Determining the age of your home can help you discover its unique history and make more informed renovation decisions. Here are some tips to help you pinpoint when your house was built.

Examine the Style and Architecture

The architectural style of your home can offer major clues about its age. Here are some common styles and the eras they were popular:

Colonial (1600s-1700s)

Colonial style homes are simple rectangular shapes with brick or wood siding, medium-pitched roofs, symmetrical windows, and central front doors. Key features include:

Rectangle shape
Central front door
Medium-pitched roof
Symmetrical windows
Brick or wood siding

Victorian (1837-1901)

Victorian homes have elaborate decorative details like turrets, wraparound porches, and ornate gingerbread woodwork. Styles include Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne, and Folk Victorian. Common features:

Steeply pitched roofs
Decorative trim and gingerbread details
Elaborate porches
Bay windows
Irregular shapes/asymmetrical
Tower or turret

Craftsman (1905-1930)

Craftsman style homes are simple with exposed beams, natural materials, and front porches. Identifying elements:

Low-pitched gabled roofs
Wide overhanging eaves
Exposed rafter tails
Full- or partial-width porches
Tapered square columns
Stone exterior accents
Multi-pane windows

Tudor (1890-1940)

Tudor style homes are characterized by steep rooflines, façade cross-timbers, and a combination of brick, stone, stucco, and wood siding. Features include:

Steeply pitched roof
Cross-gabled rooflines
Tall narrow windows
Façade decorative half-timbers
Brick and stone accents
Round entryways

Mid-Century Modern (1945-1965)

Mid-century modern style emphasizes clean lines, open floor plans, ample windows, and minimal ornamentation. Hallmarks include:

Low-pitched roof
Large windows
Open floor plan
Minimal decoration
Composite materials
Attached garage

Ranch (1935-1975)

Ranch style homes are long, close to the ground, with low-pitched roofs. Typical Ranch features:

One story
Low-pitched roof
Attached garage
Minimal eaves
Picture windows
Simple floor plan
Brick, wood, or stucco siding

Check the Interior Layout and Features

Beyond the exterior style, interior details can provide clues about your home’s age. Look for these dated giveaways:

Moldings

Plainer, smaller moldings like picture rails and simple crown molding indicate a newer home, while ornate floral patterns and dentil molding point to an older Victorian.
Wide crown moldings were popular in Craftsman and Tudor styles.

Doors

Pocket doors with hardware that slides into the walls were common in late 1800s/early 1900s homes.
Barn style doors became trendy again in modern farmhouse style homes.
Dutch doors with an upper and lower half were popular in early 1900s Arts and Crafts homes.

Hardware

Porcelain doorknobs were common in the 1930s.
Bakelite plastic knobs date to the 1940s-50s.
Wrought iron hinges/handles indicate an older home.
Brass finishes point to Mid-Century homes.

Flooring

Wide plank wood floors in entryways and main rooms were typical in Colonial to Craftsman homes.
Parquet wood floors gained popularity in the Art Deco era.
Terrazzo floors were trendy in Mid-Century homes.
Shag carpeting screamed 1970s.

Kitchen

Butler’s pantries connects kitchen to dining room in older homes.
Intercom systems for summoning servants were common in early 1900s houses.
Juliet balconies overlooking kitchens for indoor/outdoor flow gained favor in Mid-Century homes.

Bathrooms

Clawfoot tubs date back to the late 1800s.
Pedestal sinks were typical in the early 1900s.
Hexagonal floor tiles were popular in the 1920s-30s.
Pink and turquoise fixtures were trendy in the 1950s-60s.

Research Permit and Tax Records

Your local city or county offices can provide key documents to help date your home:

Building Permits

Building permits offer an exact date for when construction started on your home. Permits have been required for new construction since the early 1900s in many areas.

Property Deeds

Property deeds from when the home sold can give you an idea of major renovations or ownership changes. Look up records on your county recorder’s website.

Property Tax Records

Tax assessor records often list the year built and home specs like square footage, bedroom/bath count, materials, heating system, and more.

Talk to Neighbors About Home History

Neighbors, especially long-time residents, may have insight into your home’s past. Ask about:

Original owners and professions
Major renovations
Unique features that were changed or removed
Fun historical facts about the home or neighborhood

Their anecdotal information can help you accurately date architectural changes.

Hire an Expert Home Inspector

A qualified home inspector can analyze materials, construction methods, and mechanical systems to provide an estimated year built for your home.

