About Regal London

That flats themselves have obviously all been designed by the same designer, lots of neutral tones and clearly more premium fittings than you would usually expect from a mass produced new build.

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

The development is perfectly situated between Clapham Highstreet and Stockwell so we have easy access to all of the restaurants, bars and shops on the main road, can also head down into little Portugal (where there is an awesome Brazilian shop + butcher).

Our one complaint would be the lack of available parking when we came to move in, as we had to make use of a bay sectioned off for roadworks. Thankfully this isn’t something that will be a problem on an ongoing basis.

Fortunately we are on the back of the front section of the building and so don’t experience any road noise.

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

The concierge only works during regular working hours so if you want your parcels you’ll need to be in one day that week of go on Saturday morning.

The gym in the building costs ~ £50 for an induction. Slightly ridiculous for what is basically 2 benches, some dumbbells up to 20kg and a few pieces of cardio equipment, so unless you feel like shelling out, it is probably not worth considering it part of the set of facilities.

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

Very well. We had a couple of issues shortly after moving in and so reported them on the app. The concierge was always quick to respond and get them fixed.

As with many new builds the spaces are optimised for the revenue of the developer, so living spaces in and out of the units aren’t particularly generous.

The management agency used in the development are awful, so for a building with lots of issues re: water (which was constantly shutting off) and recent flooding, they were incredibly unfriendly to deal with. Many young families in the building found the same and moved as a result.

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

Two great local restaurants are nearby: The Bird In The Hand and The Havelock Tavern. A little further on, you also have Brook Green Park and playground which is a nice walk for families. Holland Park is also near but is an awkward walk if you have a push chair. The nice end of Kensington High St is also about a 20 minute walk.

On the downside, good transport is not particularly close though having Kensington Olympia just there means you can get to Hampstead much more easily than you can get to central London.

Noise and air pollution are also an issue. The area is also hemmed in by large A-roads and once traffic picked up after lockdowns, you could really feel the pollution in your lungs. This is compounded by the huge building site next door as they redevelop Kensington Olympia. I recall the prospectus said that the rather small garden in the courtyard provides you with “the freshest air”, which would be a good line in a parody about how agents like to oversell given the size of the garden and the amount of pollution in the area.

Scooters also swarm the street after dark because its a through road, meaning its very noisy if you’re in one of the many flats that looks onto Sinclair Road.

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

Sinclair Road (a through road) is extremely loud at night because of all the delivery scooters. Also no decent grocery stores are near, so not great for families. Never got to use the amenities due to the pandemic but they still made us pay for them.

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

Residents were mostly treated as irritants, particularly when issues occurred. We lost access to running water 9 times in 18 months and the communication was quite aggressive to deflect blame onto the developer and to ask residents to “stop emailing” until the issue was resolved.

I do feel the cost is rather high, and it is unfortunate that the facilities (gym, cinema and lobby usage) are closed with no plans on being remediated for it. Other facilities (ie rooftop garden) can be a bit more difficult to access depending on apartment location in the building. There have also been several issues with water (temperature issues or no water running across the whole complex). These have been addressed efficiently, with good communication from the team, but also not issues reflective of the price. Perhaps communicating if it was a building error or a wider issue out of their control would address this feeling.

Overall, I would definitely recommend living here, but to keep in mind the price does not make it perfect.

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

Everything is practically on your doorstep! Local shops (Tesco, 2 Sainsbury’s and a Coop) within a few minutes walk, Hoxton overground a stone throw away, and some really lovely parks within a 20min walk. Also so close to Dalston and Shoreditch, where numerous amazing bars and restaurants are. Overall, everything you could practically need from an area is right here.

However, the parking options are lacking, the bins often full (although I think this is partially a covid issue), and some anti-social behaviour on the street that can get a little uncomfortable. No traffic noise if the windows are closed though!

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

I was told on the viewing that bbqs on balconies and drinking on the rooftop were allowed, and only upon getting the contract saw this was not true. In the grand scheme of things it did not matter to me, but tainted my opinion ahead of moving in, so please try to make sure the truth is being told at viewings.

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

Aside from one delay, very efficiently! It has been really lovely knowing and feeling like the team care and are able to address problems quickly.

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

The location of the development and the neighbourhood is amazing. Many local shops in proximity which are lovely escapes throughout the week. Open markets, supermarkets and parks in just a short walk which is extremely handy. The transport links are great as there are bus stops and you are just 20 mins from central, and just 2 minutes from the over ground station as well. I have not had any experience with anti-social behaviour and the building is well insulated, so no noise pollution.

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

Some parts of the building are in lack of natural light so I would be more careful on which side of the building I would like my apartment if this is an important factor as it is for me.

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

The floor seems to be quite delegate but apart from that, the flat is in excellent condition