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

67.6%

Very Good

23.8%

Average

6.6%

Disappointing

1.1%

Very poor

0.9%

Best places to live in South East England

How is ranking calculated?

Viewing 1-5 out of 348

Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

The Almere, MK9

By Native Communities

Award winner 2025

4.9

4.90

(156 reviews)

£1,220-£2,300 pcm

1, 2, 3 beds

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.

1st

Ranked 1st out of 188 in South East England

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Award Winner 2025

Ebb & Flow, RG1

By Native Communities

Award winner 2025

4.89

(179 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.

2nd

Ranked 2nd out of 188 in South East England

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Award Winner 2025

Hove Central, BN3

By Moda Living

Award winner 2025

4.79

(92 reviews)

£1,200-£2,600 pcm

Studios, 1, 2, 3 beds

Moda, Hove Central is located just a 12-minute walk from Hove Station, which will have you in central Brighton in 4 minutes. Take a walk along the famous seafront and explore the very best of what the city has to offer, right on your doorstep. Moda, Hove Central combines an abundance of landscaped gardens, industry leading amenities and a 24hr concierge. The neighbourhood is pet friendly too!

3rd

Ranked 3rd out of 188 in South East England

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Leaf Living at Buckler's Park, RG40

By Leaf Living

4.77

(17 reviews)

Experience tranquillity village life with a modern twist at Buckler's Park in Crowthorne. The village is bustling with coffee shops, cosy pubs and hosts of seasonal food festival. Nestled within a nature reserve you are spoilt for choice when it comes to walks and cycling routes, with Buckler's Forest on your doorstep. This new community is close to excellent schools and a short drive to Crowthorne Station with a direct train to Reading and London Gatwick.

4th

Ranked 4th out of 188 in South East England

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Award Winner 2025

York & Elder, BN1

By Legal & General, urbanbubble

Award winner 2025

4.76

(114 reviews)

£1,350-£2,520 pcm

Studios, 1, 2, 3 beds

York & Elder is a BTR development in Brighton. Sandwiched between the South Downs and the sea, York & Elder offer studio, 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments. Residents benefit from pet friendly apartments, flexible contracts, extra storage space and private terraces. Additionally, the apartments can be furnished or unfurnished, or easily adaptable for accessibility. There is also an on-site concierge and maintenance team on hand 24/7, for whatever you may need, from taking in parcels to planning events to help you get to know your neighbours.

5th

Ranked 5th out of 188 in South East England

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Page 1 of 70

Featured developments in South East England

Latest Reviews in South East England

4640 total reviews

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Viewing 1-5 out of 4627

Josh d (Owner)

Verified Resident

Colwell Green, OX29

Jan 2026

This is rated 1.00 out of 5.00.

Honest review

Josh d (Owner)

Verified Resident

Colwell Green, OX29

Jan 2026

Bought our house on Colwell Green in Witney Oxfordshire, we’ve had countless issues as well as our neighbours, the issues are from pipework causing the wall to rot, 3 separate leaks from the en suite damaging the plasterboard and actually setting the fire alarms off (of which it was 3 days before someone came out to check with the Crest emergency response telling us to switch the breaker off leaving us with no smoke detection with a baby in the house). The garden was flooding and we were told it was normal and expected on new builds after we got a second opinion they then installed a French drain. Both front and back doors don’t seal properly, the dishwasher scrapes on the oven door, the several blocks from the block work in the garage fell over and was told they aren’t load supporting so don’t worry( took 4 attempts to fix), bubbling in the walls, only half of the windows were rendered (Crest said it wasn’t possible to retrospectively render them so they used a type of concrete and painted it back), not convinced about insulation as the floor is freezing when I asked for the u-values I was told “it’s enough” they have carried out a thermal survey around a month ago but haven’t heard about the results yet. We spent half a million pound to buy our dream home from what we thought was a premium developer it’s taken near two years to fix the issues (in Fairness to crest they have addressed the majority of issues) however it meant we had to take over 40 days off of work several times no one showed up. Fortunately we are self employed so we’re fortunate enough to take the time off however I requested to be compensated for some of the time back and apparently it’s in the contract that the buyer has to take unlimited time off to get snags rectify so we’re offered a meal out as a good will gesture. I just thought it was right to let people know what to expect as hopefully the worse case scenario and bear in mind we are on our third account manager now as the last one left in frustration. We have spoken to a director of Crest and I believe that’s the reason a lot of the issues were resolved.

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

Love the area, it’s a drive away from shops but I like that, neighbours are lovely. It’s a shame about the “grass” areas as they are just mud and dead trees now because they don’t get managed, also the park is good for little ones but people attach posters on the fence all the time which is frustrating

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

I would have definitely got a professional snagger involved and insisted on the issues being rectified before moving in. The issues have taken nearly two years and counting to get rectified.

What is the best feature of your home:

The layout is lovely and the location is brilliant for us

Review image for review f9c5b04a-8c73-43f0-b1d3-26693af3afcd

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・・

HomeViews

Khaja (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Perfect to Work from Home!

Khaja (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

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

The location is the main thing that attracted me initially, with the station right next to it. Once i saw the actual building it was a straight yes for me. The apartment was exactly what i was looking for and i loved the space and overall design

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

Whenever i visit the front desk the ladies are pretty welcoming and helpful, Michael has helped me a lot with the leasing process

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

I wish i knew about the terrace in flow, i found out while chatting with other residents about the spaces available

・・

HomeViews

Tiara L (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Perfect Location and Facilities

Tiara L (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

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

I really love the location and overall look of the building. I have moved from London as i found a larger apartment here at Ebb and flow for a smaller price and much better value. Staff from leasing to community have been amazingly helpful throughout the whole process

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

I haven't had any issues since i moved, the only time i needed some help finding a parcel and the reception desk helped right away to find it

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

I wish i knew they had yoga on the 12th floor on a weekly basis

・・

HomeViews

Jannat R (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Love my life at Ebb and Flow

Jannat R (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

The reception entrance always looks so stunning as you walk in, the lighting, the colours, plants everything is so well thought out. The facilities are great and cozy, always nice and quiet. Nice community with lovely and familiar faces. Staff always so helpful, khadija and Harlie from the desk always lovely. The cleaning team, especially Tara always do such a great job in keeping the space so pristine

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

I have lived here at Ebb and Flow for 2 years now, just recently renewed and that was the easiest decision ever! After being here for a while i can’t imagine living anywhere else here in Reading. The building itself looks amazing and the staff are such great bunch of people

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

I had a minor issue with one of my lights in the apartment and the response was immidiate and super efficient. They also gave me extra tips about the flat!

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

I wish i knew the place sooner! And wish i could get more people to come over and discover such a great place

・・

HomeViews

Aashish (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Love it! Yay

Aashish (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Ebb & Flow, RG1

Dec 2025

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

Me and my family have been here for a while and I truly enjoy our home here at Ebb and Flow. I have made some friends that go to university with me and also live here. It’s right in the town centre which has everything you need near

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

They respond in very reasonable times, the team is here Monday to Saturday and security covers when they are not

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

I wish I knew how many other uni students were here that were my friends!

・・

HomeViews

Page 1 of 926

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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