While this flat was clean and comfortable there were areas where the reality deviated from the listing.
- ‘the property has just been extensively refurbished to a very high standard.’ The property clearly has been refurbished but that standard is not very high. The paint is scuffed on every single wall, the bathroom has mould in the seals and damp on the walls. The kitchen is the worst example of this where two of the cupboard doors are missing, leaving exposed wire and half finished MDF on show. The unvarnished worktop is also warping away from the cupboards below. There is also a door missing from the kitchen which is propped up in one of the bedrooms.
- ‘My place is good for couples, solo adventurers, business travellers, and families.’ It’s not good for families of young children. It was only after we moved in and raised the issue of the cupboard doors in the kitchen that we were informed that the flat was not suitable for young children. I think if that was the case they should not say that it’s suitable for families. The flat is on the top floor up three very narrow flights of stairs which is also very hard to manage with a toddler.
- Wifi: the wifi is so weak that at times we couldn’t actually load even one page of internet. It was not possible to work from home unless you use your own hotspot. We did raise this and did not get any meaningful support. As both of us needed to work during our stay it made our time far harder than we would have liked.
It’s also worth noting that the flat itself is by a very busy main road which is extremely noisy through the night, particularly if you need to sleep with the windows open because it’s in summer and boiling hot inside. The immediate surroundings of the flat are leafy and green which is pleasant, but there was a rat running around the front side of the property where you enter in our last week there. I understand that there are rats in any major city but it was jarring to see when staying with young children.
On a more positive note, the train station opposite is a massive plus with trains running into central London every half an hour. There is also a lovely park less than 5 minutes walk. Having Wimbledon within easy reach is great.