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When was my house built?
Pick the features that match your home to get a likely building period, then use the free records below to pin it down.
Most likely period
–
Choose at least one feature.
| Period | Match |
|---|
- Last checked 25 October 2026
- Expert review pending
- How we calculate
How this estimate works
Builders in each period used the materials and layouts that were cheap and fashionable at the time, so a few features narrow the date down quickly. Each answer adds points to the periods where that feature was common. The period with the most points is shown first. It is a starting point, not a survey: extensions, re-rendering and replacement windows can all mislead.
| Period | Typical signs |
|---|---|
| Before 1919 | Solid brick walls in Flemish or English bond, sash windows, fireplaces in every room, terraces with a back addition |
| 1919 to 1944 | Semis with bay windows and leaded lights, pebbledash, early cavity walls, metal-framed windows |
| 1945 to 1964 | Concrete or steel-framed prefabs, plain brick, metal windows, one fireplace with a back boiler |
| 1965 to 1982 | Wide picture windows, flat-roof garages, open-plan lounges, warm air heating or storage heaters |
| 1983 onwards | Estate layouts, integral garages, en suites, radiators from new, cavity walls built with insulation |
Records that give a firmer date
- The EPC. Every certificate records a construction age band. Search it with our EPC checker. Assessors often estimate this, so check it against the other sources.
- Old Ordnance Survey maps. The National Library of Scotland’s side-by-side viewer covers Great Britain. Find the first map your house appears on.
- Planning and building control records. Councils hold applications back to 1948 and sometimes earlier. Search your council’s planning portal by address.
- Listing. If the house is listed, Historic England, Cadw or Historic Environment Scotland will have a date in the listing description.
- Deeds and local history. Older deeds, street directories and census returns at your local archive can date a house to within a few years.
Worked example
A semi with a bay window
Choosing pebbledash walls, a bay with leaded tops and a semi-detached layout with a side hall points strongly to 1919 to 1944. The 1938 OS map shows the road laid out but the 1925 map shows fields, which narrows it to the late 1920s or 1930s.
Questions people ask
How can I find out when my house was built for free?
Start with the energy certificate, which records an age band such as “1930 to 1949”. Then look at old Ordnance Survey maps on the National Library of Scotland website, which cover the whole of Great Britain: if the house appears on one survey and not the one before, it was built in between. Your council’s planning or building control records may help for homes built after 1948.
Is the build date on the title register?
Usually not. The HM Land Registry title register records ownership, not construction. Older deeds held by your mortgage lender or solicitor sometimes mention when the plot was sold to a builder, which narrows it down.
Why does the build date matter?
Insurers and surveyors ask for it, it affects which defects to look for (lead pipes, asbestos, wall ties, cavity insulation problems), and it decides whether a home is listed or in a conservation area. Lenders may also treat non-standard construction from certain periods differently.
What does “circa” on a sales listing mean?
It means the agent is estimating. Agents often take the date from the EPC age band or from the style of the house. Treat it as a range, not a fact.