How to Find out the History of Your House
Be it a modern new build or a century-old farm dwelling, there’s no house without history. You never know what fascinating things you might learn about your home by delving into its past. You will uncover its architectural history, previous owners and inhabitants, and maybe even the stories of their lives. We can’t blame you for being curious. Here are some ways to explore.
Start With a Title Search
Perform a property owner search if you want to find out who lived in the house. You’ll probably do this anyway if you’re buying a new house. Many buyers choose to pay for a professional search. By looking through tax records, these searches show prospective buyers who has owned the house from when it was first constructed to the present. A buyer really has no other way of knowing if the person selling the house is the actual owner.
Many publicly accessible sites can be used if you want to do a title search. You don’t have to pay someone to do it! The process is very simple. Just enter the last and first name, ex. Watson James. There shouldn’t be a comma between them.
Check With the National Park Service
You would do this if your house is old and you suspect it could be considered historic. The National Registry of Historic Places, managed by the Park Service, will reveal a list of officially historic homes. They are categorized as historic because of their general significance, style of architecture, and/or age.
Visit a Preservation Center, Historical Society, or Library
A collection of historic pictures should reveal a lot about your house. Get in touch with your local library as you research the history of an area or home. Make an appointment to look at their archives’ historical reports, newspaper articles, maps, and photographs. Preservation centers and historical societies save and archive important documents and photographs. Occasionally, they host events and exhibitions related to the city or area. Preservation centers work to beautify, protect, and preserve historic areas and homes.
Ask Your Real Estate Agent
You’ve probably thought of this, but more specifically, they should be able to tell you the names of any previous owners. Keep in mind living in historic districts comes with certain regulations and rules. Normally, they are related to the exterior of a house. They help maintain the overall appeal and look of the neighborhood. These rules can be quite restrictive. Before buying the house, make sure you’re prepared to take the responsibility.
Look for Clues on the Premises
There could be some clues about the house’s history on the premises, from the backyard to the basement. These include any items buried in the yard or under the house, additions to the house, the style of architecture, wallpaper, or other décor associated with a given historical epoch, any plaques on the house, and the style and age of the flooring. There could also be personal clues around the house. For example, you might find mementos or photos of the previous owners in a box in the basement. You might find items belonging to former owners in the attic or buried in the ground. It’s never too late to start exploring.
Census Records can be Telling
You might be able to find the names, places, and dates of birth, marriage status, jobs, personal belongings, and even the year of immigration of some of the people who lived in the house by searching old census records. Remember that not all of this data is listed for each census year.
Finding out more and more about the history of a house will make the owner increasingly appreciative of its historic charm. We hope our suggestions will help you explore it.
