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How to find when a house was built

ecclesto
ecclesto Posts: 272 Forumite
First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
in House buying, renting & selling
I am hoping to complete on my house this Friday. I am shopping around for insurance quotes and need the year the house was built. I am a cash buyer and only had the basic searches done. I have the Official copy if register of title and the states 'The Conveyance dated 9 April 1976 referred to in the Charges Register contains the following provision - (this then goes on about the right to light etc) Does this mean the house was built in 1976?
If not, how can I find when the house was built.:o
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Comments

  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    No.

    It could have been built then.
    Or 10 years earlier.
    Or 100 years earlier.

    * ask the seller?
    * is it part of a housing development? When was the development constructed?
    * Look for planning permission at the council?
    * ask the neighbours when you knock on their doors (you are speaking to neighbours, yes?)
    * ask the postman, publican, cornershop owner.
    * Check for old maps of the area
    * examine the style of the property - Georgian properties look nothing like Edwardian etc
  • Mutton_Geoff
    Mutton_Geoff Posts: 3,819 Forumite
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    Pull the ashtray out and there should be a date stamp on the bottom giving a big clue as to when it was manufactured.


    Oh, sorry, thought I was on the motoring forum ;-)
    Signature on holiday for two weeks
  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596 Forumite
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    edited 18 September 2017 at 8:55PM
    You only need a rough idea. Does it look like a 1970s house?

    If you haven't a clue, stick some details up here and we'll tell you.
  • ecclesto
    ecclesto Posts: 272 Forumite
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    Davidmcn, thank you so much. I have guessed at 1980s but the address is 18 Wenlock Drive, Bromsgrove B61 0TH. One insurance company didn't want me to guess at the age and I know that if I have to claim, most companies will look for any loopholes.
  • Linton
    Linton Posts: 17,160 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Hung up my suit!
    The insurance companies can hardly expect you to know the exact year of construction. Just say something like "1970's" or "1970s?". If you genuinely have no idea say "unknown" but it should be pretty obvious whether its Elizabethan, Georgian, Victorian, 1920-1930s, or modern. As long as it doesnt turn out that you are blatently lying for some odd reason there shouldnt be any issues.
  • lewishardwick
    lewishardwick Posts: 679 Forumite
    A quick look on Google Street view, would suggest 70/80's. So the date in the OP, could be reasonably accurate.

    I would state 70's to the insurance.

    What has the mortgage valuation come back with, if anything? Did you have a home buyers survey done? Mine have the approximate age in the report.
  • ecclesto
    ecclesto Posts: 272 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I did say 1980s but hesitated and said it might be 1970s and they said that wasn't good enough as the year might affect the premium!!!!
  • buglawton
    buglawton Posts: 9,235 Forumite
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    Get the floorboards carbon dated?
    Seriously, there should be a planning application for the original estate.
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
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    ecclesto wrote: »
    I have guessed at 1980s

    Very similar to my parents' house which was built in the late '60s.
  • ecclesto
    ecclesto Posts: 272 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Crikey not sure what to go with now. As I am a cash buyer I only got local searches done so I can't find anything which mentions dates!
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