A guide to living in Borough of Lambeth

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

Streatham Hill is proper south London: still affordable (by London standards), with a 17-minute train to Victoria, 24-hour buses, and Tooting Bec Common right there for runs or the lido. You get decent cafés, Hood restaurants, legendary curry houses and a real mix of people without the full Clapham price tag. Downsides: the high road is a little scruffy and noisy, and parking isn't great since they started charging all the once free backroads. It’s not polished, but if you want zone 3 convenience and green space without paying Brixton or Balham prices, it’s still one of the best-value spots going. I’ve been here 10 plus years and not rushing to leave.

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

The community in the building is pretty strong. They come together and discuss any issues. For example, on occasion new tenants move in and get a little over-excited with their new-found freedom post-university (think 3 a.m. drum-and-bass parties). Rather than endless passive-aggressive notes, the WhatsApp group and the residents’ committee gently but firmly sort it out within a couple of days, usually with a friendly knock on the door.

What is the best feature of your home:

It’s big with space for a big sofa, 8-seater dining table and still room to swing several cats (we don't have pets!). Because it’s south-facing and has floor-to-ceiling windows across the entire front, the place is flooded with light from morning till late afternoon, even in Winter. On a sunny day it feels more like a loft in Shoreditch than a 1930s cinema conversion on Streatham High Road. The light and the size together make it feel like a comfortable space to live in everyday which I can't say for any other apartment I've live in in London.

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

There are plenty of shops nearby along streatham high road. There is the overground station of streatham hill station. The flat I am in, you are able to hear the outside traffic once the windows are open, but if they are closed block out the noise quite well. There is parking available at the back but spaces are allocated depending on the initial owners so currently rent from an apartment which has the space attached to theirs.

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

The ongoing issue that is being faced with the building works to the roof as well as the issue of the flats on Floor 4. These are in the process of being investigated or completed in regards to the works on the roof.

What is the best feature of your home:

The location of the building is great and the space within the flats are great for the price that you are getting.

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

Local area is great, a 2min walk from Southall station so easy to get into central London. Many amazing places to eat with great food and shops where the food to buy is a lot cheaper than shopping in some of those big supermarkets

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

Most of the time the response has been prompt, but some other times I have had to raise it to a higher level before things get done.

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

How temperamental the lifts and main entrance door locks can be

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

Close to the tube with 2 lines. Green area in front of the building and close to Battersea park, availability of multiple services like restaurants, shops, groceries, pubs, GP, pharmacies, etc. Well connected with bike lanes too

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

Always with kindness, professionalism and on time. Reliable

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

Bills management with name changes is a little challenging, an onboarding process from the building management would have helped

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

There’s a really nice park opposite the building, which is great, and there are plenty of nearby grocery stores like Tesco and Sainsbury’s. The street itself has very little traffic, though the courts opposite can sometimes get a bit noisy in the evenings.

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

Building management has been very responsive. When I had an issue with the water pressure on one of my taps, the maintenance team came within a day and fixed it. Any other queries I’ve raised have been addressed within 24 hours, so overall the experience has been very positive.

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

I wish I had known more about the noise from the football courts opposite. They can be quite loud during weekend days and weeknight training sessions, and the sound carries into the property. It never goes on too late, and it doesn’t ruin living here, but it’s definitely something to be aware of if you’re sensitive to noise.