Crest Nicholson Reviews 

⭐ 1 Star – Over 5 years of reporting the same problem and still no permanent solution

We moved into our Crest Nicholson new-build home in December 2020, and the problem with our front door started within days of moving in.

Since then, we have reported the issue to Crest on numerous occasions. I have genuinely lost count of how many times it has been reported, inspected and attended, including previous repair works. The last visit was only last year, yet the underlying problem remains unresolved.

The issue is that water collects in the drain directly in front of the door during rainfall. When the drain fills, the water has nowhere to go and enters through the bottom of the door frame via the timber. I have already demonstrated and explained this mechanism to Crest, and the timber installed as part of a previous repair is now rotten.

The fact that the issue has been reported repeatedly over more than five years, with previous inspections and attempted repairs, should be sufficient to warrant a proper investigation into the underlying cause. It is not reasonable to continue treating this as a new issue requiring us to repeatedly provide further evidence before the matter is properly addressed.

The problem happened again recently after the driveway was jet washed. I reported it to Crest expecting that, after more than five years, they would finally investigate the underlying issue and provide a permanent solution.

Instead, Crest's response focused on the fact that the driveway had been jet washed, explaining that jet washing can force water through seals and is not an appropriate way of testing the door.

I understand that jet washing is different from normal rainfall. However, that misses the point of our complaint. We have not claimed that jet washing is a test of the door. The issue has been occurring during rainfall and has been reported repeatedly since shortly after we moved in. The jet washing simply highlighted the same water-ingress problem once again.

We have explained this to Crest, yet they have said that if water ingress continues during normal rainfall, we should provide photographs/videos and they will review the matter further.

After more than five years, this is incredibly frustrating. How many more times does the same problem need to be reported, inspected and demonstrated before the underlying cause is properly investigated?

We are also disappointed that Crest have directed us to NHBC Claims. This is an issue that has been repeatedly reported to Crest and has been attended to by Crest and/or its contractors. We should not have to escalate the matter to NHBC simply to obtain a proper investigation and resolution of a problem that has already been reported repeatedly for more than five years.

We are not asking for another temporary repair. We are asking Crest to properly investigate the underlying cause, including:

• the drainage immediately in front of the door;
• the level of the path and threshold;
• the condition and suitability of the timber at the base of the door frame; and
• the previous repairs and why they have failed to resolve the issue.

We are asking Crest to review the full history of this matter, including all previous reports, inspections and repairs, and confirm what action they now intend to take to permanently resolve the issue.

We expect this matter to be properly investigated and resolved by Crest without requiring us to pursue an external claim for an issue that has already been reported repeatedly over more than five years.

We bought a new-build home expecting defects to be properly investigated and resolved. Instead, more than five years later, we are still trying to get a permanent solution to an issue that was reported almost immediately after moving in.

On an additional note, we are still waiting for the paths and roads to be completed and the drains need to be unblocked as full of mud/rubble. The bushes out the front are still full of builders rubble and the big rubber bases from metal fencing has also been dumped and left for 5 years.
The dropped curb upto my driveway needs completing asap as the cars are scraping on this and causing damage to ours and visitors cars. (I’m sure they will pay my damage bill) Tarmac has been added as a temporary fix previously however now all of it filled hence it shrinking and the same issue arising.

I am leaving this 1-star review in the hope that Crest will finally take ownership of the issue and resolve it properly.

The estate is a mess. Tadpole garden village, Swindon. It's taken them over 10 years and it's still not finished. Roads not surfaces, street lights not working. Paths are dangerous and unfinished. They nust have like 2 people working on this.
Never buy I house from them!

This time last year Crest went into panic mode as their trustpilot rating got slammed by residents of Tadpole Garden Village. We’d simply had enough of their empty promises and constantly slipping deadlines and failure to take any accountability. We saw a task force be put in place and quite a bit of activity but over the past few months that has basically disappeared.
Roads that were tarmaced ready for adoption are now covered in spray paint as so much time has passed that they aren’t in an adoptable state. Footpaths remain unfinished and unsafe, verges were returfed but the mowing not kept up (which we all may a management fee towards - but the cutting lapsed in the areas that weren’t adopted by the mgmt company - mainly Crest’s area!).
There is no comeback on developers like Crest who simply move on to the next development with no care for the mess they leave behind.
Avoid at all costs.

Living in Tadpole Garden Village which was sold as their "Flagship development"

They cant finish what they've started. Even the items they have tried to fix are falling apart.

Need to take accountability for their work and lack there of.

Recently posted a "loss" in profits on the development this year and expecting this to be used as an excuse for not finishing anything off, I am sure the profits were a lot higher when they were selling the plots.

They attempted to "make peace" with residents but have since left with a long list of broken promises still to mend.

So since the Community of Tadpole Garden Village last reviewed Crest, we 'suddenly' had loads of works being promised and some of it actually being done!
As expected though the works have dramatically slowed down with numerous excuses and I've not seen any work taking place for weeks now.
All the residents want is for Crest to FINISH what they promised, we shouldn't have to keep chasing and have an over 10 year old build incomplete.
Personally, I don't care if Crest are in financial difficulties as posted the other week. Yawn... yet another excuse in the planning for why they cannot complete works. If Crest had finished the Village when they were meant to, then they wouldn't be having to find funds to do the work now.
Crest will you please, just get someone in place to get the outstanding works completed and then the Residents of Tadpole will be more than happy to leave your company alone with the 1*'s. It seems to be the only time you sit up and listen, when your score drops.

