Major milestone for Horsham estate agency launched to help people move from London
A major milestone is being celebrated by a Horsham estate agency which was first launched to help people to move from London to the suburbs.
Gascoine-Pees started business in 1934 – when King George V reigned and Ramsay McDonald was prime minister – and is now celebrating its 90th birthday.
The company began life ‘to support the natural life journey of people moving from Central London.’ And now, nine decades later, it has 17 branches across Sussex and Hampshire.
A spokesperson said: “In its 90 years, the estate agency has faced everything from market crashes to housing booms, and its long-standing experience of the local property market has never been more crucial to local home buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants.”
Gascoigne-Pees area manager Josh Weller added: “We are so proud of the rich history of our business and of how far we have come since opening 90 years ago.
“The property landscape is not what it was when the five Gascoigne-Pees brothers – Arthur, Harold, Eric, John and Rodney – formed the original partnership, and neither is Gascoigne-Pees. Over the years, as markets have moved on and technology has developed, the needs of our customers have changed dramatically, and we’ve worked hard to adapt and stay ahead of the curve.”
Today the company’s branches offer sales, lettings, mortgage services and new homes, as well as other services and guidance to help home movers, landlords and tenants to navigate the property market.
“Our values have remained the same and our customers are always at the heart of what we do, so we’re excited to share this celebration with our community who have played a vital role in the longevity of our business,” said Josh.
During its time in business Gascoigne-Pees has seen four monarchs, 22 Prime Ministers and a 66 per cent increase in the UK population.
The year of the company’s birth was also the year that acting legends Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith were born and that Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ was published.
It was also the year that Britain introduced the 1934 Road Traffic Act, as well as the 30mph speed limit in built up areas – and made driving tests compulsory.