Friday, August 10, 2007

"How Old Is This House?"

"There are several ways to determine when a house was built. The simplest is to look on the seller's disclosure or other similar paperwork, if available. If not, with a little work you can usually narrow it down pretty well. If you think the house is wihin 10 or 15 years from its original date you may be able to find a model number, serial number or date of manufacture for one or more of the major appliances such as the water heater which will tell you when the appliance was manufactured. Toilet tank covers are often dated on the underside which will give you an idea of when the bathroom fixtures may have been installed. Windows, especially thermal pane ones, may have a date to suggest approximately when the windows were installed. Sometimes you can date the neighborhood, if not hte house, by dated manholes, curbs or sidewalks. In many urisdictions building and remodeling permits are online and accessible. Neighbors are another good source of information."

From House Notes, A Newsletter from Your Friends at The Inspection Company
August 2007, Volume 3 Issue 8

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