I really love the large bathroom which includes a bath and loads of storage behind the mirrors, impressive to have in a studio. The kitchen is great with WM, DW and large FF. However there are only four useable cupboards as one houses the boiler which can make fitting everything in a bit of a squeeze if you have a lot of stuff (like I do!)

The prices of the rental properties are unbeatable – you won’t find anything cheaper at this quality of finish! For a studio flat I have loads of room, visitors have been so impressed with the large space I have here.

There is a large bike store which is handy, but no concierge or parcel holding facilities. There have been a few snagging issues, with window seals being a bit wonky but property management have arranged to fix these quickly. The lifts also appear to have broken down but again has been fixed relatively quickly.

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

All of the shops of central Croydon are minutes away with a fairly large Lidl only 3 minutes walk from the property. Lots of bars nearby, including the fantastic Mr Fox bar (their cocktails are great!) There is Wandle Park nearby, and IKEA and various other ‘big box’ stores are about a 25 min walk/5 mins by tram away.

There is a tram stop heading into Croydon and beyond outside the flat which is handy. However if you are on the side of the flat facing it, the rails can be quite squeaky!

Parking is available opposite the flat, it costs about £17 for overnight. Traffic noise is again quite loud if you face the road, which is a 6 lane freeway. But, you get used to it.

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

The road noise at weekends is quite loud all night (however with window seals fixed this should ease)

I wish I’d known the boiler cupboard was in the kitchen, so I could have planned my kitchen storage better!

What is the best feature of your home:

High ceilings, large living space, lots of storage, large modern bathroom, all white goods provided, brand new.

The building management is very poor, there is no clear response to complaints and the property management needs to be improved i.e the water hoses in the communal gardens have been broken for some time and they have not been replaced even though they have been reported. The communal garden planters are not used by residents who were not consulted about use and the empty planters let the development down.

The development is quiet and generally a safe place to live. However, there has been a break in to the bike sheds and CCTV needs to be installed as the estate is open access and anyone can walk in.

Overall it is a lovely development with excellent design and planing.

The property management needs to improve to ensure it maintains it’s market value and does not become run down.

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

The development is extremely well located a few minutes walk from a main line station where trains run directly to London and connecting trains to Brighton and the south coast. There is a local sainsburys and a lovely parks and dog walking areas close by. There are local pubs and amenities close to the development which is also within easy reach of Brighton lanes, shopping centre and sea front. The development is very quiet and the houses are beautifully situated with designated parking bays which are very convenient. The bin collection is not good as the local council fails to collect on time and the recycling collection is also poor. The traffic noise and railway noise if of a minimum from where the houses are located. There are no electronic car points which is a shame for a modern development, however they can be installed at an extra cost. The bike sheds have been broken into once and the housing management are considering the security of the bike sheds which are well used by residents and a positive attribute of the development. The lawns offer a lovely place to meet.

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

I was not aware the garden planters would not be maintained and this lowers the quality of the landscaping and overall value of the property.

Electric points for cars should have been installed in the carpark at time of instillation. Parking bays are not clearly marked and cause some confusion.

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

Building management is very slow in responding if at all

Community facilities include 2 lifts, indoor rubbish storage area, video intercom to main entrance and small a postbox. Apartments come with many installed appliances including stove/hob cooker, large fridge-freezer, dishwasher and kitchen counters and cabinets, the Utility closet has a clothes washer and very good air purifying and circulation system. Apartments are otherwise unfurnished

Building/Property management are sometimes slow to respond to inquires and the contact system for concerns or complaints is convoluted at best.

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

Good aspects of living in this area:
– Very good transport links to Central London. Regular buses to Stratford and Trains to Liverpool Street
– Convenient supermarket and shopping mall within 5 mins walk
Bad aspects of living in this area:
– Noisy road (North Circular) is practically right outside the window
– Local cuisine options are fairly limited to Indian-style with only a few options otherwise

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

How busy and constant the noise from the North Circular road would be.

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

Building Management has been very slow to answer questions and address concerns and complaints that I have had specifically; it took over a month to replace a faulty washing machine, and the intercom for the building has been patchy for several months now. The process and contact details for registering a fault or concern are convoluted.

The on-site team ( supervisor and cleaners) are lovely. However, SHG management team are extremely disorganized. For example: we are in 2022 and they are still unable to explain how much money was spent in 2020 and what the service charge has covered.

Since moving in the development, we have tracked more than 80 breakdowns of the heating system. shg looks for short term fixes but won’t solve them problem long term. ( similar issues happen in other areas like broken doors and parking doors)

There is no interest from the group in addressing the problems correctly. This means high service charge and s*** service.

The group has also poor knowledge of fire regulations and tries to enforced building analysis ( paid by residents) that are either already in place or not needed.

Overall the communication from the group is very poor not only to address this issues but also to inform or power cuts or water cuts/ constructions on-site.

Our gardens have no water system and the grass dies every year. We still pay gardeners every 2 weeks , to “ cut the dead grass”. Aparently, it is not in their scope to water the plants

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

The area is relatively quiet and has a big Tesco around the corner. Unfortunately, there is not many local shops near by.

We regularly have been collection issues and bike theft.

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

The management style of shg.

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

A/ they did not answer
B/ they acknowledge the message and never solved the issue
C/ I had to escalate to higher management