A guide to living in Essex

Excellent

70.9%

Very Good

23.4%

Average

3.8%

Disappointing

1.0%

Very poor

1.0%

Best places to live in Essex

How is ranking calculated?

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and the amount of verified reviews over the past 12 months.

Viewing 1-5 out of 56

Rental Only
Award Winner 2024

One Canalside, CM2

By Legal & General, VervLife

Award winner 2024

4.29

4.29

(145 reviews)

One Canalside is a residential development by Legal & General and managed by VervLife. It features 189 apartments with a mix of 1, 2 and 3 beds. Facilities include a Residents Lounge, Work Zone, Meeting Room and Private Dining Room. In addition, on-site parking is available by request as well as a free cycle storage. With a waterside location, the development is only a 10-minute walk away from Chelmsford city centre including access to the station with links to Greater Anglia trains (40-minutes to London Liverpool Street).
1st

Ranked 1st out of 21 in Essex

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Award Winner 2025

City Park West, CM1

By Notting Hill Genesis, Folio London

Award winner 2025

4.04

4.04

(64 reviews)

City Park West offers a contemporary collection of 391 one and two-bedroom apartments in the heart of Chelmsford, developed by Notting Hill Genesis and Folio London. Located adjacent to Chelmsford Station, the development provides exceptional transport links and is just a short walk from High Chelmer Shopping Centre. With its strategic positioning and modern design, City Park West delivers a dynamic living experience in one of Essex's most vibrant city centres.
2nd

Ranked 2nd out of 21 in Essex

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Spinning Fields, CM7

By Allsop Single Family Housing

4.78

4.78

(16 reviews)

Spinning Fields is a Packaged Living development, managed by Allsop Single Family Housing. Set in the heart of the Essex countryside, and just a few minutes from the historic town of Braintree. Spinning Fields offers all the benefits of a rural lifestyle along with superb local amenities and commuting links into central London.
3rd

Ranked 3rd out of 21 in Essex

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Leaf Living at Westcombe Park, CM9

By Leaf Living

4.65

4.65

(13 reviews)

Westcombe Park is a new garden community on the outskirts of Maldon, with a collection of new homes designed with contemporary living in mind. Heybridge offers a blend of history, nature, and community. While Westcombe Park would suit a range of renters, for growing families there is a proposed new primary school, nursery, parks and play areas. As well as a wonderful high street, great restaurants, bars, cafés and gyms.
4th

Ranked 4th out of 21 in Essex

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Leaf Living at Coggeshall Mill, CO6

By Leaf Living

4.63

4.63

(8 reviews)

Sitting beside the scenic River Blackwater and with a town history dating back to Roman times, Coggeshall Mill provides a welcoming and vibrant lifestyle, with weekly markets and plenty of local pubs, shops and restaurants making it the perfect place to call home.The development features a primary school on site for children aged 5 to 11, with other excellent schools nearby. This thriving new community is well-connected, with Colchester and Braintree a stone throw away. Kelvedon Station, located 3 miles away offers train services to Liverpool Street in under an hour and London Stansted Airport is only a 30 minute drive away.
5th

Ranked 5th out of 21 in Essex

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Page 1 of 12

Featured developments in Essex

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Latest Reviews in Essex

501 total reviews

Viewing 1-5 out of 501

Reviews marked with a green tick show tenants whose residency we have been able to verify. Those that could not be verified are marked 'unverified'.

Blossom77 (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

5
5
This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.
5

Perfect for us

Blossom77 (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

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

Very lucky to live in this development as a renter. So quiet, close enough to everything we need. Beautiful town. A bit of a longer drive to nearest train station but worth it. Front gardens maintained. Parking okay so far although it would be useful if everyone used their driveways and not just parked on the road.

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

Initially there were some delays due some reorganisation within the team but once this was settled, we received a very good service. Responsive, understanding, helpful.

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

We can't decorate for 2 years but I like the fresh white walls and not sure I would paint them now


Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Ben C (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

5
5
This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.
5

Amazing new builds

Ben C (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

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

Friendly people, not much in the way of anti-social behaviour, good transport links to the A12 & M11. Could do with a convenience store on Dunmow Grange

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

Promptly & politely thus far, couldn’t ask for better response

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

Nothing that I can actually think of good or bad right now


Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Adam (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

5
5
This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.
5

Very well thought out development

Adam (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

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

Lovely area house is close to local shops and large supermarkets and easy access to main roads Good green areas and when it’s all finished will be a nice evening walks

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

Fast efficiency and clear communication Easy to contact and nothing is to much trouble

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

I think they covered everything very clearly to be fair


Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

BenniBoi90 (Tenant)

Unverified

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

5
5
This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.
5

Beyond expectations

BenniBoi90 (Tenant)

Unverified

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

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

Quiet, lovely views, friendly people, easy access to motorway, no issues with parking spaces, bins collected with ease

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

Have not yet had any issues which require being sorted

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

Wish we had discovered these before we moved into our previous property


HomeViews

Mel Cohen (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

5
5
This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.
5

Thank you guys from the bottom of our hearts!

Mel Cohen (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Great Dunmow Grange, CM6

Jun 2026

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

All through school from reception to sixth form Local supermarkets Lots of woodland for walks Friendly people

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

Always on hand to help with questions/queries thank you for being spot on

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

Always take a note pad with questions when viewing


HomeViews

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These reviews are the subjective opinion of a HomeViews user and not of HomeViews

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