Q&A for How to Research the History of Your House

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How do I find out if my house may be subject to sinkholes?

Community Answer

Learn about the area surrounding the house and see if any houses near yours have had this problem. If you can, find a professional to take a look.

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Question

I would like to know the history of my house. How can I find it?

Community Answer

Go to your town's courthouse and research the records there. It should all be there. If you're after a more personal view on the house's history, you can try to track down previous owners and talk to them. Their records of ownership should also be available at the courthouse.

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Question

How can I find out if someone died in my house?

Community Answer

Search on local news sites, or ask neighbors. They will possibly know if anything happened in the past.

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Question

How can I find out if my home has ever been flooded?

Community Answer

Look for water spots or water damage. The most common place to find this damage is in the basement. If your basement is unfinished and used primarily as a storage place (cement flooring and open walls where you can see the supports), inspect the wood of the supports for any mold or wear from water and the insulation for any damage from water as well. If you don't find anything and still are suspicious about water damage, contact an expert and have him inspect the house.

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Question

How do I find out how deep the well is?

Community Answer

You could tie a weight on a rope and lower it until it touches the bottom of the well. Make sure that the rope is tight. Mark the rope and measure the length from the bottom of the weight to the mark on the rope. That measurement should be how deep your well is.

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Question

How do I get the original blueprints, and how can I figure out when my house was built as well as by whom?

Community Answer

Go to the courthouse and just ask for the blueprints and usually their name will be on there.

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Question

How can I tell if my land has had a house on it?

Community Answer

If the house/s were legally built on the land, then the houses would have been recorded in survey plans.

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Question

How can I find out which year a home was sold?

Community Answer

You can go to your courthouse and they will direct you to where you can locate all the information on all the past owners of the house. Or, you can search online. Many real estate sites host this information and it is publicly available.

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Question

The house I used to live in no longer exists. Can you tell my why?

Community Answer

Either it has gotten torn down for frame or safety reasons or it burned and had to be torn down. Ask nearby house owners what happened.

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