A guide to living in North East England

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

It’s always clean and never had any problems. If anything needs fixed it does straight away! I just wish there was a shop close

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

Promptly and swiftly. Had an issue with the dishwasher and washing machine and was sorted the next day

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

I wish I knew how cold it gets in the winter in these flats and how hot in the summer!

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

The good things are great neighbours and schools that will suit younger families and older people, the shops are good only concern is Mandale now bringing the area down.

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

If I would have known how bad they were I would have never bought from them.

What is the best feature of your home:

The area is nice and its good being near the country

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

the area is fine. Lots of bars and restaurants. Close to the river although up quite a steep bank. The building is aging badly and I think it’s Y&Ys headache up north that they would rather ignore.

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

I suppose I didn’t notice how worn the building was until I moved in and as there are signs everywhere saying there was cctv I had no reason to assume there wasn’t any. Until parcels started going missing as the door is often left open in main entry - janitor said there is no cctv and the building no manager has been telling me he’s getting quotes now since at least July. I’ve lived here 3 years and the windows have been cleaned once. The water is also never hot enough to get a full really hot bath. I also rented through an agency and they let themselves into my property the first week of my tenancy while I was in bed asleep for an inspection that had not been booked in apparently it had been booked in for the previous tenant and a glitch had made it not cancelled out of their system while I know that is not the building’s fault. ( Living spaces )

What is the best feature of your home:

I do love the huge window in the bedroom - however I only have a tiny window in living room so really would prefer if it was the other way around and not an issue.

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

Great central location, no free parking but carpark opposite (a little pricey), council tax expensive

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

Building management itself at Forge is friendly and good just Grainger is run quite badly as a company, hard to get hold of anyone about renewals or contract problems, viewings are a nightmare to book and get any response. Very pushy for money

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

Can't think of much, maybe go to the resident's events?

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

In our latter years we were looking to downsize to a two bedroom bungalow (no stairs!). Most of the nearby affordable for sale bungalows were old style and required a lot of expensive work whereas other, more modern ones, had a price to match. We decided to look at new build, long term rental solution and visited the show bungalow at The Oaks a year gone November.

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

Reporting via web easy with provision to add photos. Had a couple of new build issues one was completely resolved but other was only a cheap work around solution. Feel that there is an element of interpretation in actioning of reported issues.

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

Inadequate parking* - especially for older residents with some associated mobility problems. * potential to worsen when all properties are occupied.