About CALA Homes

Unlike the Allan homes at Gilchrist Gardens, there is a small porch to the entrance of this home which we love. It gives that little bit extra privacy for anyone coming to the door.

The only thing missing from the design is a driveway. There are two allocated parking spaces for each house right outside each door which would have been a great space for a driveway. Instead, there is a residents owned path between the spaces and the house which makes it extremely difficult to get permission for a driveway to be built. To the front of the spaces is a public pathway which is used more regularly so the residents path is almost redundant anyway.

The building management has been great and friendly. Any snags we have had they have come round to fix them as soon as they could.

The property management team are equally great and friendly. They pick up emails quickly and forward any snags on to the site team quickly.

There were a few things we had asked for early on in the buying stage which were agreed upon and as we got closer to the completion stage we had mentioned and were told it would all be in order. It wasn’t until about 2 weeks before completion that when mentioned again, we were told we hadn’t asked for those things and hadn’t paid for them so would not be getting them. We assumed this would be something added to the final cost and didn’t know any different. Luckily one thing was rectified after fighting for it however the other thing wasn’t and we now have to pay out of our own pocket to have this done which is disappointing.

Despite the property management team having a list of optional extras and prices, this list was not made available to us.

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

Within the area there is a reasonable amount of shops close by with a Sainsburys local within 10 mins walk and an Asda supermarket within 30 mins walk.

There are no bars/restaurants within the development or within a 15 min walk however there are several within 30 minutes walk.

There is only one primary school within the area which is already over capacity and there has been no plans for any new schools.

There is also a lack of doctors surgeries in the area. Each one states they are full and the only option is to go through nhs who then assign you to an already over capacity surgery.

The transport links in the area are great for anyone needing to get the train with a train to Glasgow/Edinburgh every hour. This used to be every 30 mins but was reduced during COVID so it may increase again. The transport links to Falkirk aren’t great with buses which take a long time and do not come regularly. If you drive then you are sorted as Falkirk is only a 10 min drive. The development also has easy easy access to the motorway.

The development has built visitor parking for guests however due to still being in the building stage, these are often full of contractors vehicles or skips.

There have been reports of anti social behaviour in the close by area however this development is a bit more out the way and seems to have avoided it well.

Bin collections are regular.

There is a small amount of traffic noise due to the motorway being just behind the development however it is not loud enough to disturb you and you become accustomed to it.

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

If you want things changed such as plugs moved, extras etc make sure to ask for them very early on in the buying stage and get it in writing. We found that extras/changes we wanted to make as we went along were mostly rejected as they told us it was too late. They will move plugs for you but they will likely forget so make sure to ask early on and keep reminding them.

What is the best feature of your home:

The best feature of our home is definitely the internal doors. They are absolutely beautiful and we regularly get compliments on them. We didn’t get to choose them but definitely would have if we got the choice.

There are 34 flats but the development itself comprises 3 closely linked blocks with a central garden area and about 16 town houses.

Almost every property has a balcony or terrace and there is dedicated underground secure parking with another 8 or so spaces for visitor parking . Otherwise parking in the locality is quite restricted .

The Sensa Apartments overlook a terraced landscaped garden area with a newly built children’s play area to the west and to the South are views towards the hills of north west London but much of this view will be lost by further development .

The common parts are clean and functional with a very decent sized bin store . The common parts are decoratively acceptable but not impressive .

The flats are well laid out with good quality fittings and white goods . The sound proofing and insulation is very good and the internal doors are all of a high standard . Best of all is the underfloor hearing which means no ugly radiators that take up wall space and this leaves room for the developers to have installed large windows and patio doors . The flats are bright and airy and at roughly £575 a square foot in the current market , have maintained their original cost.

Most of the flats and town houses are occupied by young couples and the block is very friendly. Best of all , the leaseholders own the freehold to the buildings and can therefore have much greater control over the service charges which are quite reasonable .

There are several new developments at the Inglis Barracks site which is now known as Millbrook Park and they are all worth checking out . For my money , the Cala development is the best of the bunch .

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

Great access to public transport and Waitrose and Virgin Active are both 2 minutes drive away with plenty of parking outside . There is also a doctor’s surgery opposite Waitrose

4

Facilities

5

Design

4

Location

4

Value

4

Management

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

Benson has a strong community and is a very friendly village. It has enough shops for every day needs as well as cafes, two pubs, parish hall, play facilities and allotments. It is well connected, close to a larger town, Wallingford but also Didcot and Oxford, with good bus connections. Railway connections also not far away. Street is fine with plenty of parking. People are friendly and helpful. It could do with more trees though.

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

I would recommend you check the overall plans for each phase so you understand who your neighbours will be (rental, owned, affordable etc). Also future plans for adjacent land as there is a lot of house building going on in Oxfordshire on greenfield land so what is unbuilt now may not be in 5 years time.

What is the best feature of your home:

The property is well-designed and spacious, with good quality finishes throughout. It is also energy efficient and easy to live in.

Unfortunately the property management company is perceived to give poor value and service and makes an art of leveraging penalty fees for cause by their lackadaisical approach to property management.

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

Location location location easy access to motorways, green space and shops.

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

Storage is a must these days so always check that the property is sufficient for your needs in this respect.

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

The property management company have made an art form of poor communication and inflexibility charged back to service users in the form of exorbitant additional fees in excess of the service charges.