If you had told me I would fall in love with a rental experience before coming here, I wouldn’t have believed you, and yet here we are.

I will go through the experience in chronological order for completeness.

Before I arrived I was in Europe so I didn’t get a chance to see the property in person. That didn’t matter very much because they offered Matterport virtual tours of the apartments and also video tours that give you are real sense of the property.

As an Australian without a rental history in the UK, I wasn’t sure how hard it would be to get a property. But the application was pretty straightforward. The team was communicative at each step.

On arrival, José let our rental car in and out of the car park multiple times and helped get us settled. This was just the first taste of how much the reception staff go above and beyond.

When we arrived there were still Covid protocols in place, so all the packages (Amazon, etc) were being hand delivered by the staff to the apartment doors. Despite the annoyance of running around the building delivering packages they always did it with a smile (it has now returned to using the parcel lockers in the Lobby).

Duet advertises itself as a pet-friendly building. We decided to get a beautiful Cocker Spaniel puppy (Miles), it’s been on the wishlist for a long time. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with the puppy. Surely it was just a checkbox that they wanted to tick. But no, they really love the pets. Miles has been welcomed by not just the staff but also by the other residents.

The staff organize events, Friday night drinks, etc — another thing about Duet that’s outstanding. I’ve become friends with a bunch of the other tenants in the building. It’s really pleasant to interact with the other tenants. It surpasses my expectations in terms of community. There is a building forum, and it’s quite common for people to give items away when they no longer need them.

The apartment itself is very nice. It’s comfortable and well designed. One of the few negatives I can think of with this apartment is that there was really no option to only furnish one bedroom (we use the second bedroom as an office).

The apartment doesn’t have a balcony, and that would have been nice to have, but I understand that that would have come with tradeoffs as well (lower floorspace).

Oh, and how could I forget. The internet is blinding fast. I don’t think I’ve ever had faster internet in residential property (and I’m not even on the top tier).

The staff have continued to be amazing, not just the front-of-house, but the managers, cleaners and temps all seem to have an attitude of service, that feels closer to Hotel than a rental property.

I cannot recommend this building and team highly enough and will be sad when we eventually have to leave (we’re not permanent residents of the UK).

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

Salford Quays is a nice area. It has good public transport links to the city (the Metrolink tram stop is just across the road. MediaCityUK has a good selection of bars and restaurants. There is a Sainbury’s Local 2-3 minutes walk away for basic grocery needs, and larger supermarkets 25 mins walk away.

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

Because we didn’t visit before moving in (we were in another country), it was difficult to get a sense of the layout of the building and position in the broader neighbourhood (the property itself has excellent tours). In hindsight, I probably would have picked a higher floor (we’re on 6 of 15).

This is a minor thing though, and an anomaly, because I’ve watched them give tours to other people looking at the building.

If there is one thing you would change about your flat or property what would it be:

More options in the setup of the furnished apartments. We didn’t really need the second bed, and having a bed/office option would have been awesome.

5

Facilities

5

Design

5

Location

5

Value

5

Management

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

I love living here – Salford Quays and Media City is such a beautiful place. I love taking photos and videos and this area is perfect for it – it’s just so aesthetic. It’s a lovely area to walk around. With the beautiful modern city style and vibe along with the docks water – it’s like living in the city and at the seaside at the same time. There’s lovely wildlife round here too – swans, seagulls, geese and more. And theres a beautiful “the city never sleeps vibe here” because when you go for a night walk you’ll still be surrounded by bright lights, people walking around, bars open etc – it’s amazing. There’s so many nice restaurants, cafes, shops and bars to go to round here – so much choice! There’s places at Media City, at the Quayside mall (which is also home to a Vue cinema with reclining seats), round near the waterspouts centre etc. Talking of the watersports centre – it’s so cool having that too. Indoor climbing, wake boarding, sailing etc – so much you can do. Also there’s several hotels round here too – which are great for when family/friends want to come up and stay. Media City is also home to BBC and ITV. Imagine having those just a walk away – so awesome. Even Coronation Street is filmed here. And the beautiful Lowry theatre is also just a walk away too – how amazing. And there’s a tram right outside Duet that takes you into Manchester where you can find even more beautiful aesthetic places, places to shop, places to eat and drink, theatres, cinemas etc. Salford and Manchester is a truly beautiful place to live.

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

I wish I’d known about how amazing Duet is sooner because then I would have moved earlier on.

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

I’ve sometimes had problems in my apartment such as water leaks/water temperature problems and the staff are always there to help right away. I can always rely on them.

Visiting my friends apartment’s also made me realise that you can select from a variety of room/design/view choices with the number of bedroom’s you chose altering your apartment design uniquely. I also love the fact that you can chose to have a canal facing apartment or otherwise, depending on your personal choice.

Also, in terms of facilities, I believe I could say that I couldn’t ask for more. Although, me and my friends have been quietly preaching for a pool/TT table, however we know that would be too much to ask for given everything Duet does for us.

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

I my opinion, Duet is one of the most conveniently located building complex in terms of the variety of pubs, restaurants, walking paths etc. you get. With a Sainsbury’s at a walking distance, I also find quick grocery shopping quite easy and helpful. I am also enjoying walking/jogging on the path besides the canal these days, with the bright sun and fresh breeze due to the onset of spring.

The building also has a tram and bus station right as you step outside (with trams to the city centre taking 20 mins). The one thing I miss though, is an independent coffee shop nearby, when I crave fresh coffee and bakery items likes croissants, cinnamon buns etc.

Although, I also recently observed that Federal Cafe has a small cart selling it’s fresh coffee and cakes in Mediacity, and the building coffee machine with it’s refreshing, aromatic hot chocolate always makes my day better anyway.

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

I would just like to say that if you’re looking to move in an area/building, which resonates peace, harmony and respect; chose Duet without a shred of doubt. The people are nicer than you’d generally expect and there are no blind spots to look out for when you chose to have a viewing.

Although, I’d wished for door locks to be provided for the rooms, for safety/privacy reasons. However, the central security feature including digital unlocking door’s for the building and the recording of details of outsiders coming to visit, are quite adept to fade any safety concerns.

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

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve never been made to wait unreasonably for any concern/issue I’ve raised. Stephen personally makes sure to resolve/get resolved any issue you’re facing at his earliest possible convenience.

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

I have been living with my wife and 2 kids in duet for about a year now, I have had a great experience with courteous team, amazing people, beautiful location and some really memorable parties/events. My 5 year old daughter loves the place and was vocal in wanting to stay here for long. The locality is amazing with great theatre, pubs, restaurants, canal and great open places. There’s a lot for everyone to be excited and engaged. I would personally recommend Duet and this location to anyone and everyone wanting to live in Manchester. The closeness to city centre adds the charm.

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

I wish I had known about Duet earlier – I’d have moved in before 🙂

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

The building management is super fast and extremely quick in resolving any issues you may have. They have a great team who are always on hand and support with great care.