A guide to living in South West England

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

Box Makers Yard is 3 min from Temple Meads, which makes it really convenient to travel between cities. It’s 7 min walk from Old Market where a lot of local restaurants are at.

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

They are really responsive for maintenance requirements (if it’s changing light bulbs they’ll be there in a day) and for other issues within a week.

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

I think I knew everything before moving in so can’t think of anything

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

The area has good amenities, including a large Sainsbury's, corner shop, barber shop, takeaway options, and several small businesses within walking distance. There are four frequent bus lines with stops nearby, and it’s about a 15-minute ride to the city centre, depending on traffic. The property overlooks the river and is close to parks, a cemetery, and the main road. Indoor parking spaces are designated within the lot. The local area is generally clean and feels safe. It offers fairly central living without the usual downsides of being directly in the city centre. However, there are significant noise issues. Bin collections are extremely loud and happen very early. Despite being by the riverside, the area is far from peaceful. Daily disturbances include ongoing construction works, drilling, pressure washing, industrial vehicles, and shouting. The nearest footbridge, which provides access to the park, large shops, restaurants, and cinema, has been closed for months and is expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future. During the day, it’s difficult to find any quiet outdoors due to constant construction noise, distant traffic noise, smashing, banging, and vehicle beeping.

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

The property is heavily affected by surrounding construction work and the constant noise from the nearby main road. Despite appearing quiet at first glance, the area is consistently noisy. If sound levels are a concern, this location is best avoided.

What is the best feature of your home:

The property features a modern design and well-planned layout. The kitchen includes a new dishwasher, oven, extractor fan, and fridge. While the bathroom and bedroom both follow a clean, contemporary style. The integrated closet in the bedroom is a practical and appealing addition.

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

Great location, I love walking around, very close to parks and shops, the river is nearby which is cool to walk along too. There is no lack of coffee shops and cafes, quaint pubs are writhing 10 min walk

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

It is ok, concierges are lovely, especially Olivia and Rayan. They are friendly and create good atmosphere.

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

For people new to the city, this type of building is honestly one of the best options. It’s very close to public transport and shops, which makes daily life easier. While there has been a noticeable increase in people struggling with addiction in the city centre, the area around the building still feels relatively safe.

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

The area is well maintained and shows to be an exciting new addition to Bristol, with multiple outlets now appearing in the area such as breweries, bakeries and shops

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

Maintenance teams have responded to enquiries within 24hours, and have offered additional help when needed

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

There is a level of street noise amplified by the concentration of buildings in the area, which has been a surprise, however the windows block this noise out when closed.

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

I find it dissatisfying that such large apartments homing 1000’s of people like this are built without any investment from councils or from the huge profit made by Legal and General every year. Crime and homelessness was very high and took place frequently directly outside of the flat, making many residents including myself feel very unsafe majority of my time there. Box Makers did very little to remedy this, and security for the building was very poor. This resulted in security being breached multiple times resulting in many incidences of burglary, theft, property damage and threatening behaviour. Being next to the central train station was excellent, but there was a lack of supermarket/food options nearby , as the sainsburies local decided to cater only for office workers and increase their prices.

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

Yes, but sometimes the emails that we sent weren’t often read properly, and quite often didn’t result in a response that offered us support, compensation or solutions to the many issues.

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

Rent increases cannot exceed 5% in a contract is a lie , they can be increased by significantly more than this due to local CPI. I’d like to have known that the fobs frequently break meaning always lock your door and be vigilant.