A Guide to Living in Deptford

Please review your development:

Culloden, Hampton, Blenheim tower and the other block are all managed by Realstar Living (7a Howick Place, London SW1P 1DZ), who just renamed themselves ‘Uncle’ and removed all the bad reviews from Googlemaps.

You have to buy the heating and hot water from them and they charged over £150 / month, even in summer. Even mains water cost us typically 3 time more than we’ve paid before or since. I don’t think Realstar pay tax in the UK so they make you pay the rent to their account in the tax haven Jersey. They try to con you over the deposit. They don’t do a handover with you when you leave and invent all these problems afterwards. We arranged to have it professionally cleaned before we left but they claimed it wasn’t clean enough. That’s because they paint all the properties after 1 year between tenants and they want to charge you for the cleaner that comes after the decorator. In the property industry Realstar have such a bad reputation that other companies avoid working with them.
I now live near Waterloo in zone 1 for a fraction of the cost. Much nicer place. No stressing about the bills or the landlord trying to rip me off.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Never deal with Realstar Living / Uncle

Please review your development:

Transport links are fabulous, very close to 3x useful stations and easy to get to London Bridge and beyond. Bins need to be collected more often, but I expect that is a symptom of lockdown. No traffic noise, some train noise but that is to be expected. We really enjoy living here.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

You can see your neighbours and they can see you. Get some new PJs and some big plants or suffer the consequences!

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Yes and usually very speedily and efficiently, apart from one, which we have been waiting on almost a year.

Please review your development:

The design if the development is quite modern but also boring. It looks like any other development in London, without any heart or passion behind the architecture. That said, it is still very well finished, well isolated as the train passes by very close (cannot be heard with closed windows) and very enjoyable to live here as many families and dogs inhabit the development. It is quiet as it is a private area without cars passing through which also allows you to freely walk outside or let your kids play in the “front yard”.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I was very suprised how tight of a community the development is.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

I have not raised an issue yet however I keep seeing my neighbours being upset with the management.

Please review your development:

Where to begin. Great building, but issues with balcony since I moved in…. 2 1/2 years ago. Was told recently that it wasn’t installed correctly in the first place.
Now is denial to my Managing Agent that anyone actually came and did work or checked the balcony. Despite providing a name of the individual who came and checked. Now have a balcony that needs new flooring.

No prior notice to arriving to do work, turn up and hope you’re in. Only a handful of phone calls, but that has stopped recently.
Do your research before purchasing; get a second opinion on things if possible.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How poor the communication and customer experience would be.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Very slow, taken way longer than it needed and often ignored several times.