Design: there are a lot of design shortcomings with the flats in Georgette Apartments and there were many faults upon moving into the property – some of which we have been totally fobbed off with…
Radiators – after enquiring and enquiring and enquiring about the broken radiator in the ensuite we were told that it was ornamental as in case someone was morbidly obese lived in the property one day it would mean that having it so close to the loo could give them 3rd degree burns. Just plain ridiculous, it was sold to us as a working radiator and we’ve never had a warm shower in our main bathroom. It should have been added directly next to our shower to prevent this.
Underfloor Heating – we moved in in December and the underfloor heating wasn’t working. The flat was freezing (as I said, it was December) and didn’t get fixed for the first week. No technician had checked it before we arrived (my boyfriend works in construction and said this was standard so that these mundane sort of issues were avoided). Even now, it takes so long to feel the effects of the heating that I would actually prefer a radiator that can blast out some heat.
Switches (no dimmable switches in Kitchen / Sitting Room or Bedrooms). Just makes such a difference, fixtures are all fitted with blindingly bright lights and would be nice to be able to control this through dimmers.
Bathroom Lights – in the ensuite bathroom the overhead lights and the under cupboard lights circuit are all connected so you can’t turn one on without the other. This is unlike the spare bathroom where you have this option. The ensuite switch is on the same switch as the (non-dimmable) bedroom light. They could have so easily been separated and very much a design oversight when the ensuite is always going to be the main bathroom used by anyone that lives here.
Blinds – the ones that come with the flat just don’t keep any light out. No blackout blinds in sight and you wake up at around 6am due to how bright the room gets.
Electricity – the circuits in the flat don’t seem to be ok in our flat as it will look like lights have blown when they will turn back on the next day. They also flicker quite a bit. This has happened in the bathroom and the kitchen primarily.
Washing Machine – the washing machine is incredibly powerful and will try and shift itself out against the doors it’s contained behind. We don’t overfill it and we have to have it on a very low spin cycle. Also it is incredibly annoying how the washing machine faces into the storage room and not out towards the doors. Again, seems like a Design oversight.
Storage Cupboard in Hallway – having such an empty fill of a room is actually quite annoying. There should be inbuilt frames / clothes rail / something to make this more of a useable space.
Internet Connection Box – this was so hidden away that we had to call up L&Q to find out where the connection was. Should have been included on the welcome pack.
Extraction Fan in Kitchen – this barely works. If you’re boiling a pot of water, the whole Kitchen/Sitting Room becomes humid with hot, damp air. It also does an awful job at extracting kitchen smells, so much so that we have had to buy food odour neutralising candles (and we eat pretty standard food) as it just lingers for a good day or so.
Water Pressure – this was so bad when we first moved into the flat that we had to get an engineer out through L&Q. It is better than what it was but it still takes about 60 seconds before you get hot water in the ensuite bathroom (furthest faucet away from the tank). Also to run a bath in the spare bathroom takes a good 35 minutes due to the poor water pressure.
Sound Proofing – on the hole it is pretty good but it seems to be better at cancelling out next door flats but not nearly as good at cancelling out flats above you.
Entrance Call Cams – ours just isn’t very good at all. It was fine in the beginning but now the audio is awful and you can’t hear what the person outside the property is saying. It is also so frustrating that you can’t buzz people up to your floor. Having to go down and meet any visitors on the ground floor is just so annoying and should really be looked at – when we are allowed to have people over to ours again (thanks Covid), if you have any form of a get-together this is going to drive all tenants loopy!
General Finishings – these have left quite a bit to be desired.
There are some pros though as well – the fact that there are USB ports in all of the plugs is really useful. We like the 2 opening options on all of the windows – very useful. The space is nice and open and has really good natural light throughout the flat. Communal areas are cleaned regularly. Square footage is ace.
