Dovehouse Field, Braintree, Essex, CM77

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

I have been living at Scalars View for about five years. It is conveniently located near schools and public transport, offers affordable rates, and provides comfortable living. There is an Aldi nearby, and a bit further away, a Tesco and a local swimming pool, gym, and fitness centre. I probably don't need to mention hair and nail salons—there are plenty of them everywhere.

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

Prompt, same-day responses to inquiries, along with detailed, accessible, step-by-step instructions, are especially helpful for those with little prior experience dealing with rentals, security deposits, and related documentation.

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

There is no place to store bicycles: leaving them in the courtyard carries a risk of theft (no one is immune to theft), and there is simply not enough space inside the house.

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

The location is fantastic as we are super close to local shops and have a lovely park nearby, which is perfect for going out for a walk. The neighbors are absolutely amazing and very friendly. The only real downside here is the parking finding a space for the car can be quite difficult and frustrating at times.

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

The management team responds quickly and efficiently to any issues. Whenever something needed fixing, they handled it without delay and with a very friendly attitude

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

I wish I had known that parking on this street can be very difficult. Also, although there are outdoor security cameras installed, none of them actually work. They are desperately needed because we sometimes have issues with vandalism for example, someone recently scratched my car. Having active cameras would make a huge difference

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

The area is quiet, clean, and close to shops, supermarkets, and public transport. It's convenient for daily living. Parking is generally good, although it can be busy at times. Overall, it feels like a safe and pleasant place to live.

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

Whenever I have reported an issue, the management team has responded promptly and kept me informed. The problems were handled professionally and resolved within a reasonable time.

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

I wish I'd known how convenient the location is, with shops and transport links nearby. Overall, it's been a pleasant place to live, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a modern, well-managed home.

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

Honestly the alleyways are an utter disgrace. There is rubbish absolutely everywhere in every alleyway and now we have rodents. They have been found on the front of the street and in the alleys. Some people in these houses fling and dump their waste absolutely anywhere. I daren’t go outside because I am scared of letting in a rat. The overall area isn’t too bad, but the lack of repercussions for certain tenants flytipping is really disheartening. We have had an increase in rent of over £200 in the last 4 years and it has seriously gone down hill. There are police cars speeding to around the corner with their lights on almost every evening, there are some tenants who will scream out of their windows if you deign to bring in your bin rather than leaving it on the alley. There are some tenants who will literally hoard everyone else's bins and then still dump their rubbish all over the alleys! The parking situation is dire. Having to fight for a space every evening because I have mobility problems is a joke. Some people take up 2 spaces without a care for anyone else.

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

Yes, we had a leak from the isolation valve on the downstairs toilet. It took them a while to come out, but I had isolated the leak myself, the issue wasn’t urgent. The repairs team are courteous and undertake repairs on site quickly. We did have an issue with the boiler. I did advise it was likely the expansion vessel but was told it couldn’t possibly be that as the tap on the casing was the correct sound (no visual check done of the membrane). A number of people attended and eventually we ended up with a new boiler. I had to keep emptying the condensate trap myself in the meantime and keep re-pressurising the expansion vessel.

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

I wish I had known just how awful the alleyways are and the laissez faire attitude of the fellow tenants in the area towards the state of them. I wish I had known just how much the rent was to increase (although that was a general unforeseen boom in the housing market and dip in the overall economy). I wish I had known just how cheaply the houses are done up. The carpet lifts with the suction of the vacuum, the paint comes off of the walls easily, the sealant does not hold and the vinyl marks very easily and doesn’t clean very well either due to the material.

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

It's very quiet, plenty of shops 5 min walk away, close to the city centre but the views are amazing, the estate is kept very clean and tidy

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

I haven't had any problems up to now apart from when I paid the rent upfront the money stayed in my bank but I called and sorted it out straight away

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

The windows are strange sizes and I had to order made to measure blinds as the shops don't sell the size needed so I did have to wait 3 weeks for those to arrive but not a major problem really