When Was My House Built?

Uncovering an old home's past is a fascinating experience that may pique a history buff's interest. Still, as a new or existing homeowner, that information may not always be top of mind. There are a number of reasons why you might need to know the age of a home. For example, you may be getting ready to buy, taking on a remodeling project or purchasing a home warranty. We’ll walk you through how to find out when your house was built, as well as ways to pinpoint the dates of any major changes to your property, such as a home addition or renovation. 

• Review documents, including deeds, titles and inspections.
• Ask a real estate agent.
• Check with your title company.
• Search the property address on Homes.com.
• Google the home address.
• Search public records, including tax records, permit records and deed history. 

When you look at homes for sale, sometimes you'll get lucky and find the build date in the listing. Other times, finding the year a house was built may be more difficult. Aside from buying a home, there are multiple reasons you may need to find the year a property was built. The need to know your home’s build date could include renovations, deed transfers, demolition and historic preservation. 

If you've purchased a home, reviewing the documents you collected during the closing process may be the easiest way to determine your home's build date. The title policy, home appraisal, deed history, home inspection report and homeowners insurance policy should all list your home’s build date. While you’re at it, you can review these documents for errors and take steps to correct any inconsistencies.

If you’re getting ready to buy or sell your home, a real estate agent can also help you find the build date. "What we typically do is use tax and property records to find the year or an estimation," says Justin Sledd, real estate agent with One South Commercial in Richmond, Virginia. "In the past we've also brought in people from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. They give insight and color into when an older home was built, how it was built and how we can best restore it." 

Real estate professionals also have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which often has more extensive information about your property. They may be able to tell you about when your home was constructed, its previous owners and its history. Or, as Sledd mentioned, they can help you contact your local government to find more information. 

The title company that was used when you bought or sold the home likely has records of your home's title and deed history. This information covers the chain of homeowners, land history and inheritances. If they don't have access to the home's original build date, the title company can likely connect you to a local government office to get access to your home’s public records.

At Homes.com, you'll find more than just active and recent listings. You can also use our site to search neighborhoods, find a real estate agent, or learn more about a home. If you're looking up a home, enter the address into the search bar on Homes.com and you should find details about the property. The information on the property should include the home's tax history, price history and deed history, among other details. 

If you're looking for an older property's build date on a city or county website, searching for your home on Google might yield a result. You may find websites that list public records, census records and other historical information about your area. Information about older houses and your community's past may help piece together your home's history. 

Getting tax records and property records from your local government will help you determine the age of your house, and an additional bonus is that getting these records will make it easier to solve potential issues with taxes and insurance. While you can always save an online record, having a hard copy is an excellent backup plan. To order a hard copy, visit your city or county tax office (either in person or online) and place an order for the records. If you need help determining where to go, your real estate agent or mortgage lender should be able to point you in the right direction. 

If you are looking for details on a newer home, the house’s build date may provide all of the information that you need about its history. However, the year that an older home was built may not tell you everything if the property has gone through multiple renovations. In these instances, permit records are a great way to learn more about your home's history. They will list information about the house's original construction and provide insights on any subsequent renovations, additions or major upgrades. Contact your city or county's planning or permitting office to see if you can get access to the property’s permit records.  

Public records are one of the easiest ways to find out the age of your home. You can typically find out the year it was built by searching your area’s public records and requesting one of the following documents:  

• Deed History: A house's deed contains information about the chain of ownership for the property. Each home sale adds an updated record to the deed history. You can use your title company, local public records office or the county courthouse.  
• Tax History: The home's property tax amount throughout the years is shared with its tax history. You can find this information through a Homes.com search or your local public records office. 
• Permit records: Information about how a house was initially constructed, and any changes to the square footage caused by additions and renovations, can be found through permit records. If you are looking up information on an older home, the permit records will help you better understand what's been done to the house over time. 

If you've exhausted all resources, or you simply want to learn more about your home's past, there are a few additional ways you can uncover more information:

• Research the architecture: Look at the home's architectural features to figure out the period in which it was built. For example, brick rowhouses with wrought-iron ornamentation on the exterior were typically constructed between the mid-to-late 19th century and early 20th century.  
• Look for dates: The building materials inside may also provide some clues as to the house’s age. You can check for support beams that were marked with a construction date, as well as date stamps on pipes and older appliances that appear to be original to the home. 
• Talk to the community: A local historical society will have information about the community and may have access to copies of permits and historical records. Neighbors who have lived in the area for a long time may also have worthwhile details about the home and its history. 
• Visit the library: Your local library may have historical information or public records.