It can be extremely rewarding to trace your home’s history – and you’re right, the more you know about it the more sympathetically you can restore it. There are two ways: research it yourself or employ an architect to do it for you. If the property is listed, that is a great start, as the list description will show your house’s estimated build date and the reasons why it is listed. If it’s not listed, you may have to rely on the information from neighbours, previous owners and the estate agent – but don’t take this as gospel truth. There are plenty of books on the history of buildings as well as others that will allow you to trace the social as well as architectural story of your house – contact the Royal Institute of British Architects or the BRE bookshop for some titles.