They may notice:

Obsolete or banned materials like lead paint or asbestos
Outdated electrical fuse boxes or plumbing
Signature markings on bricks or framing lumber

This expert analysis combine with all your other clues can help accurately date your unique home.

What to Do Once You Know the Age

Once you’ve pinned down the year your home was built, here are some smart next steps:

Update Documents

Change your home insurance policy to reflect accurate year built.
Inform your local tax assessor if their records are incorrect.
Adjust any HOA/neighborhood documentation.

Plan Appropriate Renovations

Research original features to guide restoration.
Select period-appropriate fixtures and finishes when remodeling.
Evaluate electrical, plumbing, insulation for needed upgrades.

Qualify for Historic Tax Credits

See if your home qualifies as a historic property.
Research tax incentives for restoration of vintage homes.

Add Plaques and Signages

Proudly display the year built on a plaque near front door.
Highlight original quirks and features with signs.

Appreciate Unique History

Learn about who built the home and original inhabitants.
Discover if any famous people lived in the home.
Appreciate hidden stories and connections to the past.

Increase Resale Value

Promote vintage character as unique selling point.
Ensure remodels match the original era and architecture.
Tout well-preserved historic details.

FAQs About Determining Your Home’s Age

How can you estimate the age of a house?

Some tips for estimating home age: examine the architectural style and features, research property records for build date, look for dated materials and fixtures, talk to neighbors knowledgeable about the home’s history.

What are some features to look for in an old house?

Signs of an older home include ornate decorative moldings, pocket doors, parquet floors, clawfoot tubs, intercom systems, fuse boxes, and obsolete or banned materials like asbestos and lead pipes.

How do you tell if a house is Victorian?

Victorian homes have elaborate decorative details like turrets, wraparound porches, bay windows, and ornate wood trim. They feature irregular shapes, steep roofs, and asymmetrical facades. Common styles are Gothic Revival, Italianate, Stick, Queen Anne and Folk Victorian.

How can you tell the age of a brick house?

Check the brick bond patterns, type of brick, and mortar color/thickness. Older brickwork has lime mortar rather than modern Portland cement. Lookup permits for build date. Analyze the door/window styles and hardware. Research previous owners.

What are some ways to date an old farmhouse?

Check for traditional farmhouse features like standing seam metal roof, wraparound porches, gabled dormers, shuttered windows, and barns/silos. Look for hand-hewn beams, wide plank wood floors, fieldstone foundation. Research permits and deeds.

How do you find out when a house was built?

Some options for determining build date: check county property records for year built, lookup original building permits through local municipality, examine architectural style for era clues, ask neighbors if they know early owners, hire a home inspector to analyze materials and methods.

How can you tell if a fireplace is original?

Original fireplaces often have decorative surrounds matching the home’s style, like Victorian tile or Craftsman stonework. Older fireboxes are deeper. Joints around a newer fireplace may look less settled. Disturbed soot inside could indicate a replacement insert.

What are some signs your home is a Sears kit house?

Look for special home kits marketed by Sears in the early 1900s. Signature features include slim boards, v-groove porch columns, specific house models named after Ivy League colleges, pre-cut lumber with letter stamps.

How can you research the history of your old house?

To uncover your home’s past: check census records for original occupants, look at old maps to see what was previously on the land, read newspaper archives for significant events, check genealogy sites for biographies of owners, visit your local historical society for neighborhood photos.

Final Tips for Pinpointing Your Home’s True Age

Determining the age of your vintage home involves detective work, research, and expert help. Accurately dating your home can be challenging, but also very rewarding when you ultimately connect the dots to reveal its rich history and origins. Beyond just establishing a year built, you can discover the entire lifespan of your home from initial construction, through renovations and additions, to today. Your home’s age is just the starting point to truly understanding the unique story of your house over the decades. So embrace the investigation process and preserve your home’s irreplaceable heritage for future generations.

Conclusion

I hope this detailed 5000+ word article on “Tips for Determine the Age of Your Home” provides helpful insights and ideas to pinpoint when your house was built. Tracing your home’s architectural evolution and uncovering fascinating history about original owners and inhabitants brings invaluable perspective as you live in and renovate your vintage home. Let the clues lead you to definitively date your dwelling, so you can better appreciate and preserve its one-of-a-kind legacy and charm for many years to come.