Where to find when a house was built

Usually built towards the suburbs, these are properties that pack the latest in tech and gadgetry. Arguably then they're the best bang for the buck, both when it comes to purchase price and running costs. Plus, for those who care about their carbon footprint, they're the most eco-conscious choice too. FYI: To prevent getting caught out by a new build developer always be sure to check out flood maps, read the developer's reviews and of course invest in a new build snagging survey.

How to find the age of a house can be tricky, particularly if it's really old. And by really we mean so old that you have to do a fair bit of digging to find out the exact year in which your property was built.

Nevertheless, that's not to say it's impossible. In fact, if you keep on reading and follow the advice we're about to give you, it could actually be quite straight forward. So with that in mind, here's our step by step guide on how to find out what year my house was built An easy way how to find out the age of a house, is to simply ask the seller. They may well already have the answer, or be willing to find out if it's what's stopping you from submitting an offer.

If you're yet to ask anyone about how to find out when a property was built, then we'd advise you start with your neighbours, particularly if they have a property of the same era. Your neighbours may have actually asked the same question when they moved in and already found the answer.

So why waste your time? Or that could have been their family house since being built. In which case they'll probably have known the house age from being young. Plus, if you're new to the neighbourhood, the phrase 'do you happen to know the age of my house? If you're not too sure on where to start, begin by taking a look at other properties in the area.

Find out what era they're from and you'll already have a timeframe in which to look. An easy way to assess house history, particularly in a city is to work your way out from the centre.

Usually what you'll find is that as you work your way further out, the buildings become younger. Handy tip that. If you're still struggling to find out when a house was built, then you might have to delve a bit deeper. Thankfully, that all be done with the click of a button, as by visiting HM Land Registry you can access the Act register. This is an online database that contains historical records of properties and people. All you have to do to search it is simply type: the name of the person on the title, your county and your title number into the database.

Then wait to see if you get any results. If so, then you may have just found your answer. Still struggling how to find out when your house was built? If so, local archives may be next best step. Most towns and cities will have a variety of achieves that you're able to check, however depending on where you are in the UK, your options will likely differ.

A few examples of the most common sources of archives are If you're yet to have luck, then another way how to find out when a property was built in the UK, is to take a look at the census returns. The census itself is a national survey that's distributed across England and Wales. So it's highly likely that it'll be useful sourec of house history. Census returns were made every ten years between and Today, you can find all the census data by visiting ancestry.

If all else fails and you still find yourself thinking 'When was my house built? Their local knowledge of house history could actually be the final piece to the puzzle. Age is but a number, but time is precious You see, whether the age of your house will affect its saleability purely depends on the buyer. Some buyers really warm to character properties and fall head over heels for their period charm.

However for others, new builds are more of a sensible and reliable alternative. They're also less costly to maintain and run too. And that's really where the tide could be beginning to turn.

What with the government looking to introduce stricter EPC rules and offer eco initiatives to anyone who flies the green flag, it's only wise to say that come the future, period properties could be less saleable. Alternatively, you could try the archives of your local library or country record offices. Failing all of that, you could try and get in contact with a local historical society or architecture company.

This is something of an unwritten rule, but it helps categorise properties when it comes to buying and selling. This means that it belongs to a specific architectural period of history. You can find out if your period home is Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian through our dedicated post see the link below. If you can tell your insurance provider the accurate age of the property, they can provide you with the most relevant coverage. Older homes are often built with stronger construction materials than modern ones, particularly in terms of wood and plaster.

I purchased a title register as you suggest but the clues you suggest may be on that are not present. Do you happen to know if there insurance company are right to demand this with consequences and to say it's easy to find?

Comment by AdamH posted on on 24 July Andrew - Insurance Companies set their own parameters re what helps them decide on level of insurance and the age of a building just like the age of a person for lid insurance will invariably have some bearing in my experience.

Whether it's 'easy' to identify the age is quite subjective as there are many ways of trying to estimate the age as explained in the article.

The landlord and deeds are only two options. Have you tried the local authority or Ordnance Survey historical maps for example. Comment by Brigita Keene posted on on 19 September We just bought this amazing home that was built to my knowledge back in my understanding is that back in the day there used tho be a ballroom upstairs.

The home is very much in its original state very detailed from inside and out down to the barn that was built before the home. I've been trying to find some history on this home.

We are trying to keep it original as possible. Any help would be much appreciated. Comment by AdamH posted on on 20 September And much of what we hold relates to the legal ownership from the date it was first registered with us, which will be much later than I would suggest that you focus your enquiries 'locally' with neighbours, residents of a certain age and any local historical societies or social media groups.

Comment by V Allen posted on on 21 September Why can't I find the property bought in on land registry? I thought my solicitor should have registered it. Comment by AdamH posted on on 24 September V Allen - either it has not been registered or the details being searched do not match the registered details.

What is the postal address you are searching for please? Comment by Maria Hill posted on on 24 September I need to know whether a bungalow I am intending to buy is brick built or timber framed. Would someone be able to tell me where I can find this information out please? Comment by Jon Arden posted on on 02 October I am buying a house. I have an official copy of register of title.

On the 'Charges Register' section it quotes a Conveyance dated 26th November , which contains a Covenant. For insurance purposes, can I assume that this is therefore the age of the house? Comment by AdamH posted on on 02 October Jon - not really. If it refers to specific covenants often associated with individual plot sales the that may assist. Comment by Gordon Larsen posted on on 15 November Comment by AdamH posted on on 15 November Gordon - use our contact form to submit the specific details and what it is you are trying to establish.

