Masters of all They Survey

 

The firm which now trades under the name of NPH&B Limited began life in 1825 in Surbiton. This makes it the oldest established firm of surveyors in the area. Over the last 175 years the practice has changed both personnel and premises a number of times, giving them real life experience of working with people and evaluating property.

 

Like all chartered surveyors, NPHB give advice on land, property, construction and the environment. Their expertise is available to private individuals, businesses and public bodies. The advice they offer is needed at every stage of the ‘Property Life-Cycle’ and they play a key management role in the built and natural environment worldwide.

 

Chartered surveyors build up areas of special competence and expertise. In the case of NPHB, doubtless owing to its long history, a wide range of specializations are available to their clients. These include building surveying, residential and commercial property management and valuation, commercial rent reviews, rating, compulsory purchase and compensation, expert witness reports, surveys and valuations for home buyers, insurance reinstatement cost assessments, residential property valuations, residential property management and residential and commercial property sales and lettings.

 

The document witnessing that ‘James Page, son of John Page of Great Chapel Street, Westminster, Potato Merchant’ was being apprenticed to Samuel Beckham ‘citizen and Upholder [surveyor]’ for the usual period of seven years stipulates the following conditions which, if required today may well cause much heart-searching, but more likely amusement, to anyone wishing to train as a Chartered Surveyor: [he should] ‘his Master faithfully serve, his Secrets keep, his lawful Commands every where gladly do... He shall not commit Fornication, nor contract Matrimony within the said Term.

 

The firm spent many years actually in Kingston first in the High Street, then at the Eagle Chambers in Eden Street, and moving in 1976 to premises in Fife Road. Following a merger with another firm of surveyors, Hickman & Bishop, in 1994, which had been practicing in the area since the late 1930s, the company moved back to Surbiton, in fact to Queensborough House, Claremont Road just across the road from where Nightingale Philips & Page had started out 170 years before. The company has had many names over the years- it started out as Nightingale Philips & Page, becoming at various points Nightingale Page & Bennett, Debenhan Nightingale Page, Nightingale Page & Chancellors and presently Nightingale Page Hickman & Bishop.

 

Owing to the length of time it has been practicing in the locality it has had occasion to handle business in every street in Kingston and Surbiton. It has acted for all the major banks and building societies in the area. Today the focus remains round the same area but commissions from south London and the rest of Surrey are also undertaken.

 

Just as throughout its history the firm has contributed to the local community by providing services of the highest standards, so today the practice is committed to excellence in all it does. Though one of the oldest practices in the UK NPHB has always kept abreast of the times, and now uses the latest innovations and information tools to assure quality and accuracy in today’s fast-changing market environment.