Essential Living

Number of Developments

4

Ratings

4.61 Rating

Rating (based on 588 reviews)

Excellent

70.75%

Very Good

24.49%

Average

3.40%

Disappointing

0.85%

Very Poor

0.51%

Essential Living is a Build to Rent property developer based in London. Its hallmarks are premium apartments in well-connected locations.

Essential Living developments

There are many Essential Living developments on HomeViews: Berkshire House in Maidenhead, Vantage Point in Archway, Islington, and Dressage Court in Bethnal Green. In addition, Union Wharf, Essential Living’s newest development is a collection of 249 apartments spread over two towers, set on the banks of peaceful Deptford Creek.

Essential Living reviews

“The building is absolutely stunning. The apartments are tastefully done and very spacious. The resident team is always so helpful. The building organises many events throughout the year so that the residents feel lik they are a part of a community. Absolutely love living here!” – Nilofer R, verified resident at Dressage Court

“Vantage Point is in such a good location above Archway tube. The place is always clean and tidy and it’s great to have the opportunity to meet new people. The residents team make living here so easy, they are always on hand to answer questions or help with any problems.” – Anabelle D, verified resident at Vantage Point

You can read more reviews from Essential Living residents by clicking on the developments below. Do you live in an Essential Living property? Click here to submit your review.

Award winner

Residents have rated this company an award winner! Select a development below to see which awards it has won.

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Essential Living interior
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Developments

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Essential Living reviews

Reviews

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Showing 588 reviews

Affordable, Luxury, Pet-friendly Location: What more?

Review Date Aug 2020

Union Wharf itself is really something special and is greatly appreciated by its residents. My partner and I had spent significant time looking for a place that ticked a lot of our boxes. The development is brand new, the furniture is sleek and the facilities offer some of the best resident facilities I would argue in London. Typically in new developments they will try to squeeze as many flats into the space as possible, but here the flats feel spacious and very well done. The facilities are one of the most attractive parts of the building, you have a communal chill out area on the 22nd floor is where you can read, socialise and play pool. There is a private room to host your own private parties and functions at a reasonable rate and gym.THE VIEW, the view from the rooftop you honestly would have to pay quite a lot of money to get access to these views in London.

Most importantly to us was finding somewhere that was pet friendly and welcoming. Our pooch has made many friends in the building (as have we) and it’s makes it quite special that having pets are welcomed (especially in the fabulous location of Greenwich). The concierge are really hard working and great people and always very friendly. I think you can tell that the employees really enjoy working here and often stop for a chat during the day.

If anyone is considering or looking to live somewhere that is pet friendly, luxury (but affordable), amazing location and access to the city, I would really recommend taking a look. Moving here has really made us fall in love with Greenwich and I don’t think we will be planning on moving for a very long time!

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

The area of Union Wharf speaks for itself. You are a stones throw from Greenwich with the buzzing restaurants, bars and independent shops. You have access to one of the best parks in London, Greenwich park a 10 minute walk away and direct access to London Bridge and the city in 10 minutes.

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

I didn’t actually realise how great of a commute it was into the city. I definitely recommend walking To Greenwich station and getting the train to London Bridge. My commute in total takes me 20 minutes which is crazy good!

What is the best feature of your home:

The View.. we can see Canary Wharf, a wide view of the Thames and all of the city of London. We even watched the fireworks from our apartment on new year.

5
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
5
Value
5
Management
User submitted image of Union Wharf, SE8
User submitted image of Union Wharf, SE8
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Manager Response

Thank you for all the 5 *’s, and for sharing these great photos with us. It’s wonderful to have feedback about all elements of life at Union Wharf ?

We’re home – The best place to live at the center of Greenwich!!

After 5 years of living in London, Union Wharf finally feels like home for me and my son!! My son was born here in London and I am originally from California so it was a dream to find UW and a building with all the amenities, easy access to everything and it is always super clean! We have amazing rooftops with stellar views which have BBQs, lounges where you can WFH or have some wine and cheese. There is a pool table in one building and large areas to hire out for private events. No one usually mentions it but there is also great selections of different books to read in the common areas – even cookbooks in the kitchen. I love the fact that Essential Living/Union Wharf thought of everything as they even have a guest apartment that can be rented out for people from out of town at a very reasonable price. I do not use the gym but they have that too along with classes and social events which makes the community come together and get to know the neighbours. They are a young development and there will always be teething issues along the way. Overall it is a great place to live as I feel safe and that they are always looking out for their renters best interests. They also LOVE pets!
Lastly- they have the best team at reception who help with EVERYTHING!! I can never thank them enough.
Thanks Essential Living, we love living here!!