Comment by Lee T posted on on 15 November My father has been trying to find out the name of his house built in the '30s in Newcastle upon Tyne since he moved there in ' The elderly gentleman over the road knows the names of the 3 surrounding houses, but not my father's.

Is there any way I can find out this information? Comment by ianflowers posted on on 16 November Lee - As mentioned in the blog, are records are centered around land ownership, rather than the buildings on it. Given the information your seeking is from the '30s, you'll need to check any of the conveyancing deeds from that time, for example, if there is was a first sale of the property by the developer.

We return most conveyancing deeds when the property is first registered with us. It is possible, but unlikely, that we have retained a copy deed from that time. You need to check the register position first, to see if there is anything available - there's a link in the blog. Comment by Lee T posted on on 22 November Pardon my ignorance, but which link is it? I really don't have a clue about this kind of thing. Comment by ianflowers posted on on 22 November You're welcome.

AdamH - many thanks for your rapid response - I will try this link and see if they can help. Kind regards, Gordon. Comment by John Piller posted on on 06 January Hi, how do I go about searching early census on a property I have just purchased? I am trying to find out its age and history.

Comment by AdamH posted on on 07 January Comment by Sharon posted on on 25 January I was a child then so didn't know who bought it. Comment by ianflowers posted on on 25 January Sharon - if the property was registered with us at that time, we will usually hold copies of any transfers of ownership that were registered around Comment by Susan Swiderski posted on on 27 February Is the date of an indenture between several parties an indication of the date a property was built?

Comment by AdamH posted on on 28 February Comment by Susan Swiderski posted on on 28 February Comment by M posted on on 03 March Hi, I am planning to buy a property and I would like to know if there's anywhere where I could find out if a new building is going to be built in front of that place.

Anyone can help me? Comment by AdamH posted on on 04 March Comment by Lisa Clements posted on on 17 March I'm looking into the history of my house which I believe was built in or around However, I also believe that the number of the house actually changed at some point but have no idea what it was. How can I find out please? Comment by AdamH posted on on 18 March Lisa - local research and perhaps the local census or local authority can assist with regards any renumbering records.

Comment by David Rew posted on on 30 May Over the past decade, we have been developing a radical, agile and iterative approach to interactive data visualisation at University Hospital Southampton, using stacked parallel timelines and iconography to link to documents and reports. This allows us to display the entire clinical history of ach and every patient in our care on a single screen. The system is now live at UHS for all authorised users to review some 2.

We recognise that the concept could be as readily applied to creating a great tool to display and interact with the entire history of any property for which information exists or can be added in future. Very happy to explore further if you or anyone else with a suitable user case would like to get in touch via the email address supplied.

Comment by Adam posted on on 08 July Hi, I live in a house of non standard concrete construction. Is there a way I can find out what type of concrete construction.

It is critical for me to know so that I can refinance my house. Many thanks. Comment by AdamH posted on on 09 July Adam - not through us I'm afraid as such details are not part of the land register.

I would suggest sourcing a structural or quantity surveyor for assistance. Comment by Adam posted on on 09 July Thank you for your quick reply. After that, you can either click on the photo itself or drag the yellow man at the bottom right to where the property is located on the street. As time passes, Google will be collating a huge volume of data which should make the process of finding this information out easier.

It can also help you to understand the risks involved in the renovation of a building of that age. Upon finding out the age of their property, some homeowners make the decision to uncover or restore old features to give their home a stronger sense of identity and to honour its past. When Was My House Built?

Need to find out exactly how old your house is? Note that the older deeds may be formatted differently. Observe the Architectural Style and Characteristics There may be cases where the property has not been registered in the past. Below are some other characteristics to look out for: Flat fronted with bare mismatching bricks; Symmetrical layouts; Spacious with high ceilings elegantly plastered ; Sash window features; Some have external cornicing; Larger properties from this period often have separate servants quarters often now used as utility rooms ; Large living rooms former parlours ; Wide fireplaces.

Georgian Homes Georgian properties can be seen in all their glory towards the centre and west of London and come with a hefty price tag these days. Some of the loose characteristics include: Steps leading to a wide and stone-framed doorway; Timber hoods over the door and wide porches; Symmetrically-positioned sash windows, flush with running bond brickwork; Stone masonry elevated corners; Windows with glazing bars; Terracotta tiles and panels; Tile hung upper stories; Ornately designed external features limestone ; Some have external wood features.

Edwardian Homes As the British middle classes continued to grow, homebuilding during the Edwardian became more widespread. Other common characteristics include: High ceilings and airiness across the property; Red brickwork; Mock Tudor cladding and wooden fascias; Architecturally influenced by the handmade arts and crafts movement of the time — much more so than the Victorian era; Wide hallways; Herringbone oak flooring; French windows opening out to the garden; Dual aspect rooms i.

Addison Homes Onwards In a post-war era, the UK witnessed a massive public drive for more affordable homes. These properties were a lot simpler than their predecessors but and were well built.

Today, Addison homes are comfortable and benefit from having good-sized family gardens. These properties are commonly found across the country today. Art Deco Homes A very unique architectural style borne out of French fashion influences of the time. Some of the other characteristics included: Smooth and sleek external surfaces; A mixture of rounded and sharp corners; Geometric designs including pyramid, chevron and zigzag shapes; Stucco, concrete and stainless steel features; Decorative features using aluminium, chrome, opaque plate glass blocks; Sharp contrasting colours; Large windows and plenty of incoming light.