Property Research
Discover the history of your house
Your House History property research service covers Edinburgh and Southern Scotland including Berwickshire.
What does it cost?
If it is preferred, I can conduct a shorter research on a 'research and report' basis which is offered for £250. Otherwise my normal fees are £20 per hour plus travel and photocopying expenses.
How I do this research
I use mainly archival material and documentary evidence to determine a building’s full history, including its architectural design, layout and wherever possible copies of old documents are included. These old documents can make for fascinating analysis and reading.
What can be found out will depend on what information existed on the property in the first place, what has survived and is available now, and the amount of time that can be spent finding it. My aim is to discover where possible:
Any images relating to the property, ie old postcards, plans, maps, sketches will be searched for, which will then be analysed and interpreted. Attractive old maps showing the property in its locale are a great resource in this process, many existing from the C18 up to C20 and even earlier in some cases. The older coloured maps especially are very attractive to look at and they can be framed. Details of the previous inhabitants, size of families and their occupations are included. All this material is then written up in a bound, hard-backed book to produce an interesting illustrated narrative of the property’s history.
Whilst every endeavour will be made to complete the research as quickly as possible, this will depend very much upon the accessibility of relevant historical records for me to access. Documented records from 1850 onwards are fairly accessible, prior to that date depending on the type of property you have they can be more difficult and time consuming to discover.
Special requests?
If you would like to discuss the particular needs on your property, or simply to ask some questions, I would be happy to help, so please just get in touch.
What does it cost?
If it is preferred, I can conduct a shorter research on a 'research and report' basis which is offered for £250. Otherwise my normal fees are £20 per hour plus travel and photocopying expenses.
How I do this research
I use mainly archival material and documentary evidence to determine a building’s full history, including its architectural design, layout and wherever possible copies of old documents are included. These old documents can make for fascinating analysis and reading.
What can be found out will depend on what information existed on the property in the first place, what has survived and is available now, and the amount of time that can be spent finding it. My aim is to discover where possible:
- When the property was built approximately, by whom and was any land attached
- How the land was used before the property was built
- Who used to live in the property, what they did and information about their families
- How the property was used over the centuries
- Any relevant history and events that have shaped your area
- Any interesting facts or stories associated with the house and its previous inhabitants
Any images relating to the property, ie old postcards, plans, maps, sketches will be searched for, which will then be analysed and interpreted. Attractive old maps showing the property in its locale are a great resource in this process, many existing from the C18 up to C20 and even earlier in some cases. The older coloured maps especially are very attractive to look at and they can be framed. Details of the previous inhabitants, size of families and their occupations are included. All this material is then written up in a bound, hard-backed book to produce an interesting illustrated narrative of the property’s history.
Whilst every endeavour will be made to complete the research as quickly as possible, this will depend very much upon the accessibility of relevant historical records for me to access. Documented records from 1850 onwards are fairly accessible, prior to that date depending on the type of property you have they can be more difficult and time consuming to discover.
Special requests?
If you would like to discuss the particular needs on your property, or simply to ask some questions, I would be happy to help, so please just get in touch.