One star is far too much, can't finish what they started. Out of money!!!!

Avoid !!
Tadpole garden village not finished even after many years. Promise to replace lots of dead tress in village still not completed.

Crest Nicholson continue to make promises in their plan to complete the tadpole garden village development and never stick to their plan or continually make up excuses as to why they can be fulfilled. The development is a decade old and there are still dangerous pavements and roads that feel will never be completed.

I am writing this to report the ongoing state of Tadpole Garden Village estate infrastructure after nine years. The surrounding green verges remain unfinished, and the pedestrian pathways that were installed last year (!!!) are now cracked and deteriorating. Additionally, the promised sports pavilion has not been constructed, and the allocated budget for this facility is limited to £250,000. While a local customer service team exists and listens, their current staffing numbers and funding are insufficient to resolve these long-term infrastructure issues.

Legal proceedings are required.

We’ve lived in Tadpole Garden Village for 8 years. The house is great, but the rest of the estate still isn’t finished. There was a lot of activity after previous TrustPilot reviews but it seems to have ground to a halt. For example, lots of dead trees that have been ‘waiting for planting season’ for several years, landscaping not finished, roads not finished, verges seeded but never watered so immediately dead.

Not our first rodeo buying a new build but Crests continued lack of care and work completion in Tadpole Garden Village is deplorable.
Such a high house investment, and yet we deal with (and pay for) car repairs due to shoddy roads and navigate the unfinished pavements.
People can praise the sales teams all they want and give multiple stars for that - I would like to see fundamental work finished as per the many broken promises even stated in replies to these reviews over the last 6 years

Crest are full of empty promises and will lie just to sell houses.
If you need an example just take a look at Tadpole Garden Village as its still not finished after years of delays.
Paths and roads are still not completed leaving it dangerous to walk and drive on.
They made promises of a sports pavilion and sports pitches which never got built and they have conveniently gone quiet over that.
Its just excuse after excuse with this company and they just don't care as they move onto their next building project somewhere else and leave previous ones unfinished.
My advice is to avoid buying any properties from this company unless you enjoy looking at a building site long after it should have been finished as well as enjoying a poor quality built home.

Absolutely abysmal. Taking years to finish works around our development and as the Lead Developer they have been equally terrible at resolving their own works as coordinating with, and holding the other develops to account to do likewise with their areas. They are all the same - chase the sales and let the remedial works to complete the development languishing because they are on to the next new site. There needs to be far more regulations to not allow this to rinse and repeat over and over.

Crest have let all the residents of Tadpole Garden Village down consistently with promises to finish the Village and their roads, drainage system and communal areas. Lies have been told about what is completed yet haven't even been started. We have lived here for almost 6yrs and still no finished roads or pavements. Pot holes everywhere. I do not think it is unreasonable to have expected this to have been completed after this length of time. I want to live in a lovely, well kept environment with decent roads and communal spaces. I want for me and the other residents what was promised years ago! It feels like they have sold the homes they have built and now the rest just doesn't matter. Finish your job and responsibilities please!

Don’t finish the roads on developments.
Gone downhill

Crest Nicholson is very nice and she explained every thing in very helpful way.

One star is very generous.

I have lived in Tadpole Garden village for 6 years and it’s probably in a worse state now than it was back then. Nothing EVER seems to get finished?!
When you drive you actually have to try and dodge the raised ironworks. When you first see these being prepped in the road you think it’s just temporary…. don’t be fooled! The cones placed all over the uneven paths seem to be permanent too.

Does someone have to die?
It’s the summer holidays and no action is being taken in tadpole garden village to put a safe crossing on green street by the tadpole farm school, no one is making sure the parks are safe and no one is doing the paths or roads that are unsafe..STILL! any update?

Crest are full of broken promises.
Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon is beautiful estate, all the houses were completed 2024 however after 2 years the roads/paths are still not complete. About a year ago the residents took action and started giving 1* reviews (couldn't give 0 as wouldn't go that low) Crest then took action, a lot of work has been done since then however it's dropped off again, in fact there are no contractors onside now.
Absolutely disgusting behaviour from them, they have their money so are no longer interested.

We moved into our new build house on Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon in Dec 2019. The builders were Bellway, who we have no problem with. However, Crest Nicholson are the main builders who are responsible for the site over all. Whilst Bellway completed works on their sections of the site Crest have constantly dragged their feet and some areas of the village have still not been completed. The first residents moved into the village in or around 2014 and have waited years for the Garden Village we were all promised to be completed. We are still waiting.
Following numerous negativeTrustpilot reviews last year from residents of the village, Crest promised the works would be finished and things did start to get done. Unfortunately, due to poor workmanship, some things have had to be done over and over again before the council will adopt the areas.
There are now things still needing to be done, including the surfacing of several footpaths.
The significant negative affect of the last Trustpilot review appears to have been forgotten by Crest and they have reverted back to empty promises and time scales not being met.
I would buy from Bellway again but never from Crest Nicholson. AVOID at all costs.