How to Find the History of a House

If you are planning to buy an old home, you might be interested in knowing its history, such as who was the first owner, how many times has the house been sold out and whether the house is still in its original condition. Researching the history of your new home is not only an interesting activity, but will also tell you how the house was initially constructed and how you can look after it. Follow the steps mentioned below to find out your new house’s history.

Visit your provincial/territorial land property registration office

Start your research by visiting the local property registration office or historical society. Both these offices have access to the official lot numbers in the territory. Ask the concerned official to help you find the official lot number associated with your home. Knowing the official lot number will make the rest of your research quite easy and less time consuming.

Get a copy of the original building permit

Building permits contain information about the original design and dimensions of the building, as well as the construction dates and names of the original owner, architect and contractor. These Building permits can be found at the local historical house, and you may be charged a small fee for these.

Get a copy of your property’s abstract

Property’s abstract is a document that records all legal transactions, such as transfer of deeds, associated with the property under question. The property abstract will shed more light on the previous owners of your house and its transaction history.

Visit your provincial/territorial municipal planning agency

To know if your house is in its original shape or has undergone renovation, change in design or a complete restructuring, you will have to visit your local municipal planning office. You can also get detailed information about the structural changes made over time to the house from the local tax assessor’s office. The tax office keeps a record of fixtures added or removed from a property, since tax collection is based on the total value of a property, which includes its features and fixtures.

Talk to your neighbours

If your locality has long-time neighbors or families, you can contact them for more information. These families can be a huge source of historic information regarding the locality and your house. You can ask them how long they have been part of the neighborhood and what they know about your house in particular. If they remember, you can also ask them about the previous residents of your house.