A guide to living in East Sussex

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

Shops & Restaurants: The range and quality are excellent. Situated seconds away from North Laine with it's independent boutiques, vintage markets, and an amazing food scene ranging from casual street food to high-end dining. Aldi is at the bottom of the road for practical grocery shopping. Bars & Nightlife: The Blockhouse is surrounded by traditional pubs, craft beer bars, and other venues. Open Spaces: Although situated in a dense urban centre, a large public park is just a short walk away. Brighton Seafront and beach are roughly a 15-minute walk. Transport Links - Trains: Brighton Train Station is only a 5-to-7-minute walk away, providing direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge in under an hour, as well as Gatwick Airport in 30 minutes. Buses: There are bus stops directly outside the property. Buses run regularly to the rest of the city and the universities. Problems: Because it is a central, heavily pedestrianised area, driving can be slow, traffic congested, and road layouts confusing for delivery drivers or visitors. Parking Availability: On-street parking is very restricted and expensive. There are a few on-site parking spaces which can be reserved directly with management if available. Secure indoor bicycle storage is provided on-site. Bin Collections & Deliveries: The Blockhouse has a superb on-site concierge and maintenance team, meaning parcel storage and waste management are handled easily within the complex. Anti-Social Behaviour: While central Brighton and the London Road experience standard city-centre nightlife foot traffic, residents at The Blockhouse feels very secure as a gated complex with 24/7 security and it's on-site team. Traffic & Noise: Because Pelham Street sits right next to the vibrant North Laine, daytime hustle and weekend nightlife noise are part of everyday life. However, the building has excellent insulation and street noise is well-blocked out.

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

Building management always respond quickly, professionally, and in a timely manner to any issues or problems that I have had. The on-site team and Reception staff acknowledge and address maintenance requests very quickly and handle all of my concerns in a polite, professional, and approachable manner. Reporting Facilities: Tenants can log problems or report issues directly through an on-site app.

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

Pros: Incredible Insulation: You rarely, if ever, need to turn the heating on during the winter, meaning energy costs are predominantly just for hot water. Seamless Management: The on-site front-of-house team and property management are highly proactive, acknowledging and fixing maintenance requests very quickly. Cons: Depending on where your flat sits in Block A, you may find the layout regarding the lift slightly frustrating. Car Parking Scarcity: Secure on-site parking spaces are incredibly limited.

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

Great location ; short walk from Hove St / George St, on bus routes to Brighton - parking can be a challenge. Bin collections are excellent & the communal spaces are always very clean. 24hr concierge means there is a genuine feeling of safety.

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

They have always been very helpful, patient and supportive - face to face as well as via email and out of office hours.

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

The monthly utility bills are much lower than in my previous rental in Hove, and the maintaince team are very responsive even with small issues.

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.