Kooky Staines-Upon-Thames, TW18

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

A good collection of shops from pharmacy, hair salons, sportswear, fashion, household items, telecom providers and banks. Variety of cafés, bars & restaurants available. About 10 mins walk from train station, bus stop just round the corner or a few mins walk, many routes! No traffic noise living in Windsor House. Some noise from planes though, but acceptable. Public parking available within 10 mins away. We love to be living not far from River Thames.

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

Yes and respond fairly quickly. The had replaced parts for the toilet, replaced light bulbsfor us.

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

Noises made by kids when they played in the podium garden and chats by residents in the garden can be a nuisance. And the garden is much loved.

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

Very convenient for shops, restaurants, and the train station. Fairly noisy as it's positioned just off a busy road in the town centre and near a police station, but the double glazing is effective.

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

Resolved promptly without causing me any disruption.

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

Not everything that looks like a cupboard in the kitchen is actually a cupboard. I should have checked each one to gauge space when I viewed.

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

This is a good, central location in Staines very near to all of the local bars and restaurants. Transport links are good, I'd highlight the Heathrow bus that stops a 5 minute walk away and goes directly to the airport. This has made my regular airport trips a lot less stressful. Noise is minimal and parking sufficient.

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

Any issues I raise get fixed immediately. Management occaisionally checks in to ask if anything needs doing.

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

Space in the underground car park is limited and it takes time to get a parking spot. There is very little unpaid parking in the local area, so finding parking during the wait can be quite painful. Visitors will likely need to pay for parking in the town centre, as there are no visitor bays in the car park.

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

Well, living in Staines area is very convenient. The surrounding commercial amenities—train station, bus stop, banks, supermarkets, gyms, everything is available and in walking distance. And it is quite and safe as well.

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

Their staff members respond very quickly and are also very patient.

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

I brought my own mattress pad in advance because I wanted to sleep more comfortably. But I didn’t expect them give me a gift bag that included a new mattress pad and delicous chocolate, cleaning detergent and soap. it was a surprise!

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

Obviously, Staines doesn't have the high quality restaurants that London does, but it's still nice to have the little shopping center nearby. The street is good. I like having the Co-op nearby for quick shopping trips. The parking is excellent.

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

When the washing machine wasn't working on a Saturday, the maintenance guy didn't come until the Thursday. That was a long time to wait.

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

That 24/7 maintenance doesn't actually mean that they will come fix the issue right away. Also, the appliances don't include a microwave.