The Marches, GU21

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

The location is great with station near by and the mall so it's very convenient. However there are certain anti social elements like people having beer when you are coming home late in the night usually in front of Gails. That does create a sense of insecurity.

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

very prompt and quickly. Pedro and Nkosi who come to repair are very cordial

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

None at the moment. But maybe the railways noise that is quite loud sometimes

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

Really god range of supermarkets including M&S and Sainsbury's. Multiple coffee shops and bakeries also on the doorstep. Less than 5 mins walk from the train station. Parking for visitors can be tricky. Slight noise of trains when the windows are open as well as occasional lightning from the tracks.

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

Raised 2 very minor issues so far. Maintanence team picked it up within a couple of hours and issues were resolved instantly.

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

There seems to be a smell coming from the floor vents - smells like a wet dog. Maintenance said there might've been a dog living in the flat previously.

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

Convenient location close to both the peacock centre and Victoria shopping centre. Also close to the train station!

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

They have responded quickly and endeavoured to fix things as quickly as possible

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

The price of parking spaces and the exact amount for standing charges

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

The staff are incredibly helpful and very friendly. Very central location which is great for work and outside stuff

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

Yes and generally very efficiently . Service levels are very high

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

Noise of trains, they really are loud and I was assured you couldn’t hear them when doors shut

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

Shops/Dining/Open Spaces: Excellent range of town centre shops (Victoria Place) and varied restaurants/cafés. Green spaces nearby. Really good variety of sports facilities around. Transport/Issues: Excellent train links (23 mins to Waterloo), major hub. Noise from trains/traffic can be an issue for flats facing the tracks, especially with windows open. Street Life: Resident parking is available in a shopping centre car park (paid yearly). Overall, rather quiet and safe.

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

The maintenance team (especially Pedro, Ryan) is really good; every small repair request has been handled quickly and spot on. This efficiency also applies to larger tasks, like dealing with issues with packages in parcel rooms being unsorted by delivery companies, which is always cleaned up quickly and efficiently. I am genuinely grateful for how well the team keeps the building operating and looking great. Also, Maria and all the personnel at the desk are always very helpful and proactive. You could feel that those people actually care, and that's great. While the on-site team provides excellent service, communication from upper management needs significant improvement. When rules are enforced or questions are asked, managers often resort to threats and a rigid "because we wrote it that way" response, instead of offering a reasonable explanation for the policy. This creates widespread tenant frustration because people don't understand the 'why' behind the rules in the building they live in as ADULTS. And that's a shame, especially as usually there is an actual good explanation. I had that with Dog Garden "dogs on lead" rule. Initial emails were appalling - just do what we say or else. Only after a manager of those managers took that communication over was everything explained in one email with about 3 sentences. So I'd advise some communication training to the managers, as it's quite clear the issue is not with "what" but in "how".

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

West and East Towers face each other, so if you're shy, try to get an apartment that does not face another tower.