Crest Nicholson Avis 

Absolutely amazing customer service so far.

Mandy was extremely courteous and knowledgable.

Thank you Luke for introducing the properties to us

Enjoyed the viewing n all precious information from Michael. Will have to think about the property n revert. Thanks

I am a leaseholder at one of Crest Nicholson's Southampton developments. We have a three bed flat with excellent views. While the property itself is attractive, my experience as a leaseholder has been disappointing.
I purchased our flat 10 years ago and I was told the service charge would reduce as the development matured. Instead they have increased the charge around 300% making the residents especially leaseholders bear a financial burden.
Over the years, managing agents were there without any consultation. However, the recent firstport appointment has resulted in drastic increase in costs leaving many of us frustrated.
Our position is like stuck in between scenarios where we are not able to sell the property neither able to bear paying for the service charges efficiently.
Crest Nicholson has disappointed us to protect the interests of their leaseholders.
Though my first home in here is with Crest Nicholson and we had a peaceful time in this flat, the service charges are forcing us to move away from here and we are not even able to move easily due to the high service charges on our flats.
Please have a broader though process before buying a flat with Crest and consider long-term service charge implications before buying.
For us this is definitely a lesson learnt.

DO NOT BUY HERE!!! based on my experience, I deeply regret buying my home at Centenary Quay.
When I bought my home, I was told that the service charge would not increase. My experience since then has been completely different. I feel misled by assurances that helped persuade me to buy, while I am now left facing rising charges and unexpected bills.
Crest Nicholson chose FirstPort to manage this development, and residents are now dealing with repeated demands for thousands of pounds. These costs are putting people under enormous financial pressure. Residents have had enough.
FirstPort expects homeowners to find the money and pay at short notice, with little consideration for how they will manage. I personally asked to pay an additional bill in instalments, and they refused. There was no practical help offered — just the expectation that I would pay, with another annual service charge bill approaching.
I feel financially trapped in my own home. These repeated additional charges make budgeting incredibly difficult. We need clear explanations of where our money is going, why costs keep increasing, and accountability from those responsible.
Crest Nicholson needs to take responsibility for its choice of management company and take residents’ concerns seriously. My warning to prospective buyers is clear: do not rely on sales assurances about service charges. Investigate the actual accounts, increases and backdated bills before committing. If I had known what was ahead, I would never have bought here.

Ryan was very knowledgeable and represented the company well

Bev at Castlefield Park is simply phenomenal at her job. Very knowledgeable about the houses, the buying process, the local area and not pushy at all. She has supported us through a very stressful process of buying our first house with ease and kindness.

We have been so impressed with the quality of the home and the site which has been very well thought out.

Everything was explained clearly to us, all our questions were answered too, we were shown round one of the properties we were interested in, an arrangement to view another property that we also liked the look of was made too, we will view the property in ipswich next weekend, this is because the property thats like it on the Aspen Grange development isnt quite ready yet ( early spring).
Overall a very positive experience

Had a wonderful home viewing appointment with Crest Nicholson. The staff was super friendly, hospitable and answered every single question we had while showing us around the available property. A very informative and welcoming experience overall!

Ryan was excellent. He remembered us as our daughter bought a house through Ryan recently. He spent alot of time showing us around the showhome and made helpful comparisons with another property to help us make some decisions. He was very thorough in explaining locations, building materials, itinerary,and selling financial options and so on. Thanks very much for being so helpful.

Elaine showed us around. Lovely lady and properties to a higher spec than we have seen at other developers.

Think AGAIN if buying an apartment from CREST NICHOLSON!!!

I am a leaseholder at one their developments in Southampton, even though the property and development is beautiful, CREST has failed its leaseholders!

When I bought the apartment 10years ago (starting out my life with my wife) I was assured the High service charges then would eventually lower over the years as the development grew.

To my surprise 10years later (now with 3 children) and the service charges have sky rocketed by a whopping 300% .

Through the years managing agents have been appointed without consultations with leaseholders has now resulted in dire stress for residents in this development.

CRESTS failure has been the appointment of First Port (having a history of mal practice and been questioned in the House of Commons and investigated) who has gone rogue and charging residents enormous amounts of money!!

I have outgrown my space and unable to sell due to the exorbitant service charges.

So THINK hard!
It’s not directly Crest who is at fault but their due deligence to protect their leaseholders which has failed them!

I own a Southampton based Crest Nicholson flat there are many issues. Numerous brand new empty flats that they cannot sell, choice of managing agent FirstPort (without any resident consultation I should add), ridiculously poor customer service, it’s a bit of a joke. Even the lived in flats are unsellable whilst also having sky high service charges (£2500 per year for a 1 bed flat) plus with frequently adding charges come the year end (an extra £800 on top for 2025). Would not recommend.

I thought I was alone in the financial morass that is First Port with the assistance of Crest Nicholson.
I now see that far from being alone im just one of many suffering of being robbed.
As others have mentioned, I was assured by CN that service charges would reduce in real terms. Sales persons chanting the company line!
I wish I had known 11 years ago what I was about to suffer.
My investment is haemorrhaging cash each year.
Steer clear of any CN/Firstport property.

