A guide to living in Borough of Lewisham

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

A lot of research had been done before moving into this property and we have no regrets. Starting from the location, to the amenities, the design, environment, a sense of community to bring pet friendly - Bale and Anchor has it all. Although I hope maintenance requests can be accelerated, it takes ages for a request to look into. Furthermore, Homebox is a rising and painful concern. That contractor should be changed if Bale and Anchor wants their tenants to stay back!

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

They look into it but takes long time to arrange. E.g. the back door of Bale building is still under repairs since 1.5 years (when we moved in)

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

Homebox and Glide internet. Absolute nightmare of a company followed by poor customer service and incompetence

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

it's the nearest by Tesco express. It's close by an Asian convenience store. it's close by lewisham shopping centre as well.

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

they are so kind. when I need to repair my bathroom light, they just come to my house and repair it for me. especially Sariya is so awesome. she is so kind and help me with big beautiful smile

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

everything was better than I expected. but homebox system is annoying me.

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

Range and quality of shops are good. Transport links are good. It feels safe in some areas, and some doesn’t feel okay to walk by.

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

Junior has come to help us with the bathroom leaking issue we faced. He is so great at his job, he pointed out the solution and got it fixed. Later when I mentioned about the other issues we faced, he got them sorted out one by one. He literally got all of my 6-7 issues solved in a very short time. He is very friendly and kind, it’s been a pleasure meeting him.

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

How great of a place it is to live. We really feel like home here

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

Right next to Lewisham station (8 mins to London Bridge), between 2 DLR stations. A mostly quiet area. Not much traffic noise, but lots of railway noise. Close to Lewisham High Street. Right next to a Tesco. A short walk to Greenwich High Road, Greenwich Park, and plenty of other green spaces.

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

They are usually receptive and quick to respond, but I haven't seen any actual change. My balcony door breaking has been the worst example so far. The balcony doors are defective, commonly breaking (according to staff). They email frequently to not leave doors open during wind. Mine broke from just opening it to check the weather on a non-windy day. After initially taping it over with a plastic bag, I was told it would be 6-8 months for a repair. A month in, during winter, when asking for an update, they ignored my email. It's windy, cold, loud, insecure, and I've had huge insects now. I've had to get the council involved and now waiting for a fix. Residents have complained about Homebox and Glide for months, and aside from scheduling explainer sessions with Homebox, nothing has changed about the situation. Sometimes they 'lose' my rent and email me telling me I'm late, when I'm not. After 3 times I left a review and they apologized on that site, but still didn't specifically reply to my email to confirm they had received it. The incorrectly directed threats make me anxious about my housing situation.

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

The DLR and rail are noisier than expected, despite the soundproofing. The internet is too spotty for WFH.

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

Good - Really good location near the station and next to a Tesco superstore. Very convenient. - Maggie's is nearby which does a good breakfast - Turkish restaurant across the way is quite nice - Very minimal traffic noise, building seems well sound insulated - Nice community feel within the development with events being put on and weekly food trucks Bad - Parking is an extra £174 a month in the Tesco car park next door - Some delivery drivers have trouble finding the entrance to the building - Bins sometimes left to overflow or get left outside.

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

Terribly. Non-committal when it comes to issues and unable to provide dates or timelines. No care for the tenants as they're not on site and hide behind a generic email address. Maintenance and concierge are good, the staff on site have been a positive of living here.

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

Forced into using 3rd party suppliers for internet and utilities by companies that have no business being involved in a supposedly luxury living space. Avoid using Homebox for council tax, a few residents tried using them, paid, and they didn't pass the money onto the council resulting in severe problems. Internet infrastructure in the building is not fit for purpose, will seemingly take a large undertaking to resolve this. Would avoid unless they can fix it prior to moving in.