Crest Nicholson Reviews 

​Thinking of buying a Crest Nicholson flat? Read this before committing.
​I am a leaseholder in a Southampton development built by Crest Nicholson, with property management handed directly to FirstPort without resident consultation. Potential buyers need to be aware of the ongoing costs and operational issues involved:
​Unjustified Service Charge Increases: Driven significantly by insurance costs far above market value, alongside a lack of transparency regarding commission structures.
​Disproportionate Communal Energy Billing: Utility costs for shared spaces bear no logical connection to actual usage or square footage.
​Maintenance vs. Value: Overall upkeep remains consistently poor despite continuous rate hikes.
​Unexpected Deficit Demands: Unsubstantiated year-end deficit charges are routinely issued above original budget forecasts.
​Lack of Accountability: Repeated attempts by residents to address these issues directly with @CrestNicholson and @FirstPort have yielded no constructive response.
​While Section 19 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 stipulates that service charges must be reasonably incurred, enforcement relies entirely on leaseholders pursuing costly and time-consuming action via the First-tier Tribunal.
​Essential pre-purchase due diligence checklist (request in writing):
​Five years of service charge accounts and budgets.
​History of all deficit/balancing charges demanded during that period.
​Itemized insurance premiums, including broker fees and commissions.
​Clauses governing managing agent selection and replacement rights.
​Reserve fund balances and planned capital expenditure/major works.
​Unwillingness or delays in providing this information should be treated as a serious warning. Based on my experience, I would not purchase another Crest Nicholson property and strongly advise prospective buyers to exercise extreme caution.

Paul from Customer Service has been very helpful in practically resolving 'snagging ' issues following the purchase of new house in Cringleford Heights, Norwich.

Thinking of buying a Crest Nicholson flat? Read this first.

I own a flat in Southampton. Crest Nicholson built it and appointed FirstPort to manage it. Leaseholders had no say in that choice. Here is what ownership has looked like:

• Service charges that keep rising, driven by buildings insurance costing far more than the open market appears to offer, with no disclosure of the commission taken from our premiums
• Communal energy bills that bear no obvious relation to the size or use of the communal areas
• Poor maintenance despite the higher charges
• Repeated year-end deficit demands on top of the budget, with little supporting evidence
• Resident concerns raised again and again, with no meaningful answer from @CrestNicholson or @FirstPort

The law says service charges are only payable where costs are reasonably incurred (s.19, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985). Enforcing that falls on leaseholders, at our own time and expense, through the First-tier Tribunal. That is the reality of what you are buying into.

Before you reserve or exchange, ask in writing for:

1. Five years of service charge accounts and budgets, not just the current estimate
2. Every deficit or balancing charge demanded in that period
3. The buildings insurance premium and all commission or fees paid out of it
4. Who appoints the managing agent, and whether residents can replace them
5. Any planned major works and the reserve fund balance

If the answers are slow, vague or refused, treat that as your answer.

Based on my experience, I would not buy from Crest Nicholson again and I cannot recommend that anyone else does. The purchase price is only the start of what you pay.

Lovely sales team, helpful and knowledgable. Followed up with a phone call.

The previous staff has been replaced. Mark and Kate have communicated efficiently right from the start. Would definitely recommend anyone looking for a new build house !

I didn’t end up purchasing a home with Crest, as my circumstances shifted. However I had been dealing with Jane at Campbell Wharf in Milton Keynes over about 4 months. She is fantastic!!

She was welcoming, engaging and took great time and patience helping me explore options available and was fantastic with my little boy too.

Based on Jane’s interactions with me, I’d buy a Crest home in a heartbeat. She’s an asset to your company.

Great customer service. Very helpful 👌 providing right information 👏

Great house, loved it

Really helpful team at Dalton Gardens. Mark was very approachable and did everything to help move my reservation forward. No pressures, lots of helpful information. Great service

We moved into our new house in Highlands park Henley on Thames last October . From the first point of sales to the final moving in and a few minor snags after , everything has been very professional , so giving a five star review is well earned and deserved

Good experience enjoyed looking at the three properties, appreciated being made aware of the incentives. Just not ready to make a decision at this moment in time.

Very informative, friendly and beautiful homes.

We have recently moved to a Crest property at Cringleford in Norwich and the sales and aftercare team have been excellent. Katrina and Freya in the sales office have been fantastic, really communicative and very helpful. Even after moving in, Freya has continued to help when needed and is always on hand to answer questions. Since moving in, David from the site team and Daren in Customer Care have been excellent at resolving any snags or fixes. The build quality is very good and through an independent snagging inspector we found only superficial areas needing attention. They have booked in contractors very quickly, and kept an eye on what has been completed. Thank you to the whole team for their support.

I had a great experience with the estate agent who showed us the property. They were very polite, professional, and efficient. They provided all the information we needed and were happy to answer any questions we had. Overall, a very positive experience thank you.

Excellent customer service and high-quality materials. The staff are professional, friendly and patient, and always willing to answer any questions. The houses are beautifully designed and finished to a high standard. I would definitely recommend Crest Nicholson to anyone looking to buy a property.

Very impressed with the information given by your estates person and support and guidance given

I’ve been really pleased with your service throughout the whole process. You’ve been very helpful, responsive and professional, and you’ve made what can be a stressful process feel much easier and smoother.

Thank you again for all your support — it’s been a pleasure dealing with you.

We are happy with the service. We received good information
Thank you

Friendly helpful staff , Beautiful homes.