There’s also an ongoing issue with certain residents throwing often burning cigarette butts out the window, which can easily land on balconies (for those who have one), or through open windows.

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

The area is great, although there are a number of worrying aspects in the surroundings (the nearby homeless shelter has proven difficult to communicate with about issues with their residents, and the continuous construction on the nearby sites can be annoying).

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

The one thing I missed during the initial showing of the flats was the fact how god-awful the bathroom sinks are. They look nice, for sure, but it’s as if nobody tried the combination of the tap, sink, and bathroom before handover. Water splashes everywhere even on low pressure, and it’s almost impossible to keep the bathroom counter dry.

What is the best feature of your home:

In my opinion the best feature of my rental is the overall service Lyvly provides – it’s much closer to a hotel-like experience, with regular cleaning and servicing, cleaning supplies being delivered, etc., and all management duties are lifted off our shoulders.

Kind regards

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

The area is amazing, school is right across the street, big grocery shop 4 min walk away, station is 5 min walk away too and a lot of places to eat near by.

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

I wish I knew about the expensive energy company they use that we can’t even change. And that there is no parking available for association tenants.

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

I bought my property in 2021, down sizing from a larger property in the country to be nearer Bicester town. The property was bought ‘off plan’ but against very detailed and ‘state of the art’ graphics presented in the sales office. The concept of an Eco Property on an Eco Development was very attractive to me and the location was ideal for town facilities being partially in the countryside but close to Bicester. The property itself was well designed and appeared to provide excellent Eco credentials -high level of insulation, rain water harvesting system, a central boiler community heating and hot water system, solar provision, air circulation and triple glazing – all very Eco and in line with the concept and a mixture of private and social housing. We paid a premium price for what appeared to be a premium product.

It is therefore with great disappointment and indeed some anger that the delivered product did not match up to high expectations and sales pitch. In summary:

• Whilst the internals of the house were well laid out and presented with adequate fixtures and fittings, the build quality was poor in a number of areas and the fixtures and fittings – hardly premium, resident have many snagging items still outstanding with little progress by the builder to resolve adequately – for some well after the 2 year deadlines.
• The ground works for my property – lawns, planted areas, patios were delivered and installed poorly. The patio is not level, the large rainwater harvesting tank has been installed in the middle of the patio. The top soil contained large quantities of large stones, the turf died of in a number of areas after a few months and despite re-seeding and treatments refused to grow back necessitating replacement with an artificial lawn at great cost to myself
• Window sills were poorly installed necessitating a replacement of all. Guttering joints have fallen apart.
• The general landscaping around the property is poor and not planted as per Approved Plans. The wrong type of trees have been planted – and have died within a year
• The properties rainwater harvesting system has never worked. Indeed this system has proved very problematic for many residents.
• A shop for the development that was promised in the sales pitch has not been delivered and is unlikely to be.
• The community centre is still only partially built – years behind time.
• However, there are excellent children’s play facilities, the development is generally well laid out and properties are not to condensed together. The grounds are well maintained but at a cost through the service charge
• Parking for visitors is a general problem with in some areas draconian measures in place to prevent it. However this is a common problem with many new developments – for a number of Eco and Commercial reasons.
• Overall the development is very quite due to its location, a great community spirit despite all the issues, however this may all change as further large housing develpment is undertaken in the adacent areas.

As I have already implied, the concept of the development is first class and there are many aspects of the development that are very, however the execution of the concept the plans and the quality of the build leave a lot to be desired in my opinion and leaves me with somewhat of a sour taste bearing in mind the high cost of properties.

I don’t expect the developer to publish this feedback, however it will be published on other relevant forums.

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

Build quality of properties and landscaping. Response to snaggings issues. Insight into future nearby developments. High service charges, non-delivery of amenity

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

In some cases adequately in others poorly – but I am not a tenant and expect this question is more aimed at them.

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

Elmsbrook is a well designed eco development. There are lots of green spaces, blossom & fruit trees with small play park areas for children. It is usually quiet, despite the building works going on behind & in front of my house; the triple glazing insulates sound & helps to keep my house warm. Elmsbrook has a lovely community of people who help each other & are respectful of parking spaces, placement & removal of bins on appropriate days & genuinely seem to take a pride in living on Elmsbrook village.

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

I would have asked & paid for an electricity supply & lights to be connected to my garage. I would have liked to have had the option to pay for more solar panels & for an energy storage system to be installed in my house or garage.

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

Yes, most of them… but I’m still chasing the repair of my kitchen worktop which was damaged before I moved in on May 3rd 2022.

4

Facilities

5

Design

5

Location

5

Value

4

Management