A guide to living in East Sussex

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

For me, Hove offers the perfect balance—the peace and quiet are ideal for family life or a more relaxed pace, while a quick bus ride lets you easily enjoy the rest of the town. Both Hove and Brighton are packed with an incredible selection of cafes and bars, whether you're grabbing a coffee on your commute or going out at night.

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

I haven't had any yet . But I'm sure if I did they would help me with it in no time .

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

I carefully researched my move well in advance . About 4 months ago

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

Burfield Grange is well located for access to the Cuckoo Trail with two access points on the development. There are nurseries and schools (Primary and Secondary) within walking distance and Hailsham Town is a 2.5km walk away accessible via the Cuckoo Trail. The roads are well proportioned with all homes having accessible parking on driveways. Part of the public land is owned by Hellingly Parish Council and other parts of estate managed by a management company - the latter is payable by a service charge payable be each home (there are 240). We have an excellent Resident Association and Neighbourhood Watch scheme which ensure that the estate is well kept, and relatively crime free. Burfield Grange is a beautiful, quiet, well respected and well looked after development and many of the residents comment how lovely it is living here.

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

When buying a new build home (1) Get absolutely everything that is agreed put in writing (2) Do your homework and ask other residents how they feel about the developer and their home (3) Employ a Snagging Company - this house will be the biggest purchase of your life - get it checked by a professional (before you complete on the purchase if possible) - it is money well spent - trust me! (4) Do not use the solicitor recommended by the developer - they are often not impartial (5) If you do not know the area take the time to explore before you buy (6) Check out Social Media - once the homes on new developments start to get occupied there is often a Facebook page for it, also look at social media for your developer - it can be an eye opener, (7) Do not be fooled by sales pitches - of course the developer wants to sell their homes and quickly so there are some good deals out there (8) Do not believe that NHBC or LABC or other so called 10 year guarantees cover everything as they do not! - these companies are funnily enough funded amongst others, by the developers - you may be surprised by some of their findings and decisions! (9) Enjoy your new home once you have purchased knowing that you have done your homework.

What is the best feature of your home:

My home is well located within the development, looks attractive and is energy efficient. To be honest, now we have ironed out the issues we had with it when we purchased it, made some internal improvements and have decorated it throughout, we aboslutely love it.

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

Moda is perfectly located in Hove not far from the lovely restaurants and bars and transport links. A few minutes away is the beautiful Hove Park which is ideal for walking our dogs. Hove train station is less than 10 min walk, and there is a bus stop practically outside the entrance to Moda. Moda is located immediately next to the train line, but honestly, the sound of the trains passing really doesnt bother or disturb us at all. The apartment glazing shuts out the outside noise extremely well and the apartments are soundproofed from each other so apart from in the corridors, you do not hear and thing from anyone else.

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

We are on a waiting list currently for the maintenence team to put some pictures up for us. We are hoping the wait wont be too long.

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

Parking is probably the only challenge, not so much for residents if they pay for a parking space, but for visitors, there are only a handful of spaces privately controlled, available to pay for 12 or 24 hours. There needs to be more visitor parking and flexible on hours to stay.

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

The living environment is very peaceful, quiet and pleasant, with a strong sense of privacy and security. The development is well maintained and there is very little unwanted activity or antisocial behaviour, so residents can enjoy a calm and comfortable atmosphere. In terms of convenience, the town centre, restaurants and supermarkets are only around five minutes away by car, while most places can also be reached within approximately 20 minutes on foot. Overall, I find the location extremely convenient, with good access to everyday amenities while still providing a quiet residential environment.

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

I have been very happy with how the building management has responded to any issues I have raised. They are quick to respond, polite and helpful, and most issues are dealt with efficiently. Communication is also very convenient and straightforward, with many things being handled digitally. Overall, I feel that the management team takes residents’ concerns seriously and does a good job of following up and resolving problems.

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

As a new immigrant, one thing I wish I had known before moving in was more information about how things work within the local community. For example, I was not familiar with how to arrange or switch utility providers for water, electricity and gas, or some of the other practical things that need to be set up when moving into a new home. It would be really helpful if the management team could provide new residents with a simple guide covering these essentials, especially for people who are new to the UK or the local area. I think this would make the moving-in process much easier and less stressful.

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

The area is phenomenal - close access to supermarkets, public green space, cafes, bars, resturants and entertainment.

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

When problems are raised with front desk staff or through the app, they are resolved and communicated clearly. Other issues when brought directly to building management have been poorly handled - slow response times that can feel like stalling, or completely ignored in some cases.

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

I would have liked to have a better representation about key issues within the building, for example poor insulation in the flats and the unreliable internet - the latter has been a particular problem for me that would have made me reconsider had i known that regular outages would have been an issue.