Clarion Housing

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

- Transport links are really great. The Bakerloo line is 5 minutes away from the development which takes you to Oxford Street in 20 minutes. You can also change at Paddington to the new Elizabeth line, which makes even Liverpool Street 30 minutes from the development. - Oxford Street just received a nice facelift with new sidewalks. - Close to a number of shops, including local Tesco, M&S, Boots, Sainsbury's. If you want to shop at a bigger store, you can walk up in 15-20 minutes to Waitrose in St Johns Wood. - Lovely bakeries in every direction: Hart & Lova towards West Hampstead, Gail's towards Little Venice. - Paddington Recreational Ground is 5 minutes away, giving access to a nice green space combined with sport facilities (e.g., running track, tennis courts). - Both Regent's Park and Little Venice is around 20-30 minutes walk away. - Traffic noise from Kilburn High Road can be high at times, but luckily the soundproofing of the apartments is really good, so we can't hear much unless we're on the balcony.

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

At the beginning, mostly because of the pandemic, the building management was a bit slower than preferred. They also made some mistakes with our service charge calculations. Since then however, the residents created a steering committee that oversees everything that goes on at the estate, and an estate manager was also hired to be on site and manage all the small and big things. Both of these greatly improved the quality and quantity of the responses we get when we report an issue.

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

While the service charge is okay, it ended up being more than quoted when we bought the flat off-plan.

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

Good variety of local shops and easy access to transport. However parking is terrible. Wish there were more spaces for residents.

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

They have tried, although still loads of work needs done

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

Parking. Not every resident is able to park, and seems very unfair that the shops on the front have allocated parking spaces but residents do not.

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

Great place to live. Great location: quick and easy to get into central London and a short walk to Little Venice and St John’s Wood. Westminster council means daily street cleaning and regular bin collections but other side of Oxford Road is Brent which isn’t very good.

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

Usually. Managing agents seem to be better than previous experience so far at least.

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

The communal gardens would have been a nicer community point if we’d not been in the middle of a pandemic and if the developer had secured the access for residents only

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

Great area, quiet, close to loads of shops and sipermarkets, schools, restaurants and hospital all walking distance

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

All the issues are replied in timely manner, normally inside 2/ 3 days

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

Nothing to add here, the process of getting the house was pretty smooth

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

I’m happy as I’m near a main train station and bus stop, the bin collections are weekly and the maintenance people keep it tidy and clean. The building is with solid double glazing windows and good seals so I do not hear street noise. The landlord is actively addressing an insect infestation of ants currently.

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

Quite well without too much if a delay to act, there’s still a few outstanding issues though.

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

There is nothing I’d of liked to know before I moved in.