Buying a home is quite fulfilling, but what if you could get a lot more from your purchase? For some buyers, the allure of becoming a homeowner is perhaps all there is to the purchase. You could stumble on a property with a rich history, and discovering it might make your appreciation of the home a lot better, not to mention that you stand to benefit in a range of ways. Besides the mass appeal, buying a historic home comes with perks such as funding and tax incentives to help preserve the property, not to mention that there could be additional elements gazebos, ponds, and greenhouses, to mention a few. As you hit the market, here are a few tips to help you find a house’s history.
Browse the National Registry of Historic Places
Have you come across an old house, but aren’t sure if it is officially considered historic? Among the easiest ways to know its status is checking the official list of properties registered and designated as historic. The houses are listed as historic considering features such as their age, overall significance, and architectural style.
Realtor’s help
Your realtor is not only helpful in finding properties but also the history of your target house. From the house’s previous owners, legal implications such as rules governing renovations, among other considerations, your realtor can help you find out a particular house’s history and if it is located in a designated historic neighborhood. Apart from the house, some districts are considered historical. This means that buying a property and living in such an area requires adherence to set rules and regulations aimed at preserving the rich history.
Census records
Census records are a rich pool of information that can help you find out who lived in the house long before you bought it. From their names, ages, marital status, personal belongings, and occupation, among other exciting information, you can easily find out the original owners and other people who’ve occupied the house in the past.
Local library
From books, photos and pictures, maps, newspaper articles, among other collections, the local library and other institutions such as preservation foundation and historical society offer an extensive pool of valuable information. Examining such collections can help you find out more about your home, establish who designed and constructed the property, and see if significant personnel lived there, among other attributes. The archives could help you uncover the hidden gems of your house, helping you appreciate the property even more and work to perverse such rich history. Don’t forget to check out books written about the neighborhood.
Title search
While buying a house, you are bound to undertake a title search to establish if the seller is the legal owner. However, the search does a lot more, as you can browse the tax records to establish who owned the property from the beginning.
While searching for an ideal house in the market, knowing its history might initially seem insignificant, but you could realize a lot more from a purchase. With the above tips, you can comfortably find out the history of your house, a feature that could help you to uncover and appreciate its peculiarity and charm.
