A guide to living in East of England

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Excellent location 4 mins walk to Watford Junction and 3 mins walk to Watford High St and shops and restaurants.

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

Should have known more about the developer and their service and quality history. Clarendon may just be a really bad apple amongst their portfolio of properties. Insist on completing the snagging before you complete your purchase.

What is the best feature of your home:

The views from the roof terrace are the best. Cinema room is fabulous. Location is second to none with main station and High street within 3-4 mins walk with a vast range of shops and restaurants. Central London is a quick 15-20 mins by train.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The local area is lovely- it's a nice part of Colchester and very close to countryside and the town. Road closures and blocks remain an issue, but the team are quick to allow access without complaint which I appreciate. Roads are still very dark and lighting could be improved.

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

We have had most issues when related to leaf living, but anything to do with developers has just been ignored.

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

Be mindful that the new turf in the garden is water logged- we have a few boggy areas and the grass has died completely.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Co-op is super close, made last minute grocery shopping very easy. The local restaurant, Bohemia, closed unfortunately but having the co-op is nice. Alconbury village is relatively close by.

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

I've only really communicated through email but every time I needed to contact Joe, he was responsive within a day and made it easy to call if I needed to.

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

There is a food truck that often goes next to the co-op most weekend evenings and there is a sushi set up at the community center on the weekend!

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Lovely place, nice neighbours easy to get around, Morrisons supermarket right next door, retail park 5-10 mins away, Also a shopping centre, good parking on-site, everybody is really friendly and welcoming as a community and is kept extremely clean!

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

Very quick response, I had a problem with my stove, reported it at 8pm, it was sorted by noon the next day

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

The surrounding area, I didn’t know it was so multi cultural and so much different options of foods/goods in the area which is great

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Forge Yards in Stevenage is a well-designed development offering stylish, modern apartments with high-quality finishes and excellent amenities, including a landscaped roof terrace, secure parking, and a bike shed. The location is a major advantage, with easy access to shops, entertainment, and public transport.

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

They are always positive and quick to respond back.

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

Every thing was explained before we moved in, so for us there was nothing missing.