A guide to living in Manchester

Simon Nguyen was the one helping us source and move forward with our flat. He was absolutely incredible at handling all of our questions, the process and more. He went above and beyond on multiple occasions which we are very thankful for! The development management itself, being a new development, had a few issues. Such as some delays with their online platform and app. However, the staff at Downing living were there to help sort things out. Overall with the flat. The design is very well thought out, and lots of storage spaces. There are a few snags as you can expect with any new build, however I'm sure the team will sort it out quickly.

The aesthetic design of the building itself, is good. The materials used within the flats are very cheap. The black faucets and door handles chip even though the whole building is no more than 3.5 years old. The appliances are not the best (Candy). The only amenity they offer in this building is the rooftop terrance which is used a lot by the people who use the co-working space. They even close portions of the terrance to tenants for private parties by people from the co-working space. A parking spot within the building is £210/month and my electricity bills during the winter months are £400-£500/month! During the summer they’re around £115/month. Water is around £100-£120 every month and council tax is about £165. The flat comes without closets! That’s an added expense you have to or should budget for. The building does not have any air conditioning. The reception and hallways lack any ventilation and air conditioning so it’s unbearably hot most of the time .

The building is very flash! I especially love the convenient gym access and rooftop area. My apartment is showing no signs of age, and all the appliances are modern. Storage is also really great, plenty of room. I adore the view, it was a main selling point for me. The beds are also comfy.

Well out together buildings and seem solid. Heat in the apartments is good so no real need to put heating on in the winter. The kitchen has great use of space and appliances. Washer dryer which is useful. I wish the windows would open more but I get the health and safety

We toured a number of developments whilst deciding on where to call our new home. We had previously sold & downsized a large house, and then moved from the USA, again downsizing a large 2 bedroom apartment. The bulk of our belongings were in storage our first year in Manchester while we lived in a small 1 bedroom flat. It was paramount for us to find a flat that had all of the modern design elements we were looking for, as well as the storage solutions as well. The Castings ticked all of those boxes. Aside from plentiful closet and wardrobe space, the under-bed storage truly maximizes space use as a bonus and keeps things tidy. The building design is beautiful and aesthetically appealing. The decor is calming and welcoming and adds to the atmosphere and easy flow of the building. All of the common areas have been designed with an eye on comfort as well as usability. You can see why residents enjoy living here. I cannot say enough positive things about our interactions with every member we’ve come in contact with of the building management and property management team and maintenance too. From our initial call to the tour, to filling out applications and moving in, to becoming residents - no question or matter was left unanswered or fobbed off. We have been made to feel we are important, compared to our previous experience where all contact with management was ‘donotreply’ so we could not have any conversations or answers to our questions or concerns. From the day Roshni gave us our tour, her friendliness and openness made us feel the vibe at The Castings was where we wanted to live. Follow ups with Andrea and Denzel too just solidified we were right. It’s like they knew us before we moved in. We definitely made the right decision. It is a joy interacting with the friendly staff. They’re so genuine. We had plenty of choices in Manchester, but we know we made the right one. The price point, location, decor, amenities and lovely people, make our new flat, home, sweet home.