A guide to living in South East England

South East England is the third-largest of the official regions of England by area, and has the highest population of all the regions. Stretching to the west as far as the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, right across to the tip of Kent and curling around London up to Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, the South East benefits from its close connection with the capital and the national transport network. It also offers residents close proximity to the continent and swift international connections via the Channel Tunnel, Gatwick and Heathrow on its border with Greater London.

Excellent

70.0%

Very Good

22.1%

Average

6.0%

Disappointing

1.0%

Very poor

0.9%

Best places to live in South East England

How is ranking calculated?

Viewing 1-5 out of 383

Rental Only

Momento Staines-Upon-Thames, TW18

By Greystar

5.00

(27 reviews)

Discover Momento Staines-upon-Thames, where riverside living meets unbeatable connections. Choose from stylish studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes with exclusive resident amenities including a gym, co-working spaces, resident lounge, and pet-friendly features.

1st

Ranked 1st out of 208 in South East England

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Leaf Living at Liberty Place, BN27

By Leaf Living

4.94

(19 reviews)

Discover the perfect blend of town convenience and countryside charm at Liberty Place, conveniently located on the edge of Hailsham town. This new community is a stone throw from a variety of shops, supermarkets and restaurants and has a selection of great schools withing reach. For leisure, the town offers a leisure centre, the Pavilion Cinema, and an array of parks and play areas. The development is well-connected, with easy access to A22 & M23. Polegate Train Station, located just 10 minutes away, offers great train services to London Victoria, London Gatwick and neighbouring coastal towns.

2nd

Ranked 2nd out of 208 in South East England

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Leaf Living at The Gateway, TN40

By Leaf Living

4.91

(26 reviews)

Coastal living in the tranquil seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, a gem nestled between Hastings and Eastbourne in East Sussex. This prime location becomes a vibrant hub in the summer, offering beachfront activities and a serene escape along the South Coast.

3rd

Ranked 3rd out of 208 in South East England

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Award Winner 2025

The Almere, MK9

By Native Communities

Award winner 2025

4.89

(180 reviews)

At The Almere, residents benefit from spacious apartments, panoramic views, resident events and coworking spaces. A community nestled in the heart of Milton Keynes, with access to facilities and amenities right on your doorstep. Our 1, 2 and 3 bedroom rental apartments come with on-site customer and maintenance services and a relaxed community lounge for you to enjoy. All pets are welcome at The Almere, whether they are feathered, four-legged, fishy, or feline. For commuters, our luxury apartments are just 12 minutes on foot to Milton Keynes Train Station, with trains direct to the capital and other UK hotspots.

4th

Ranked 4th out of 208 in South East England

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Award Winner 2025

Ebb & Flow, RG1

By Native Communities

Award winner 2025

4.88

(181 reviews)

Ebb & Flow offers a collection of Studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments in the heart of Reading. All apartments have spacious kitchens, enhanced floor to ceiling height, and bespoke furniture. As well as this, residents benefit from a 24hr support team, wellness classes and community events. Private social and co-working spaces are also included. A buzzing new neighbourhood right on your doorstep.

5th

Ranked 5th out of 208 in South East England

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Page 1 of 77

Featured developments in South East England

Latest Reviews in South East England

5360 total reviews

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Viewing 1-5 out of 5347

S DeyC (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Howard Court, HP11

Oct 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Howard Court - Our lovely home and 100 extended families

S DeyC (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Howard Court, HP11

Oct 2026

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

Good aspect is the location, which is very central and close to all amenities, including transport links and no traffic noise. The building management contacts (Jo, Sofia, Farah, Ryan and Mohammad) are very friendly and keep the place lively and happy.

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

Problems are addressed promptly. However two are still pending: cutting the bushes and cleaning the communal areas that only affect our external view.

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

We did not know there was a cycle store, this really helped since as a family we bike around a lot. Very useful!

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

L C (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Howard Court, HP11

Oct 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

A great place to live

L C (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Howard Court, HP11

Oct 2026

We moved back to the area from London to Bucks and the only place worth staying was Howard Court, we spent a lot of timenhounding the team via telephone to make sure we were first to know when there was an opening and it paid off. Nowhere better to live than HC. It was a solid 3/5 until Farah & sofia arrived they've turned this place into a true gem 5/5. I reccommend it to most of my friends do not let them go!!

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

Great to be close to town etc., but the down side is noise from local uni sometimes. Otherwise great to be close to the local amentites.

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

Usually quite prompt. And if not they tend to follow up via email.

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

Nothing. Info has been readily available for us tbh

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Liam P (Tenant)

Verified Resident

The Almere, MK9

Oct 2026

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

A great place to live!

Liam P (Tenant)

Verified Resident

The Almere, MK9

Oct 2026

I’ve lived in the Almere previously and came back for a reason. The design, homely, warm feel of the building and overall standards here are above anywhere else in Milton Keynes. There’s plenty of facilities to make use of and they’re generally pretty quiet whenever you’re looking to use them. Management are quick to respond to any enquiries and are always friendly and available at the front desk if needed urgently.

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

Location wise, it’s perfect. It’s quiet but still central and everything you need is on your doorstep. Residents parking could be better but that’s a council problem and out of managements control. Bin collections and road noise are both generally good.

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

I’ve never had any issues at The Almere, however any enquiries I’ve made have been responded to same day.

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

R1 parking is a short walk away but isn’t directly outside however this is made clear both online and typically when you view an apartment here.

・・

HomeViews

faustas (Tenant)

Verified Resident

The Almere, MK9

Oct 2026

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

review

faustas (Tenant)

Verified Resident

The Almere, MK9

Oct 2026

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

The Almere is in a convenient location in Milton Keynes, with shops, restaurants and everyday essentials nearby. It’s a good base for enjoying the city centre and getting around.

