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Advice for your home, from the people who fit it
Straight answers on bathrooms, kitchens, plumbing and extensions for homeowners in Essex and Suffolk. Written by the Phoenix B&K team in Maldon.
Latest guides
Showing 13 guides
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Newest guideBathrooms
Ensuite ideas: making the most of a small space
Planning an ensuite? Layout ideas, where to find space, plumbing and ventilation tips, and what to avoid. Advice for Saffron Walden, Brentwood and Great Dunmow.
Covers Saffron Walden, Brentwood, Great Dunmow
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Newest guideBuilding & Extensions
Extension ideas for Essex homes: what’s possible and what needs permission
Rear, side return or garage conversion? Extension ideas for Essex homes and when you need planning permission. Witham, Tiptree, Dunmow, Haverhill.
Covers Witham, Tiptree, Great Dunmow, Haverhill, Braintree
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Newest guidePlumbing
Winter plumbing checklist: protecting your home from frozen pipes and leaks
Simple steps to protect your pipes, boiler and outside taps this winter, especially in rural and period homes around Hadleigh, Bures and Halstead.
Covers Bures, Stoke by Nayland, Hadleigh, Halstead, Manningtree, Woodbridge
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Newest guideBathrooms
Accessible bathrooms and the Disabled Facilities Grant: a council-by-council guide
A Disabled Facilities Grant can pay up to £30,000 towards a level-access shower or wet room. How to apply in Tendring, Maldon, Babergh and West Suffolk.
Covers Clacton-on-Sea, Maldon, Sudbury, Bury St Edmunds
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Newest guideBathrooms
Want a new bathroom before Christmas? Here’s what you need to know
Hosting family this Christmas? How long a bathroom renovation takes, when to book, and what to order early. Colchester, Halstead, Sudbury and Mersea.
Covers Colchester, Mersea Island, Halstead, Sudbury
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Newest guideElectrical
EICR certificates: what landlords in Essex need to know
Landlords must have their electrics inspected at least every 5 years. What an EICR involves, what the codes mean and the deadlines.
Covers Colchester, Wivenhoe, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea
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Newest guideKitchens
Kitchen refurb or full replacement: what can you keep?
Do you need a whole new kitchen, or would a refurb do? What you can keep and how to decide. Saffron Walden, Dunmow, Haverhill and Bury.
Covers Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow, Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds
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Newest guideBathrooms
Small bathroom ideas for period cottages and compact homes
Practical small bathroom and shower room ideas that work in period cottages and compact homes, from local fitters covering Coggeshall, Kelvedon and Bures.
Covers Coggeshall, Kelvedon, Bures, Stoke by Nayland
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Newest guideBathrooms
How to choose a bathroom fitter: 10 things to check
Reviews, insurance, written quotes and certificates: ten checks to make before you hire a bathroom fitter in Suffolk or Essex. Honest advice.
Covers Sudbury, Hadleigh, Woodbridge, Bury St Edmunds
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Newest guideBathrooms
Replacing a bath with a walk-in shower: benefits, costs and pitfalls
Swapping your bath for a walk-in shower? Costs, benefits, pitfalls and whether to keep a bath. Advice for Clacton, Manningtree and Brightlingsea.
Covers Clacton-on-Sea, Manningtree, Brightlingsea
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Newest guideBathrooms
Wet room or shower enclosure: which suits your home?
Wet room or shower enclosure? The pros, cons, costs and practical points, including ventilation and damp in coastal homes around Mersea and Wivenhoe.
Covers Mersea Island, Wivenhoe, Brightlingsea, Colchester
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Newest guideBathrooms
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
A realistic, day-by-day guide to how long a bathroom renovation takes, from planning to the final grout. Advice for homes in Braintree, Halstead and nearby.
Covers Braintree, Halstead, Coggeshall, Kelvedon
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Newest guideBathrooms
Essex’s hosepipe ban: how to make your bathroom use less water
Essex & Suffolk Water’s first hosepipe ban since 1997 is still in force. Practical ways to cut the water your bathroom uses. Free advice: 01621 503579.
Covers Maldon, Tiptree, Witham, Brentwood, Chelmsford
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Our own team handles the whole job, from plumbing and electrics to the final tile.
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Based in Tolleshunt D’Arcy near Maldon, covering towns and villages across Essex and Suffolk.