The Design is perfect for us- we are in a one bedroom flat. I think the best way to prove how well designed the building is the fact that Apo are expanding and that when you have the windows shut you can not hear the work taking place. We also have a balcony looking out over the green and Abbey Ruins, nothing could be more picturesque. We are renting the flat furnished and I have to say both the bed and the couch (arguably two of the most important items in a home) are extremely comfortable! The Bathroom is a lovely size which a huge amount of shelving. All of the kitchen appliances are lovely and work perfectly. The Fridge and Freezer are a good size. We also have a washer and dryer combo which is excellent.

We are extremely excited to have chosen Apo and are really enjoying living here!

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

Barking is a lovely up and coming area which is under a massive redevelopment plan. Within a 5 minute walk there are two big supermarkets and a range of smaller shops as well. Extremely well connected with the Underground (Hammersmith & City line and District line) but also national rail services. You can be in Central London in about half an hour. However this are very much feels like a town with lots of greenspaces and redeveloped buildings like activites centre and theatre but also has a historical side with the Barking Abbey ruins just across the road.

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

On the website it talks about having a 35 month tenancy however this isn’t the case you have the option up to 35 months but there are regular break points along the way so youre not locked in for three years

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

We have not had to contact the building management to get any issues or problems solved

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

There are many positives to living in this area, we are close to most superstores and a bus ride away from a few retail parks. The transport links at Barking station are excellent and makes it easy to get around London. There is quite a lot of development happening at the moment in the area which is great but also means there’s a lot of noise from the building works. However once you close the windows all that sound is cancelled out which is perfect.

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

Apo Barking hosts a lot of events on its grounds like the Street Food Market, Yoga, Acoustic Music Festivals etc. Setting up bills is a bit of a long process but as the property is new and they are using a third party company which combines all the bills for heat and electricity and water into one, it takes a bit of time to sort out. But as mentioned before the team are really helpful so any queries it’s best to contact them.

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

I’ve not had much issues or problems. But they’ve handled them in a very swift, professional and helpful manner.

Some slight issues, though note I am a very picky person. I am one person living in a 2 bed flat, which I appreciate isnt the norm in London, but some of the placements of plug sockets and radiators could be better to maximise space of furniture (I brought my own). The flats (and building in general) are hot. Very hot. Maybe it is just my flat, but the position of it means I can’t get a through draft and none of the corridors are air conditioned. I have lived here since May and haven’t spent winter here yet, but it is very hard to get the flat below 26 degrees inside and it got up to 30 when it was hotter. In winter, this might save me a lot on heating bills though. There aren’t really enough bins for everyone who lives here, the bin room is often just a big pile. The package delivery system is a classic example of using technology when it isn’t needed. In theory, it makes a lot of sense to have delivery drivers put packages in key coded lockers. But the simple fact that delivery companies never read deliver instructions means that packages just get left out. This is something that won’t really be a fixable problem in my opinion and simply having a package room would probably be better. There are a few areas in the flat where the people who built it werent quite paying attention (which I think is probably common for a building of this size). For example one of my bathroom doors is obviously on the wrong way around as the light switch cannot be pressed with the door open. This seems like a tiny thing but it does annoy me about 15 times a day.

The building is new so keep in mind some delivery and takeaway companies have real problems with the address.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

Barking as an area is still being redeveloped I believe. To someone who is coming from outside of London like myself, it is pretty rough looking, though I haven’t really had any problems yet. There was a police raid in the building a few months ago, but that is hardly the fault of apo. The building itself is removed from the centre of barking by a church and park which means that noise levels are reasonably good.
There is a Tesco extremely close and a lot of takeaway, though they aren’t very varied in types of food.
Barking station is 10-15 minutes walk away which has district, H+C, c2c and overground connections. District line is a bit of a mixed bag. The trains are big and air conditioned and the line goes everywhere, but the trains are also slow and the district and H+C lines are at least mostly closed every weekend for at least the rest of the year.
Driving out of London is really nice as we are very close to the A416 and M11 (though you can’t hear them). I drive to Cambridge a lot and the drive is good.
There is a building site next to the apo building which will be going on for a while as they are building a new development. Noise is only during the day though and it isn’t too bad for a building site.

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

If you are new to London like I was, all tube lines are not the same in terms of frequency and speed. Definitely look up travel times using Citymapper to get the best judge of if the District line is good for also. Also not that it will be closed a lot on weekends (though you can use other trains to get into London).

If you router won’t reboot it might be because the spare cable is connecting two of the ethernet ports on it. If the dishwasher doesn’t work it might be because the knock out plug wasn’t removed when it was installed.

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

The property management staff are really nice and helpful most of the time. They sort out problems quickly and efficiently and the one time they couldn’t solve my problem they were very open and honest about why.

The moving in and signing process was handled quickly and efficiently and the staff seem to really care about the building and the community.

The only negative is that the signage around the development could be a lot better and more obvious, deliveries have not made it to the flat as the entrances to buildings are not obviously sign posted.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

The amenities in the area are good – there are supermarkets within walking distance, and a street market nearby, there is also a food market that happens every Saturday within the development which has a great offer. The street is pretty quiet, even though there is a slightly busy road next to the development, but the acoustics in the flat are excellent, so you cannot hear any noise disturbance from outside. There are buses to Stratford if you want to visit a big shopping centre, but you can also find most of what you need in shops nearby. More recently, we have enjoyed visiting the Boathouse nearby, a canal-side bar and café which is surrounded by artists studios!

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

It would be good to know how many residents parking permits there are in total, as we were recently told that there are only 3 permits for the entire development!
We were also not told/shown about the storage facilities and bike storage on-site, so that could be mentioned in any future viewings.

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

We emailed the on-site APO staff, and within half an hour received a response to arrange for the on-site facilities manager to visit the apartment for an inspection. Great service from everyone involved.