A guide to living in Milton Keynes

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

I live in the Arbour area of Milton Keynes. Overall it’s a fairly convenient place to live. There are several local shops and supermarkets a short walk or drive away, and central Milton Keynes with its big shopping centre and wider choice of restaurants, cafés and bars is not too far by car or bus. Takeaway options are decent, even if you sometimes need to go a little further for more varied or higher end restaurants. There are also plenty of green spaces and parks nearby, which makes walks and outdoor time quite easy. Transport links are generally good, with buses into central Milton Keynes and towards the train station, and it’s straightforward to get onto the main roads for commuting. However, buses can be a bit infrequent in the evenings and at weekends, and traffic can build up at peak times on some of the main routes. Cycling is helped by the redway paths, but some routes feel a bit poorly lit at night. Living on my street is mostly quiet and residential. Parking is usually available, though it can get a bit tight when more people have visitors or multiple cars. Bin collections are regular and generally reliable. There is the occasional bit of noise from cars and neighbours, but serious anti social behaviour is rare and it feels like a relatively safe, family friendly area overall.

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

When I’ve reported problems, building management has generally responded in a reasonable time. Routine issues in communal areas are usually dealt with, though smaller repairs and follow up communication can sometimes be slower than I would like.

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

I wish I had known a bit more about how parking and noise work in practice. At a viewing, the street and bays can seem very quiet, but in reality parking can get quite tight in the evenings when most neighbours are home or have visitors. I’d also have liked to know how much you can hear between flats and houses, as some sounds like doors closing, footsteps or cars late at night are more noticeable than you might expect. A useful tip for a new neighbour would be to check the bin collection routine and any shared bin store rules early on, as that makes life easier and helps avoid missed collections. It’s also worth asking existing residents about how responsive building or property management really is, so you have realistic expectations about how quickly repairs and communal issues will be handled.

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

Very convenient to Milton Keynes train station, only 8 min walk. Close to Aldi, Sainsburys and Morrisons for supermarkets

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

Responded fairly quickly to our minor issues with the inventory form

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

Floor plan of our specific flat could have helped us order furniture earlier

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

Great building and amenities. Friendly day to day staff including Bree and Megan! Very quiet. Parking is reasonable but could be made a lot easier!!

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

Any issues have been addressed and maintenance required has been carried out

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

Heating in the flats could be better and easier to set up

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

Location is amazing , walking distance to everything. Very clean and secure street . It’s located opposite to a police station and court , gives an added sense of security but sometimes noise from frequent dispatches as my flat opens towards them .

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

Haven’t raised any , proactively solved some issues

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

Storage in flat is quite limited , I wish I knew the extent of it , as some of it is a little deceiving

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

Arbour is centrally located, close to the MK railway station and MK centre shopping mall. This really helps to save time on public transport as most amenities are close and at a walkable distance from this built-to-rent housing property.

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

Yes, the building management has been helpful and quickly resolves issues.

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

Nothing I can think for now. The Arbour team helps with all your queries and provides a comprehensive viewing process for our peace of mind.