How to Obtain Background on a House

Start with the county property assessor's office or the county appraiser's office. Go to the government office and pull the records on the home by searching its address. The records will list when the home was built, its first structural configuration such as number of stories, bedrooms and bathrooms as well as rendering a list of all owners.

Search the county permit records. Go to the county and city building permits office and ask to execute a search of the home by address. Any improvements made to the home such as adding an addition, building a porch, re-roofing the roof or building an outside structure are included in the information. It will also identify the contractors by name and license number. You can use this information to contact the contractors and find out specifics about the job.

Ask neighbors about the house. In addition to government-recorded background, you can find out a lot about a house by asking neighbors. Inquire about previous owners and what changes have been made to the dwelling over the years.