Eastman Village, HA1

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

Get Every Promise in Writing Before You Exchange Anything promised by the sales team in the sales office must be in writing and attached to the contract or lease as an appendix. If it is not written into the lease or clearly shown on the approved drawings, it is not protected. If you do not secure those promises legally, the developer can later: • Change the design • Remove features • Leave areas partially incomplete • Rely on “design change” clauses After completion, you cannot complain about the difference between what was promised and what was delivered if it is not written into the lease. Design Changes and Incomplete Works Design changes are often used to justify alterations after purchase. You may be shown visitor bays and loading bays during marketing. Later, you may discover: • Visitor bays are removed • Loading bays do not exist • Layouts are different from what was shown • Certain works remain unfinished Once you complete, you are bound by the lease wording, not the sales presentation. Managing Agent and Parking Enforcement Relationship Where FirstPort is appointed as managing agent and Parking Control Management operates enforcement, they work closely within the development structure. Residents are not provided with clear information about: • The commercial relationship between these parties • The financial arrangements behind enforcement • How enforcement income is structured • Who ultimately controls parking policy The business relationship between developer, managing agent, and parking company is not transparent to residents. Aggressive Parking Enforcement Residents can receive large numbers of Parking Charge Notices. Charges are issued for: • Brief stopping • Loading and unloading • Double yellow lines • Hatched areas • Areas near entrances Residents are told they have no right even to stop for one second without a permit. Trespass is normally a matter for the landlord. However, parking companies rely on contractual signage and treat stopping as breach of contract. Residents who are not legally trained may feel pressured into paying significant sums. Those with stronger legal awareness may challenge successfully, while others pay under pressure. Escalation of a Civil Parking Dispute In one case involving a civil parking dispute, accusations were made and police were called. An arrest followed. Police later stated that it was a civil matter and release took place. A civil parking disagreement escalated into a criminal process before being recognised as civil in nature. Service Charge and Management Costs Service charges include substantial management fees. Approximately one third of the service charge can relate to management and administration. While the development remains under construction and until all leases are sold, residents may experience ongoing disruption while paying full service charges. In time, the freehold may be transferred to another freeholder and the managing agent may change. However, the lease obligations remain binding on leaseholders. No Loading Bays and Planning Limits In some developments, no loading bays are provided. The explanation given is that providing loading bays would exceed the maximum parking allocation permitted under planning approval. The result is maximum parking allocation, but no dedicated loading provision for residents. Access, easement, and reasonable enjoyment are not reflected through practical loading facilities. Hidden Parking Structure and Permit Types There are multiple permit categories operating simultaneously, including: • Allocated bay permits • Resident permits • Visitor permits • Temporary permits • Contractor permits • Developer-retained space permits Residents are not clearly informed: • What percentage of spaces were sold • How many spaces are retained by the developer • How many permits exist compared to physical spaces • How enforcement rules are determined The structure resembles a financial revenue model rather than a resident-focused parking system. Lease Wording and Visitor Bay Clauses Residents may be told there will be visitor bays and loading bays. They may be shown these areas during site tours. Later, the lease may state wording such as: “If visitor bays are shown on Plan A to Z, the leaseholder may use them for up to 24 hours with no return within 24 hours.” After completion, the referenced plan may show no visitor bays at all. If the bays are not shown on the official plan, there is no enforceable right. The wording appears protective but depends entirely on what is shown on the attached drawings. Once you complete your purchase, changing the lease is extremely difficult. Leases are standard across the development and not easily amended regardless of which solicitor acts. Final Position Once contracts are exchanged and completion takes place, you are bound by the lease. What was promised verbally does not override what is written in the legal documents. Understand the lease fully before committing.

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

I wish I had known that what is shown during the sales process and what is legally secured in the lease can be very different. Parking arrangements, visitor bays and loading access may look straightforward during a viewing, but the actual rights depend entirely on the lease wording and approved plans (Blank Plan). I also did not realise how strict and enforcement focused the parking management would be, or how significant the service charge allocation to management costs would feel in practice. I would advise any new buyer to read the lease in detail, especially sections on parking, plans, permits and management powers, before committing.

What is the best feature of your home:

It feels as though Barratt Developments, FirstPort, and Parking Control Management operate closely together in a way that prioritises collecting money from residents through service charges and enforcement rather than providing fair and supportive management.

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

Good shops, proximity to harrow town center and public transport, neighbourhood are the good aspects. Anti-social behaviour and thefts are common in the area. Parking spaces are incredibly scarse.

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

Pathetic Customer Care, Very cheap fittings, including flooring and electrcal accessories

What is the best feature of your home:

Location, Proximity to public transport and town center

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

Good location! Good interior design - Poor hot water system - Overly dense and congested environment within the premises. - Poor car parking

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

Nothing is more important than the estate management company, poor services must let you regret!

What is the best feature of your home:

SMART design is indeed a good idea and the energy saving concept is good but do i pay less, I'm not sure yet

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

It's Harrow so there will not be a single brunch place in sight, however it's convenient and easy to travel to central so it's not a major issues. The development is very nice, very quiet thankfully, people seem polite. The flats are built to a high standard especially noise proofing, thankfully you cannot hear your neighbors that well. Construction noise is not as problematic as I thought it would be, and it's entirely manageable thanks to the high quality windows. funny enough, some issues are only with some other residents, not Barratt or the management company. I appreciate the management company reminding residents there is a no smoking policy in the communal areas of the building, too many people engage in anti social behaviour by doing this, not realizing they shouldn't force others to breathe their smoke. Pets are allowed which is a huge plus, no extra cost to apply for a permit.

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

there is no parking, but the problem stems form the council not allowing more parking spaces, nothing to do with developer.

What is the best feature of your home:

noise proof windows, nice minimalistic decor, well fitted kitchen, great balcony space, great and clean building, well organised maintaince of building.

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

It's unfortunate that the developers sold these homes in 2020 with promises of gyms, supermarkets, and restaurants, but it seems their priority is completing each block of flats first. This has left us with no nearby cafes, bars, or restaurants, and it could still be years before these amenities are available.

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

I haven't personally raised issues with them. My opinion of the managing company formed upon the repeated accounting mistakes.

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

I wish I had known about Barratt before moving in. They are not keeping up with the updates to the development. The last update was more than 6 months ago, mentioning really vague changes to the location of the supposed gym for example, who seemed to have been scrapped from the project to be placed 'somewhere else' for lack of space.