outcome can be. Buyers want to feel a connection with your house; the way it’s marketed is the draw and ‘that feeling’ tends to happen the moment they step inside. Yet if we don’t market your home correctly, we will struggle to get buyers to view it in the first place.
If you follow our tips you can transform your property into the next top model. We want buyers to be focused on your clean and bright home, not pondering over what work it would take to get it looking its best. With your preparation and our investment in photography and videography, together we can dramatically impact buyers’ opinion of your home.
1. A Clean Kitchen
When we talk about a clean kitchen we don’t just mean literal cleanliness (and we know you will be cleaning vigorously before the shoot) but also a clean ‘look’. Worktops are fantastic places to store and house things, all those wonderful gadgets that we buy and rarely use, but by minimising what you keep on your worktop your kitchen will look so much cleaner and larger. Just leave a couple of decorative items, such as a bowl of lemons and a vase of flowers and find a place to hide the practical bits whilst your photoshoot is taking place.
2. A Clean Bathroom
The same principle should be applied to the bathroom. We all have bottles, soaps and paraphernalia decorating our bathrooms, but does a buyer really need to know what shampoo you use? A bathroom that has been cleaned and cleared of lotions and potions is a lot more attractive than one where the bath has various items on display. Again, by clearing things away for the photoshoot you will make your bathroom look bigger and also give it more of a ‘sanctuary’ feel, a place where your buyer can see themselves relaxing in and enjoying.
3. There Has to Be Light
One of our little niggles as estate agents is when we are in a property and the owner has neglected to check and change lightbulbs. Light is always a big selling point for buyers and we want your home flooded in it, so check the lightbulbs of all your ceiling lights and lamps before your photoshoot so we have as much light as possible.
As well as lightbulbs, raise any blinds, open all curtains fully and remove anything that could be blocking natural light from a window. With this in mind, don’t forget to get those windows clean too!
4. Less is More
We all have personal tastes, especially when it comes to how we decorate our homes. One of the most challenging requests we have for sellers is to remember that less is more. Removing large and bulky furniture is going to be challenging but if it’s eating up all the space in a room then it’s a must-do task. Many buyers will find it difficult to visualise the room without this piece of furniture within it, and so their focus could be on that particular piece rather than what the room could offer them. You want buyers imaginations running wild when they look at photograph of your home and thinking about the potential space it offers.
5. Remove Floor Mats
Lots of us have floor mats and runners (not rugs); they are fantastic at protecting our floors, especially when we arrive home all wet and muddy from a walk. As wonderful as they are, they can make a room and even a hallway look smaller and a bit cluttered. It will only take a couple of minutes to remove bath mats, door mats and runners for the photoshoot, to give these rooms clean lines and a greater sense of space.
6. Fridge Design
How many of us are guilty of cluttering our fridges with magnets, notes, reminders, children’s artwork… you name it. It’s a little piece of your family life, but as much as you love it, it’s not so alluring for buyers – in fact, it can be extremely distracting. Removing all these items will make your kitchen feel tidier and cleaner, but also, and more importantly, keep personal information away from prying eyes.
7. Make the Beds
Yes, we know how obvious this sounds, but it can often get overlooked, especially in rooms you may not be using. Fresh clean bedding with a neutral design always works best, accented with pillows, a throw and a couple of finishing touches. Look at hotel rooms and flick through home magazines for inspiration if you get stuck for ideas. One thing we know you will agree on is that walking into a room with an unmade bed doesn’t give you a warm feeling.
8. Remove Yourself
This is a tough one, as this is your home and ‘you’ are everywhere throughout it. But when buyers see your home, they want to see themselves there, which is hard to do if you’re staring back at them. By removing your family photos and personal items, a potential buyer can focus on the house and not you and your family.
9. Clear Surfaces
From the coffee table, breakfast bar, bedside table to chest of drawers, we all have places where clutter congregates whether that’s a book we’re reading, chargers, tissues, essential bits and pieces, it’s amazing how quickly a space can be filled.
You want any surface to have minimal items, maybe a book on your bedside table and, if big enough, a decorative item. A coffee table could be staged for a morning coffee on a little tray, and your breakfast bar is perfect when completely clear.
10. Remove ALL Pet Items
We’re not being harsh, most of us have pets too, and we know what an integral part of the family they are, but the truth is not everyone has pets and some people are allergic. The last thing you want is a buyer who is allergic to your home due to the smell of pets. It’s essential to get this right so hide bowls, beds and toys and give your carpet, and furnishings a deep clean to get rid of any ‘nose blind’ areas of your home.
Camera Ready?
It’s always easy to spot the homes where the owners have really spent some time getting it ready for its photoshoot. In this buoyant market where houses are selling quickly and often at asking price or above, the more you can do to bring out your home’s inner top model, the more viewings and potential offers you will receive.
For more advice on how to prepare your home for sale, please contact our team at Deakin-White.
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How exciting, you’re ready to embark on the next stage of your relationship and decided now is the time to move in together. If you’ve decided to rent or buy your first home, we bet you can’t wait to have a space that is just yours. When it comes to relationships, I don’t think any couple would say lockdown hasn’t come without challenges, yet if you are still living in separate abodes moving in together could be your biggest challenge to date if you haven’t talked everything through first. From financials to daily chores, from what belongings you will be bringing to communicating, there are many things to consider. We want moving into your first ‘together’ home to be a wonderful experience, so we have put together some top tips of things to consider to make sure moving in with your partner is a success.
Be Open About Your Finances
Let’s start with probably one of the most difficult tasks you may have, and that’s an honest conversation about your personal finances. When you move in together you will have some joint financial responsibilities, such as your rent or mortgage, bills, shopping even the Sky TV subscription and broadband. It’s important to discuss and put plans in place for things to be paid, whether you decide to open a joint account for ‘home’ expenses or split payments, you will find that getting this organised before you move in will ease some of your worries.
No one wants to start off an exciting new chapter with stresses over money when you should be enjoying having a place of your own. If you haven’t already done so, get a list together of all your expected expenses and then ask someone to check you haven’t missed anything. This way, your new life together will be starting with a clear understanding of your financial commitments and how they are going to be met.
Responsibilities
You may both may be very handy around a home and have no issues doing the washing up and mowing the lawn, but what are your expectations? One thing about jobs around the house is that they can easily become niggles that blow up into issues, if you’re always the one doing the majority of the housework whilst juggling work and life.