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

My son and I love living at Union Wharf. We have been here for a year and have everything we need. There is a large Waitrose across the street and the local Tesco and Sainsbury’s Express all less than five minutes away (walking!). Even our GP/local pharmacy is across the way along with our private Dentist- who are both excellent! If you like Costa or more local places for a cuppa there are two next door.
We enjoy having Greenwich Market nearby with the Museums and Cutty Sark to visit. We use the foot tunnel too and headover to Mudchute Farm quite often as you can get there within 25 minutes or less (again -by walking!!). Greenwich Park is also amazing but this is known. The location is just great. Great transport links and lastly if you need a nursery for your child there are a few to choose from with all good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings.

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

I was aware but did not pay enough attention to contract as we live next to a Quary which operates 24/7 so it can be quite loud at times.

What is the best feature of your home:

My favourite feature is the regular sized washing machine and tumble dryer.

4
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
5
Value
4
Management
User submitted image of Union Wharf, SE8
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The bestest

Vantage Point has been the perfect place for us for the last 1.5 years. My favourite bits are that everything works, which seems like a miracle in London’s often pretty rundown rental market. And, on the off-chance anything does stop working, the team downstairs are on it immediately. The bed, its comfy. NO NOISE from other apartments, yes! The bathroom is perfect. As in, shower is strong, always hot. Toilet is comfy. Bath is lush. Loads of storage. The upstairs communal areas are so good, although we didn’t get to use them much because dogs aren’t allowed up there (one of my not-so favourites). Never have to worry about a package again…nice. Internet is super. The PEOPLE are the best though. We have become so close with the Res team. Love coming home to chats about politics and dogs with them.

I haven’t loved how hot it is in summer and the fact that the drunks outside keep you awake because you have to have your windows open. The fridge in our apartment is small. I had to change the way I shopped and cooked small. Then there is the price. Yikessss. It is a lot, but you do get a lot for it.

In conclusion, way more loves then not-so-loves.

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

At first, Archway seems like a through-route neighbourhood with not much going on. It isn’t hip or fancy and it doesn’t get written about on Timeout, but that is the beauty of it. It is a down-to-earth place where a diverse variety of people are living. That’s it. We have a dog so we have walked every single one of the streets around here and have come to feel very fond of this place. It is noisy, although less so because of COVID and it can be polluted, but there are little and big parks all around. With Waterlow, the Heath and Highgate woods all a walk away. There are tons of supermarkets to chose from, minimarts galore and the Northern line right underneath you. We have made many friends in Archway and will miss this place!

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

Dogs aren’t allowed upstairs.

What is the best feature of your home:

The resident’s team is the best. The resident’s team is the best.

5
Facilities
4
Design
5
Location
3
Value
5
Management
User submitted image of Vantage Point, N19
User submitted image of Vantage Point, N19
User submitted image of Vantage Point, N19
User submitted image of Vantage Point, N19
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The whole experience has been fantastic

I needed a short rental (around 6 months) in Maidenhead, To reduce my commute after a period of recovery from a difficult period of ill health. I opted for `Berkshire House and Essential Living, and the whole experience has been fantastic. The building itself is excellent, with well-appointed apartments and a great communal area on the top floor, and it ideally situated in the centre of town. However what made everything special is the staff – although my rental was only short term, I was made to feel part of the family, and nothing was too much trouble for Andy, Monika and Oxanna.

A great experience, and restored my faith in the benefits of renting.

Thank you, Essential Living

5
Facilities
5
Design
4
Location
4
Value
5
Management
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First Impressions from a newbie.

It’s been 8 months since we moved into Berkshire House and it has been a pleasant change to the usual rented accommodation.
Whilst the property has a high price on rent, it does reflect the quality of the services and building with the exception of a couple of things.
A big let down, especially for our side of the building, is the lack of air conditioning. The underfloor heating was a great benefit during the winter months when we moved in but it’s a shame to see no AC in the unit whilst the public areas do boast the facility.
It would have also been helpful to have manuals for the appliances readily available for residents to have as I still don’t know what some functions of our white goods are.

The team at Essential Living provide great support and assistance, however, it would be nice to be involved when there are changes being made to the building which affects our daily lives.
An example of this would be the increased security within the building, adding additional locks that can only be opened manually meaning if you have visitors, you can’t simply ‘buzz’ them up but now instead have to go down and let them in. This might not sound too bad but it would be incredible annoying when you’re living on the top floor.
By consulting with the residents we could have aided them in finding a solution that could both increase security but also ensure the residents can go about their daily routine without being inconvenienced.

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

Maidenhead is very much up and coming, with great access into London.
For the area, Berkshire House is a beautiful building that people want to live in.
The shops are a short walk away with great access to leisure facilities and with the M4 just 5 minutes away, you’re totally free to get around.

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

Probably linking to my previous comments, moving in during winter the underfloor heating was great but now in summer the heat is unbearable and with no air conditioning you can’t cool the place down.

4
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
3
Value
5
Management
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These reviews are the subjective opinion of a HomeViews member and not of HomeViews

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