Avoid buying leasehold. Since Crest appointed Frist Port to manage Southampton development I live in annual service charge went up massively. Over the years has risen 300%. Additional invoices for previous years 2024 and 2025 deficit to pay this year is over £3000 on top of £3200 for 2026. There is no transparency of what we are paying for, work isn't done on time or at all. When it's done very often it is poor and not adequate to the money spent on it. Crest isn't really keen to take a closer look at managing company and make situation better for us residents. Maybe both CN and FP benefit from it. Who knows...

Buyer beware – escalating service charges and unanswered complaints

I am a leaseholder at Centenary Quay in Southampton, a development built by Crest Nicholson and managed by FirstPort.

My experience of owning a property here has become increasingly frustrating and financially concerning.

In October 2026, I received an unexpected additional service charge invoice of £809.63 for the 2025 financial year, on top of the substantial service charges I already pay.

According to FirstPort's own year-end correspondence, the entire development recorded a deficit of £575,693, including an extraordinary £443,561 overspend on buildings insurance alone.

What concerns me most is the lack of financial transparency.

I first requested a detailed reconciliation and supporting documents on 26 May 2026. After receiving no satisfactory explanation, I submitted a formal complaint on 17 July 2026. As of 9 October, both cases remain unresolved.

I have now submitted a third formal complaint challenging the latest additional charge and requesting evidence to justify the expenditure and its allocation to my property.

As a leaseholder, I believe it is entirely reasonable to expect transparent accounting, properly justified expenditure and meaningful responses to formal complaints.

Crest Nicholson developed Centenary Quay, while FirstPort manages the estate. I am not suggesting Crest Nicholson personally calculated these invoices, but I believe prospective buyers deserve to understand the ongoing management and service charge issues affecting this development.

My advice to anyone considering purchasing a Crest Nicholson property is simple: examine the lease carefully, request the full service charge history, investigate previous year-end deficits and speak to existing residents before committing.

Buying a home should not mean facing repeated unexpected financial demands without clear explanations.

A word to Crest Nicholson buyers. I'm a leaseholder in a Southampton development they built,
managed by FirstPort.

Communal energy bills that make no sense. Residents' concerns unanswered.
Maintenance that doesn't match the charges. Check the service charges before you sign they will only continue to double year after year.

Building quality is also poor, rainwater flooding lower level for the last 10 years, numerous emails to Crest Nicholson legacy manager and customer service team, still no fix just a damp blocked communal stairwell. They are only interested until they receive your money.

I advice anyone to think hard before purchased anything built by Crest Nicholson or managed by first port

My daughter has already bought one of your properties and I’m very satisfied with the build quality also the aftermarket care

A once-affordable home has become financially unsustainable due to rising service charges and poor management

I purchased my home from Crest Nicholson in Southampton in 2013, and at the time I was given the understanding that service charges would reduce as the development grew and more residents shared the costs. Unfortunately, the reality over the last 13 years has been the complete opposite. The charges have continued to rise, with particularly significant increases over the last three years, to the point where living here is becoming financially unsustainable.

I am now paying just short of £3,000 a year in maintenance and service charges, yet the level of service provided does not remotely reflect the amount being charged. This year alone, I have already paid an additional £900 to cover a previous service charge deficit, and I am now being asked to pay a further £700. This is the second time this year I have been asked to contribute towards a deficit from a previous year’s service charges. These unexpected and substantial additional costs make it almost impossible to budget or plan financially, and raise serious questions about how the development is being managed.

A significant part of the problem is the management company, FirstPort, which was appointed by Crest Nicholson. Crest Nicholson’s involvement in the management company responsible for the development makes it particularly disappointing to see the situation deteriorate to this extent. Residents are left facing ever-increasing costs, repeated demands for additional payments, and little confidence that the money being collected is being managed effectively.

Communication and customer service are equally frustrating. When issues are reported to FirstPort, they are frequently marked as resolved or closed without any meaningful response, even when the problem clearly remains outstanding. This leaves residents feeling ignored, powerless, and expected to accept a poor standard of service despite paying substantial sums every year.

What makes this situation even more concerning is the impact on property owners’ ability to sell their homes. The level and uncertainty of the service charges are affecting the saleability of properties, with some mortgage lenders reportedly unwilling to offer mortgages on properties within the development because of concerns surrounding the service charges. This is deeply worrying. A home should be a secure investment, not a financial burden that could prevent an owner from selling or a prospective buyer from obtaining a mortgage.

When I bought my home in 2013, I did not expect to find myself in a position where the ongoing costs had become so excessive and unpredictable that remaining here was becoming increasingly difficult. Nor did I expect these costs to potentially jeopardize my ability to sell my own property.

Crest Nicholson needs to take responsibility for the long-term consequences of the developments it builds and the management arrangements it puts in place. Residents deserve transparent accounting, reasonable and justifiable service charges, effective management, and a standard of service that reflects what they are paying.

At present, the costs do not reflect the service provided, the repeated deficits are unacceptable, and the financial implications for homeowners are becoming increasingly serious. This situation cannot continue indefinitely, and I would strongly urge anyone considering purchasing a property on a Crest Nicholson development to investigate the service charge history, management arrangements, and potential mortgage and resale implications very carefully before committing.