A guide to living in South Yorkshire

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

The location is extremely convenient – just a short walk to both the supermarket and the tram stop. Although the building is on West Street, which gets quite lively on Friday and Saturday nights due to the bars and nightlife, my apartment faces southeast and not directly onto West Street, so it's surprisingly quiet and peaceful. This makes it a great balance between accessibility and comfort.

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

The building management responds to emails incredibly quickly, often faster than I expected, and they are always helpful and friendly.

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

One thing I wish I had known is to be extra careful with the apartment's finishes and walls. I put some things up on the wall which left marks, and a part of my deposit was deducted for that. It was a fair decision overall, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind for new residents.

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

The building is very close to the University of Sheffield, as well as bus and tram stops, restaurants, supermarkets, and the central train/bus station. You can easily get around on foot, as the location is strategically well placed within the city. There are a few nightclubs nearby, which might not be ideal for walking around at night depending on your lifestyle, but the rooms are well soundproofed, so street noise has never been a problem for me.

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

I’ve had only one issue so far, as the resident in the apartment above mine was making noise during inappropriate hours. I brought the matter to the staff’s attention, and they handled it in the best possible way. We were able to find a solution that worked for both residents, and I no longer have any problems with it. Additionally, the building management continued to follow up, regularly checking in with me to ensure the issue had been fully resolved.

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

For anyone coming from abroad and considering moving to Sheffield, I’d like to share a quick tip: I highly recommend taking advantage of the live virtual tour offered by the staff. It’s a great way to get a real-time feel for the place and can help speed up the rental process. However, if you prefer to visit in person before making a decision, keep in mind that signing the lease won’t happen overnight. There are a few bureaucratic steps involved (which are not the building’s fault), so it’s wise to plan for a temporary place to stay while everything gets sorted.

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

Have been at Eyewitness Works for 2-months now and very pleased. The apartments have maintained the historical character and charm of it previous existence, and the individual apartments are well presented and have excellent kitchens. The rooms have numerous windows giving ample light. The courtyards provide a pleasant ambience, especially at night when lit up. The apartment block has an excellent lounge for residence to use with tea/coffee etc.

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

Yes, swiftly and well executed by friendly staff; great service.

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

Restrictions in placing curtain rails on the windows (drilling holes etc), but there is a simple workaround.

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

The building itself looks ideally positioned until you try to park your car or go for a walk. The streets are covered in broken glass, Sheffield United supporters soar the area and park cars all over the place. Junkies sit around downstairs in a public area making it very unsafe. Bins are overloaded and not cleaned properly. Trucks come in the middle of the night to an electrical outlet so be prepared for 4am sirens!

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

No. Quick to email a problem. I found it very frustrating as a pet friendly building how scared the receptionist are of animals. Would seem like a an obvious choice that they wouldn’t work in a place with animals if they were scared of them.

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

The bills are way too much in the end. That was my main reason for leaving. I wasn’t ever really at home and somehow ended up paying massive fees.

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

Lots of bars, cafes and things to do nearby. Car parks nearby for visitors and also close by tram links. I moved to Sheffield having hardly even visited before and the location of Soho Yard has been ideal for getting to know the city.

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

We had a small issue with one of the locks in the flat on our move in day and the maintenance team had it fixed and 2 new keys in under 30 minutes - almost sounds too good to be true but it is!

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

I wish I had known more about the area around the building, but I have been nothing but pleasantly surprised since arriving!