While some homes have a crazy past, others are comparatively dull. Aside from the obvious onsite investigations of my home, there are 3 instant and FREE ways to find out the history of my home. I will check them right now:

3 FREE WAYS TO KNOW THE HISTORY OF MY HOME

If I’m curious about how to locate the history of my home online, I’m in luck. From interviewing professional experts to researching sources, I’ve gathered all the different ways I can locate the history of my home.

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#1: LOOK FOR THE CHAIN OF TITLE

This is perhaps the easiest way to learn the history of my home. A Chain of Titles is an ordered list of homeowners who have ever owned that specific home. Since deed (a legal document used to transfer ownership of the property), involves the list of all previous owner’s names, construction dates, changes in value, and even plot maps.

All I need: The deed to my home

Drawback: While most deeds are now shifting towards an online database. If I’ve got a mature home on my hands, the deed then may only be available in hard copy. So unless I figure out the exact location of my property’s deed since the time of its birth, I may be missing a lot of its history.

Find out if my home’s deed has gone into the 21^st century. Search my deed online.

#2: SEARCH THE CENSUS RECORDS!

I know, I know. The last thing I will do is to spend my Saturday at the local library but to actually learn the history of my home, I’ve to conduct some basic research. Census records can give me more intimate details not just about my home, but also about the people who resided in it. I will consider Census records as the building blocks of my research.

All I need: The names of the previous residents.

Drawback: To truly know the names of the previous residents spanning back as far as my home’s history, I would be really in dire need of the Chain of Title, which may not be possible without the deed of my home.

I don’t feel like researching it old school. I will search my Census records online!

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#3: DIG INTO ADDRESS BASED RECORDS

While the other two ways depend heavily on the past residents in order, this way of researching the history of my home is pretty much foolproof. Why is that so? Because all I need is the location of my property. Yep, that’s it. Then I can search documents that use that same address to sort of Sherlock Holmes my way to the truth. Documents such as property records, utility records, building permits, maps, architectural plans should all be available at my local library, government office, or if I wish to get really fancy, my local historical society.

All you need: My location.

Drawback: If I reside in the west coast region of the U.S. my home may be too young to leave a solid trail to track. Lucky for me, the other ways still work with newborn homes.

Search my Location-Based Records.

The history of my home matters. The reason is, I will surely uncover its previous residents (and their stories), as well as my home’s architectural history. Not only can finding a house’s history make me better appreciate its quirks and charm, but it can also be helpful for preservation purposes. 

Do you want to add more fresh ideas to find the history of my home? You are always more welcome to share your views with us.