How to Research the History of Your Home!

How to research the history of your home!

Do you know the history behind your home?

Research the history in your home

Have you wondered the history behind your home?

Discovering the story behind your house is like finding the missing

pieces to a puzzle!  It can build such an attachment for you and your family, making you feel like you’re a part of history in the making!

Researching the history of your home is a beautiful way to connect you and your family to the past and the story behind it. You may end up feeling like a bit of a detective, but you won’t regret making the effort to get to know your home!

Do I have to pay for it?

Not necessarily, although there are services to help you discover the history of your home, there are plenty of free resources at your disposal!

Let’s start with the free options, we’ve found a few great without any cost to you:

* Start with the neighbours and locals, you’ll be surprised with what people have seen and heard over the years!
* The National Heritage List for England is a really valuable source of information on listed homes, including the dates it was constructed, listed and other important details.
* Check out the library!! You may find local studies, maps and plans that aren’t online!
* Go Google crazy! There’s not a great deal you can’t find on Google anymore!
* Finding your local consensus is another option for drawing finer details, who lived in your home before you

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a more comprehensive search, paying a professional may be worth considering. This would most likely depend on your reasons for the investigation.

You may feel that a fun family project may not justify spending money to find the history you can find yourself with a bit of time. However, if you’re researching the history of your home to better inform potential buyers it may be well worth it!
Where do I start?

Research the history of your home

Find the history of your home!!

Getting started may seem a bit daunting, but it really depends on how seriously you want to take your project.

If you’re relatively relaxed about it, just wanting to know a bit more than keeping some notes or printings will suffice!

If you really want to make the effort to get to know your home then be organised and methodical! Keep records, lists and brainstorm!

What’s next?

One of the best tips we’ve seen is to work backwards!

One resource we highly recommend is:

https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/your-home/your-homes-history/how-to-find-out/ 

It includes a fantastic but simple step-by-step guide to finding out the history of your home!

Another fantastic resource is:

Historic research on your home.

Researching the history of your home.

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/help-hub/the-history-of-your-house 

It’s an incredibly insightful research guide, with in-depth ideas and

areas to try to learn more about your home!

Whatever your reason, whatever avenue you decide to take, we know you won’t regret learning more about your home. It’s a beautiful way to add to your own story and learn how you’re adding to the story of your home too!