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

yes, did not raised a anything lately. Only maintenance that was picked up quickly.

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

nothing I can pick up. Maybe more flexibility when you want to move out

・・

HomeViews

RM (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Bargate Quarter, SO14

Oct 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 2.00 out of 5.00.

Excellent Facilities, but Inconsistent Management and Service

RM (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Bargate Quarter, SO14

Oct 2026

In terms of design and facilities, the development is excellent overall. The building is well designed, and the facilities provide a comfortable living environment. However, one aspect of the layout that I find unusual is the location of the toilet inside the bedroom rather than in the main living area. This can be inconvenient when having guests over, as they have to enter the bedroom to use the toilet, which can feel awkward and compromises privacy. Aside from this design choice, the development itself is very good. The front-of-house team has been excellent, consistently providing a positive experience. Unfortunately, my experience with the central team has been the opposite, as I have found some interactions to be impolite and disappointing. Given the premium rent I pay, I would expect a much higher standard of customer service and professionalism across all teams. It is disappointing that the quality of service seems inconsistent, and I hope this is something management can improve.

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

Living in this area has its ups and downs. Being situated in the city centre means there is a good range of local shops and amenities nearby, making everyday shopping convenient. However, one of the main downsides is the amount of anti-social behaviour around the building, particularly during the late hours. While the central location is convenient, the noise and disturbances at night can sometimes affect the overall living experience.

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

The front-of-house team has been excellent, helpful, and professional whenever I have needed assistance. Unfortunately, my experience with the central team has been very disappointing, as I have found them dismissive and rude when raising issues.

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

I wish I had known how stressful the move-in process with the central team could be. The experience was disappointing and did not meet my expectations, particularly given the premium rent I am paying. In hindsight, I would have prepared myself for a more difficult process and managed my expectations accordingly. My advice to future residents would be to prepare for potential stress during the move-in process and not assume that the level of service will be consistent across all teams. Thankfully, the front-of-house team has been excellent, which has helped balance some of the negative experiences.

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Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Page 1 of 1070

These reviews are the subjective opinion of a HomeViews user and not of HomeViews

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Berkshire

Berkshire is a county in the South East of England. It has a population of around 540,000 and contains some beautiful countryside and towns. The landscape here is varied, from chalk downland through rich farmland to woodland and water features. The county town is Reading and there are many other large towns such as Newbury, Swindon and Wokingham which all have their own attractions. Berkshire also has many amazing educational institutions including world-leading universities like the University of Reading.

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Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a county in the southeast of England. The largest and most populous town in Buckinghamshire is Milton Keynes with over 200,000 residents. Other large towns include Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Slough. There are lots of villages to explore as well such as Stoke Mandeville near Aylesbury (the home of the famous Stoke Mandeville Games), Anstee near Bletchley (which has an ancient church) and East Claydon near Leighton Buzzard (famous for its cherry orchards).

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East Sussex

East Sussex is a county in the southeast of England with a coastline that has many beautiful cliffs and salt marshes which are a haven for birdlife. There are also plenty of coastal towns with stunning beaches such as Bexhill or Hastings that offer great family days out too. If you're looking for somewhere green then there's no shortage - East Sussex has over 400 square kilometres of woodland including Rother Valley Country Park near Brighton which is home to deer, wild boar and foxes!

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Hampshire

Hampshire is a county in the south of England that borders Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. It has some beautiful towns such as Winchester, Basingstoke and Romsey which are perfect for those who want to live near London but without all the hustle and bustle. Hampshire's largest city is Southampton with over 200,000 people living there. With lots of green space, outdoor activities and cultural events, Hampshire offers a vibrant lifestyle for families with young children.

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Kent

Kent is one of the most popular counties in England, with a population of 1.8 million people. It has some really beautiful scenery and many great amenities for families that are looking to buy their first home or move up into a nicer place. There are also several excellent universities that attract students from all over the world to come and study here.

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Milton Keynes

Just 50 miles to north east of London, Milton Keynes was devised as a ‘new town’ in the 1960s and continues to evolve and grow today. Famed for its roundabouts and district grids, the town has benefitted from a steady flow of new residents from London. House prices have seen strong growth, with amenities and schools now plentiful and high quality. Housing is more varied than its reputation might suggest, with everything from period properties in historic villages to new build homes in chic developments.

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Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the south of England, home to many great schools and universities. The population is around 638,000 people. Oxfordshire has some lovely countryside that would be perfect for anyone looking to move away from city life with their family. If you are considering moving here, this guide will give you all the information you need to know about Oxfordshire!

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Reading

Reading is a large market town and borough in the county of Berkshire. Located on the M4 motorway 40 miles west of London and within easy reach of both Oxford and Bristol, it has been described as having some of the best transport connections in England. The impending addition of the Elizabeth Line will further boost its appeal with London escapees lured by the scenery of the Chiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs that surround the town.

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Surrey

Surrey is a county in the south of England. It has an area of 1,663 square kilometres and a population of 1.2 million people. Surrey borders London to the North West and Hampshire to the East. The county has many beautiful parks which are great for families, as well as areas with wild landscapes ideal for outdoor pursuits such as cycling or walking. There are so many things to do in Surrey - find out more about this wonderful place!

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West Sussex

West Sussex is a county that has something for everyone. Whether you love the hustle and bustle of London and want somewhere in easy commuting distance, or prefer the peace and tranquillity of rural life, West Sussex has it all! There are many different towns and villages scattered across this beautiful county. From Eastbourne to Worthing, there is no shortage of charming little places with great schools, shopping centres, local amenities and lots more!

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