Stewart Milne Homes

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Quite close to town, bus stop to take you in to town is regular. However not a great amount of shops or restraints within walking distance.

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

We had a leak at one point and the building management were very knowledgeable and fixed quickly.

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

Trying to get deliveries can be a bit of a nightmare as the numberings of the buildings isn't very clear

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Good points: the area is close to Brunswick train station. Most apartments can be accessed by lifts. Small shop (Brunswick News) is opposite the flats. Ample car parking. There is a nice man who tries his best to keep the place in good order and takes the bins out. Bad points: area is quite rough, not much within walking distance bar train station. No bus stops nearby. The flats are heated by electricity only. Water is okay, but due to poor insulation, the heat leaves the building so quickly. Bills for two people are easy £250 per month in winter, and even then you feel cold. The windows leak both water and cold air. The building owners don't care and do nothing to fix it.

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

Problems go months without being fixed. For example, the front gate has been open for months and cars regularly get broken into. The lift was broken for about 6 months. The management company say they don't have enough money to fix these problems.

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

Really poor insulation, so the flats cost a lot to heat.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Development has style and class, with lots of individual looking homes. It’s very quiet and we have open views to river. So tranquil. Lovely location. Walking distance of lovely little town and beautiful harbour. Great transport options. 15 minute walk for fantastic Rail service. You can travel direct to local City of Aberdeen in 20 minutes, or to Cities like Edinburgh, York and London. Plenty of local bus services too, and great location for accessing an excellent new bypass road direct to Aberdeen airport. Only 30 minutes. We love this development. Only challenge we have had is clay soil. Just takes a bit more work but our garden is already taking shape with a bit of effort. Just down to land it’s built on but wouldn’t swap our home for any other local development. It’s just one of those little things you have to deal with in our view. Having lived in an old farm house with rising damp problems, and constant land management and maintenance challenges we really appreciate a new build home.

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

To not take local Facebook groups to seriously as some people can be very vocal and off puting about the town. Unfairly as it is lovely. It’s the usual that you find anywhere a few vocal people can feel representative when they aren’t. We worried about our move into the area but we needn't have. If you are thinking of moving here, do it. It is a lovely development in a fantastic little town by the sea. Judge for yourself.

What is the best feature of your home:

We love the design of our home, the courtyard setting and the views. The house is very efficient and holds heat well with minimal use of our heating system. We have many solar panels that we hope will contribute further to cost savings. In comparison to other new builds locally this house was great value for money, yet it feels quality. Fencing and turf included unlike in many other developments we viewed.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Carron Den Road is very nice in terms of the street, the neighbours, design of the houses. The whole development lacks rubbish bins, dog waste bins, anti-speeding signs, safe play areas for Children, any other amenities, fast link footpath / bridge to East of the development. No park land or flat grass area for activities. Car park lighting is brighter than street lighting. Transport links from top of road great for buses. Close to Aberdeen, 30 min walk to town centre. 5 mins from woodland. Nearest shop is Brickfield Store. Home parking fine, guest parking limited but space available. Quiet, you can hear the dual carriageway but not too bad. Friendly people, some issues in the Osprey housing area on the development but overall fine.

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

Make sure to check all finishing closely, ie. Flooring, Lino, carpets, windows, cooker, white goods, mirrors and showers. Make sure to check garden and sun light hours. Direction of sunshine. Position of where to put shed or out building. Check drainage positions at front and back of house, also on road. Check broadband capability, homes in first phase were not given fibre capability as cheaper option for SM was old copper lines. Ridiculous in a new scheme. It should be law to have the latest communications technology infrastructure installed by developers. Also check spaces for wheelie bins in garden.

What is the best feature of your home:

Design finish on outside of the home, very different to other builds in the town. Location on the development was also key. Room sizes apart from bedrooms as a little cramped but other rooms all excellent. Private back garden, with double opening doors great for Summer. South facing so sunshine all day.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The local area of Willaston is lovely, it has a local shop, chippy, two pubs and two hairdressers. The new Bayley Croft estate is lovely and quiet, except for the DPD drivers that seem to always be in too much of a rush! Would definitely recommend this estate to anyone thinking about moving here.

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

We've had to extend the patio, as it was pretty small, wish it had been bigger. Would have been nice if Stewart Milne had laid better lawn.

What is the best feature of your home:

The driveway - we finally have parking and we have a lovely big back garden