The Barnum, NG2

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

The area is great. Super close to the trains, trams and buses. Parking at the station is super handy. Lots of local shops and restaurants, and very close to the centre of town. The new shop downstairs is nice

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

The ticket system is ok but very slow. Everything internal to the flat has eventually been resolved but it took a long time

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

I wish I knew about the issues with security and the state of the out of sight public areas

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

The location is very central and highly convenient for a lot of things. However, it is right next to the train station which can be incredibly noisy with trains/announcements if you are on that side of the building. The lack of AC means summer is a choice of noise or heat. There is also some antisocial behavior in the area being in the city centre and the security measures of the building are terrible. Car park garage door has been broken for the entirety of my tenancy allowing thieves access, doors are constantly left open as the mechanism doesn't allow them to close. This has been raised by multiple tenants after incident and has not been resolved

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

The building management team are great but actually getting action from Grainger seems very protracted and difficult

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

Just how noisy the train station announcements were.

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

Beautiful apartment, excellent Resident Service Team, stunning amenities onsite!! Big shout out to Kirstie & Amy, always willing to go the extra mile!

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

Excellent, quick and efficient, super friendly, always willing to go the extra mile to help / support

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

Delighted that the team hosts really beautifully sort out events

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

Great location, proximity to the train station is really good. City centre is on the door step and access to all sorts of shops is excellent.

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

Yes, but very slowly. Have opened numerous tickets, which can go months without an update. I wonder if they have any internal SLA metrics that monitor the issues. I believe these should be public so we can monitor their performance. Grainger should be transparent with their services.

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

I was expecting a better maintained building, especially as they have just built it. After 2 years or so, it is pretty shabby, and has gotten worse over the 9 months I have been here

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

Living in the Barnum has a lot of positives.There’s o good range for coffee shops and restaurants within walking distance

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

The building management has generally been responsive and helpful when issues have been raised. Most problems are dealt with promptly, and communication is clear, though occasionally some matters take a little longer to resolve than expected.

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

One thing I wish I had known before moving in is that delivery drivers can’t always access the building easily or come directly to the front of my apartment. Some delivery companies need an access code or have to be met at the main entrance, which can be a bit inconvenient if you’re not home. It’s worth checking how deliveries are handled before moving in. On the bright side, the concierge team is usually very helpful with parcels and ensures nothing gets lost, which makes things easier overall.