There are many reasons why you might ask “when was my house built?” Maybe you’ve just embarked on a renovation project and want to make sure the upgrades you make are in keeping with the era it was built in, maybe your insurance company needs to know to give you an accurate quote, or maybe you’re just curious about the origins of your home and its previous occupants.
I have always found one of the most exciting parts of house renovation was to find out more about its history, but I also really enjoy digging around to find features and details that match its true architectural style – especially when we’ve taken on projects that have had some slightly cute ‘improvements’ over the years. Helpfully, my own Edwardian house has its date of construction carved into a piece of stone at the front of the house.
In case you’re not sure how to start uncovering your property’s roots, I asked an expert in the field how to go about finding its build date—here are the six methods they recommended.
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1. Check the title deeds of your house
Perhaps one of the most obvious ways to find out when your house was built is to check the title deeds. These are paper documents that contain information about the chain of ownership of your property and can include things like leases, wills, boundary information, transfers and mortgages.
If you are lucky, you will be given the title deeds when you had them buying a house. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the Land Registry will hold these, but this certainly won’t always be the case as they tend to only have them when a property is first registered, when they may (or may not) have been scanned into the system.
“For properties likely to be built before 1862, see HM Land Registry: 1862 Act Register,” advises Rob Faulkner, chief executive and founder of Insurable. “It was the UK government’s first attempt to record property ownership information. It contains almost 2,000 properties in volumes of handwritten and typed pages.”
If you’re unlucky with the Land Registry, you may find that the deeds are with the solicitor who acted on your behalf when you bought the house – or even with your mortgage company.
Rob Faulkner is the founder and CEO of Insuristic. He is a licensed insurance broker with nearly 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Since starting his career at Endsleigh Insurance in 1996, Rob has worked with some of the UK’s leading insurers, brokers and InsurTech companies – including Allianz, Aviva, Towergate, Brit Insurance and JLT Thistle (now Marsh). Rob started Insuristic in 2022 with a clear goal: to make insurance simpler, more transparent and easier to settle – especially in difficult times like probate.
2. Do your homework or check previous
House surveys can reveal all sorts of things about a property, from its condition to potential risks nearby, such as flooding. In some cases they will also contain details of when it was built.
“Home surveys can be useful to check when a house was built,” Rob Faulkner points out. “If you or a previous owner ever instructed a home survey (such as a home buyer survey), you will find the year the house was built.”
It is important to understand that there are many different types of home surveys and not all of them may contain the information you are looking for.
3. Use a free online property inspection service
The wonders of technology mean it’s now easier than ever to look into the history of a property and its previous occupants, whether you renovating a victorian house or a country cottage – without even having to go outside.
“While there are many options to try when looking for how to find out when a house was built, this is probably the easiest way,” points out Rob Faulkner. “Use a free property check service where you can check details of your property price, lease end date, latest EPC data and more.”
However, be aware that there are many of these sites out there and make sure the one you use doesn’t come with any hidden fees. Those based on the HM Land Registry date are likely to be the most accurate.
4. Talk to local authorities
This depends a lot on exactly how old the house is. If we’re not going back hundreds of years, your local authority may be able to offer some insight into when it was built.
“You can contact the local authority to check when a house was built,” says Rob Faulkner. “The local authority will hold information about your property, such as when building permit was provided. It’s worth contacting them to see if they can provide the date your house was built.”
5. Dig into the historical record
In the case of older and dated properties, obtaining title deeds or finding much information from local authorities can be difficult, in which case you will need to do a bit of investigating.
“Try your local archives – they can be helpful and search county archives, your local library and parish archives,” suggests Rob Faulkner. “They are all good sources of data for your area and may contain the information you need.”
Rob goes on to suggest checking the Historic Ordnance Survey maps, the National Census, or if you are buying a listed housepoints out some other useful sources. “If the property is likely to be listed, you can search England’s National Heritage Listor of Cadw property records in Wales or Historic Environment Scotland. Other resources like English heritage, National Trust and Victorian Society can point you in the right direction.”
6. Familiarize yourself with architectural eras
Finally, if all your searches still come up with nothing, it’s often possible to get at least a rough idea of your home’s age by looking at its architectural details.
“Chances are, if the property was built after 1925, you should be able to easily check when a house was built,” says Rob Faulkner. “But if you’ve exhausted these resources, don’t worry. Architectural landmarks can offer valuable insight into your home’s historical timeline.”
If historic architecture isn’t your thing, start by refreshing a few house styles and their main characteristics:
- Tudor (1485 – 1603): Tall chimneys, the ‘Tudor arch’ (a four-centred arch used for doors and windows), patterned brickwork, mullioned windows, steep gables.
- The Jacobean Era (1603 to 1625): Gothic pointed arched windows, decorative chimneys, steep roofs, parapets, red brick facades with some stonework.
- Georgian (1714 – 1830): Symmetrical facades and layouts, casement windows, painted and paneled front doors, classic details such as columns and parapets, stucco or brick exteriors.
- Victorian Era (1837 – 1901): Decorative porches, bay windows, stained glass windows, high ceilings, brick facades often with decorative elements, tile details, steep slate roofs.
- Edwardian (1901 – 1914): Wider in form than the Victorian and with less detail, imitation half-timber on gables, pebbles, parquet, square bay windows, generous porches, wider corridors.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to know when my house was built?
It is not always necessary to know the exact date your property was built, but in some cases its age may be required.
“The age of your house can affect the cost of insurance, especially in buildings that are protected by a list of strict repair regulations,” points out Rob Faulkner. “The age of your home can significantly affect your home insurance premiums, mainly due to the higher remodeling costs associated with older properties. Homes with period features built using materials or methods that are difficult to obtain or reproduce today will generally result in higher insurance costs. Also, if your home is listed or boasts traditional features such as thatched roofs, specialist insurance policies may be necessary.”
In addition to this, understanding the age of your house will help when it comes to sourcing exact replicas of original details, materials that will be suitable for its construction and can also alert you to potentially dangerous elements – you want to know if you buying a house with asbestos or lead pipes.
A certain style of house is usually universally popular – and for many people, renovation of a Georgian house is the dream. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one, make sure you know all about its unique nuances before you start to make sure you’re doing it justice.
