Abbeville Apartments, IG11

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

Overall I'm happy with the area, always something going on and plenty of options for whatever you need. Better food delivery options would be the only change I'd make. Great access to Barking station (10 min or less walking) and so many train options to choose from. From my side of the building not much traffic noise, just noise from the market.

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

Always responsive initially, but depending on the type of support needed it may take a fortnight for some maintenance requests to be fulfilled. Fairly good, but you have to follow up consistently until the problem is resolved.

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

Wish there were better food delivery options, there are more the closer you get to Ilford but then your food is cold.

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

Lots of restaurants have opened and closed in the last two years, so there is always variety and something new. Very walkable area and everything is 5 minutes or less (including the station) so it's very accessible. Not much noise from traffic.

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

The bin rooms are often overflowing and I put in a request once and they were emptied the next day. Not sure if that was because of my request or just a coincidence. But reception is always friendly.

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

Nothing really to add here, apartment is great and no complaints about Barking.

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

Just arrived so can't speak too much about the area but it seems quite nice. There's a large park next to the building and the station isn't far. And the ASDA and Tesco are great stores and nearby.

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

Haven't needed to involve management for any issues but there's an app for maintenance requests.

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

Still exploring the area but I didn't know the market was open nearly every day which is nice. And there a lot of bus routes which is also great.

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

Not much anti-social behaviour that I've noticed, always something going on in the area like the market or events, Barking station is less than 10 minutes walk from the flat.

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

No major issues, except when I couldn't receive a package in time and it had to be returned to sender. But reception had communicated via email they wouldn't be there in advance so it wasn't anyone's fault really. Other than that, no issues.

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

The area has a lot more going on than expected, which can be both a plus and a minus. Depending on what your vibe is and what you're after in your community.

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

The energy of the area is unmatched. The market, the park, and the restaurants all contribute to a sense of community. That said, it's not quiet. If you're looking for a calm, residential feel, this isn't it. And the ongoing gentrification is changing the vibe, and prices are rising fast.

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

Reception is helpful and tries their best. The issue is follow-through—contractors take too long and sometimes don’t show up when scheduled. You have to be proactive if something goes wrong.

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

I didn’t realize how slow the maintenance process would be. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it does test your patience. Facing the park means lots of natural light—but also lots of sound.