Drayton Garden Village is a large, mixed-use development with 775 residential units with a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and studios as well as a range of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom apartments. The development is only a 5-minute walk away from Stockley Park Recreation Grounds and a 17-minute walk away from West Drayton station, which has links to GWR services.
Sush bought a flat with his wife in Drayton Garden Village and shared his review on HomeViews.
I was a looking for a one bedroom flat in a very specific area and had a few friends that were living here so decided to buy in one of the new phases. The sales team at Bellway Homes were very good, answered all my questions and the purchasing experience was very easy – however once the booking fee and contract were exchanged it deteriorated.
The flat I chose was listed as a disabled flat, I didn’t need a disabled space but liked that the bathroom was a more generous space but it didn’t come with a shower and the developer said they wouldn’t put one in – we went back and forth and eventually they did. Another example was requesting wooden floors instead of carpet and in the end I was allowed but had to pay a lot more. The kitchen was standard and I wanted white and a few small tiny things changed but they wouldn’t allow this.
The wow factor for me and the biggest reason we bought was the open plan kitchen which makes the living area seem so much bigger. The reason we bought new build was because the bedrooms and storage is so much better and bigger than older houses.
Sush, verified drayton garden village resident
Efficient service and quick fixes
The timeline was as promised and the after sales lady from Bellway Homes was lovely and handled everything well and quickly as well as explaining how everything worked. We had two small issues when we moved in – the first was that the extractor in the bathroom was really noisy and the second was a leak from the sink, both were quickly fixed.
Some minor management concerns
After the initial move in the management was handed over to a company called Ringleys. They have promised lots of things that they haven’t done, the main one being CCTV cameras which the residents wanted as mail was going missing and this hasn’t been delivered. From speaking to other people there seems to be no good management companies in the UK. When the service charges were due to be paid and people then looked into what was promised and what was delivered there were lots of complaints. I actually don’t think they are too bad as they cut the grass, clean the windows and the inside of the buildings. They do a decent job for what we pay. If something needs fixing owners expect it to be done immediately but it does get done even if it takes a while. The main issues are the lack of CCTV, issues with parcels and where they can be stored and garbage getting left out. We don’t have a concierge service.
What is it like to live in Drayton Garden Village?
The ‘wow’ factor
My flat was delivered as promised and as advertised, no issues and everything covered by warranty. The wow factor for me and the biggest reason we bought was the open plan kitchen which makes the living area seem so much bigger. The reason we bought new build was because the bedrooms and storage is so much better and bigger than older houses. We have no issues with noise and the walls are well insulated – we have an owners group and we communicate well and let each other know if we are planning to have a party or anything going on but even with the doors closed you can’t hear anything.
A sense of community
There is a decent community here and dominated by South East Asians and Eastern Europeans, we all get along and help each other out when we need something. There seems to be a lot of people like us – younger generation of first time home buyers who have put all their savings down to buy.
If we move it will be to get more space as we are in a one bed flat and I would look to buy within the development but I would prefer to buy through another developer. I believe there is no perfect developer and would now be mentally prepared for the process of buying.
Please tell us what you like and dislike about the area:
There is very little around but it is a good commuter town as we can get to London in 20 minutes and most people I know work in London. There are a few restaurants and pubs and it ticks all the boxes but there are not a wide group of things here. There are kids and teenagers loitering around which some residents complain about but I think it is just kids being kids and not a big issue.
Please share one thing of more you wish you had known before you moved in:
I wish I had known the opening of Crossrail would be delayed.
See how Sush rated his development and read what his neighbours had to say here.
If you’re interested in finding out more about living in Drayton or its neighbouring areas, read our guide to West London by clicking the link below. From there you’ll find all you need to know about this part of the capital, together with the highest-rated new builds in the area.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to recognise high performers and help improve standards in the built environment.