Security: further to the above comment box, the two door entry into Georgette honestly is an absolute joke. The first door is *so*ridiculously*heavy* that one day is *bound* to injure someone as it just chases you inside when entering the property and falls very heavily on you (totally expecting it to annihilate someone’s feet / ankles, etc especially in the summer months when people will be wearing flipflops, etc). Should a child get in the way of the door, it would throw them across the entrance hall. Speaking to Concierge, it seems like so many people have complained about this and L&Q just can’t be bothered to deal with this. Secondly, the locks on *both doors* don’t even work so again, is a huge security risk. As a female it doesn’t feel safe at all for this reason and when coming into the building and unlocking my front door, I am always on the lookout for people behind me, etc.
CCTV: for the reasons above, it would be good to understand what CCTV cameras are in operation. Both inside the buildings (entrances, lifts, stairwells, floor corridors) and also outside. Since Sarah Everard especially, walking up the connect roads, especially those that lead onto main roads (and the one that hugs the cemetery) it feels much less safe as an area. Also if there are CCTV cameras, for it to be advertised that they are in operation.
Concierge – Tom has been a great addition to the block and is always willing to help improve the building. The Post system works efficiently and well with the text notification of any deliveries.
As for L&Q, they are honestly one of the worst property management companies that I have come across and I have come across a few. It seems very bureaucratic and everyone passes the responsibility onto another team when possible. The answers that we have had to some of the issues that we have had with the flat have been downright laughable – especially the ‘ornamental radiator’. We have had to chase and chase and chase some issues with the flat and it just seems so badly organised / comes across like they can’t be bothered.
In terms of us wanting to secure the flat, we viewed it at 5pm and were told that if we wanted it we would have to confirm and pay the deposit by 7.30pm that night. We did this only to find that there was practically radio silence from L&Q until the week or so before we moved in. Was so badly organised and no one could get back to us.
Additionally we had an email to say that any flats that had doormats outside their properties had to remove them as they were a trip hazard. The lip that separates the carpet in the communal hallway to the ‘wooden’ floors was just as high as the doormat and so basically that lip is as much a trip hazard as a doormat.
Finally, the inventory. I was here when the external inventory person took notes on the state of the property but we submitted the inventory report as requested in the two week timeframe and we never got confirmation of acknowledgement. A pretty key feature of moving into any rented property and just another way that L&Q haven’t done their due diligence.
There are some very simple steps forward to make this a better place to live (please start with the number of security issues and the ridiculously heavy door as it undoubtedly will hurt someone one day) as the safety of your tenants should be paramount.
Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:
Location: generally speaking the location of the property is good. There are x4 supermarkets in the area, plenty of shops. It isn’t much of a destination in terms of bars and restaurants and the quality is quite varied. Was hoping Wandsworth Town would be more akin to Northcote Road and have a better range of delis/ boutique-y shops/ pubs/ bars/ brunch spots, etc but seems filled with countless estate agents and hairdressers. There is a good butcher though. Also as an area it does feel like you can’t get to any real green spaces easily. All the parks are surrounded by roads which in lockdown hasn’t been ideal. Additionally, vehicle access to the property is not great. It is too complicated to get cabs to pick you up and drop you off so often have to send them to Garrett Lane or St Ann’s Hill, and getting food delivered is awkward due to security access.
Transport: the links here are good with plenty of busses and the overground a 10 minute walk away. Weekend service of trainlines is often awkward though so is better during the week.
Parking – not an issue as don’t have a car although when we enquired about it, L&Q said that all the spaces were filled when later we found out that only a small % of the flats (both to rent and to buy had been filled).
Bin Collection – fine and haven’t noticed any issues. Although it would be great if they actually had a compost bin for us to use. Just seems very un-eco friendly which isn’t ideal.
Anti-social behaviour – handful of thefts from bikes in the building with seemingly very little effort made by L&Q to prevent this from happening again. Access to the underground car park has basically had the doors wide open for weeks.
Traffic noise has been practically unnoticeable however we chose the location of our rent flat with this taken into consideration (we are facing the cemetery).
Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:
I love the flat and space that we have created but in all honesty, the amount of issues with the property when we first moved in took a lot of joy out of moving into a new build as it just felt like it was all form over function.
What is the best feature of your home:
The size and space that the flat holds is incredibly good. Was the key reason for moving into the property against older styles of buildings.
