About Barratt London

Barratt weren’t as clear on the timeline for moving in and there was a lot of back and forth messaging and there ended up being a delay of about a couple of months before I was actually able to move in. They did however always let me know and kept me well informed throughout this period. I was assigned an individual member of staff at Barratt who took me through all the steps, and she was very good and helpful. She went through the process in stages as to not overwhelm me and as a First Time Buyer this was great.

When I moved in, all was mostly ok with the flat. It was super easy to customize, and I would describe it as ultra-modern with a minimalistic design. When I purchased it, I was able to order a number of different things, like choose my flooring and particular kitchen cupboards and these were all fine but one of the things I ordered – a built-in wardrobe – wasn’t done by the time I had moved in. However, this was completed almost straight away within a week. As well as this, some lights were slightly damaged, but these were also fixed quite quickly. They were very responsive to any issues I had. I am happy with the flat itself, it has great storage space and is sized quite big for a one-bedroom apartment. One downside is that the air conditioning is cooling down too slowly and I often have to open the doors.

As the development is a new-build, all the electricity and internet etc, are hidden away. I was given a tour of the apartment when I first moved in so that I knew how to work everything, and this was very helpful.

The move in process was quite easy and everyone moved in around the same time. There were some initial issues, for example the lifts didn’t work all the time and the landscaping wasn’t quite finished and it felt like we were moving into a 95% completed building. These were all eventually resolved. The management company and the concierge were very good at dealing with furniture deliveries and when I missed a large bookshelf being delivered, the concierge took it in for me and provided me some help in getting it to my flat even though it was very heavy and large.

There are few facilities on the site including the concierge, which is open from 7am-7pm every day. All the staff are really friendly and accommodating. Every day they inspect the security of the building, which is great. They always keep us well informed of things going on at the development and sometimes keep the office open until 10pm for those who work late. We also have a gym on site, which I use a lot. It isn’t as popular at the moment, but as the complex gets a lot bigger, I imagine it will get used a lot more.

On my floor, there are six apartments and I am friends with all my neighbours – one I even end up commuting into town with. There is a real mix of different people here, some families and everyone is very nice. It’s really quiet and I have had no issues with noise from other residents. We have a shared terrace between us, and I use it every so often when the weather is nice.

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

The development is away from any main roads and is really quiet, which I enjoy. Some of the buildings in the development overlook the Welsh Harp Reservoir. On site there is a Co-op store as well as a dry cleaner. The Co-op can get quite busy but there is also a Sainsburys, only a 10-minute walk away. We are also only a 5-minute walk away from the train station, which is handy for commuting. As I have family in Leicester, there are great transport options to get to Kings Cross via the Northern line.

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

I wish I had known there wouldn’t be much guest parking available as it can be a struggle sometimes.

– We were also lucky to get one of the three beds in the block facing Priory Park with the massive wraparound balcony. As the other blocks get built we’re realising that not all of them have the generous balconies and separation from adjacent block that the back ones do.

– Maintenance of the landscaping and internal areas has been good so far.

– Look forward to hearing what the ‘commercial space’ at the front of Upton Gardens is going to be. The area badly needs a cafe or two where you can buy a cappuccino. There were rumours that a Waitrose was part of the plan, if Barratt can indeed deliver that there would be nothing like it as we’re short of good supermarkets around here as well.

– The only negative for me in terms of build is that all walls are plaster board. Wish they’d gone with brick. You need to be constantly careful with the walls, and the acoustic insulation is poor.

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

The area offers excellent value for money, perhaps the cheapest you can find in zone 3 in all of London. Upton Gardens is very close to the tube station. Lots of good south Asian cafes and restaurants, the football pub at the corner has closed for renovations to make it a gastropub (should open by summer ’20), an excellent international grocery in Barking Road, a small but decent Tesco and good bus connections to get to Stratford.

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

That flats can be built with all walls plasterboard, and exactly how poor the sound insulation can be because of this.

What is the best feature of your home:

The best part about my apartment is the huge wraparound balcony that runs the L shaped length of the flat (85 feet or so).

– I do wish the side of the building was extended just a little bit, rather than wasting space on an outside terrace circling the building which isn’t used/open to anyone, and is a bit of a waste of space. An extra metre or 2 would make our living room much better.

– The lifts are too small: our sofa and bedframe were unable to fit. The bedframe was able to be carried up 3 floors of stairs. The sofa had to be sent back. There was plenty of space for the developer to make the lifts bigger – instead they opted to make them tiny.

– We purchased a bespoke Wardrobe through Barratts: unfortunately you are not able to customise it to your taste. Its just got 2 shelves and 1 long coat rail. Now we have to pay more to create shelving/draws inside using a different company.

– Options to customise the Kitchen further, were not provided. The part of the wall behind the Sink lacks a splashback, so dirty water/food/liquids splash on the wall. Non-stain resistant paint was used, so when you clean the wall – paint comes off. We need to buy/install our own splashback now.

Facilities:
– The bin store/cycle store/basement access has been closed since we moved in June 2021. This is due to the London Fire Brigade inspection. Not sure why it has taken 9 months to resolve this.

– The intercom system breaks down regularly, causing deliveries to be missed. Bit frustrating. It tends to be fixed within a day or 2 at least.

– The Vent-Axia air system has brought in tarmac/asphalt smells from the ongoing building works outside. This has caused the flat to smell and forced me to turn the air system off till the building works stop.

Property Management:
– FirstPort are terrible. Overcharged for service charge, so I requested a £500 refund. Notification states it will be paid in 10 days. It took over a month. I had a large bill to pay (bought a puppy), and I was counting on that £500 coming in within the 10 days given to me.

– FirstPort hired a dodgy Parking Enforcement Company to manage the Underground Parking. When we first moved in, we weren’t given/told we have a Parking Badge. So our car was fined £60 for parking in the Parking Spot we bought for £20,000 with the Flat. When we argued our case, the Parking Enforcement Company refused to reverse the fine, despite us owning the spot we were fined for parking in. FirstPort said it is out of their hands. Barratts offered a compromise to pay half the fine (which went up to £160 as we disputed). Eventually, I combed through our Lease Agreement and pointed out that our Lease states we do not require a parking badge to park in our parking space – therefore the fine is invalid. Eventually it was dropped. But honestly – this Parking Charge Company should not have been hired, and FirstPort are useless in helping.

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

Good:
– Location: near the High Street, Grocery shopping, Gyms, Restaurants, etc.
– Transport: next to Hounslow East/Central and 15min walk from Hounslow Railway Station. Near Hounslow Bus Garage too. Near Heathrow.

Bad:
– Parking availability is awful, Holloway Road/Matisse Road has no parking. The spaces are monitored by a dodgy fake Parking Enforcement company. My mum and furniture delivery drivers have been fined for stopping briefly (not parking).

– Noise/anti-social behaviour: its Hounslow. Goons hang around and make noise, litter, throw things at residents’ windows. Kids doing laughing gas canisters outside. I’ve seen couples arguing at 3-4am after a night out, screaming at each other, assaulting each other, etc.

– Bin Collection is poor, and rubbish piles up in the waste bin storage area outside – this attracts rats. Partially residents fault, partially Barratts fault.

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

I wish we’d known how small the lifts are – to better order furniture.

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

We have raised multiple issues which have been resolved by Barratts – although there are still some outstanding ones that have not been resolved.

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

I was brought up in the area and it has changed a lot. It has become more cosmopolitan and really become a transportation hub.

Cinema and bowling alley are just 5 mins away which is great for my grandchildren. Parks are wonderful and we are able to fish in the lake!

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

I grew up in the area so i knew the area well and i loved the apartment