Knowing when a home was constructed is an important factor if you’re looking to buy. The construction date can tell you quite a bit about the quality of the home in question.

Construction Codes Change Over Time

Residential building codes are constantly changing to reflect newly-discovered safety issues or construction flaws. Homes constructed decades ago may not have these innovations incorporated into them. One glaring example is the outlawing of lead-based paint in 1977. Homes that were built before then could still contain toxic amounts of lead.

Another example would be asbestos. This cancer-causing mineral was banned in 1989. Homes built prior to this date could still have asbestos in them in the form of asbestos tiles or insulation.

Construction Materials Improve Over Time

Another factor that the age of a home can help determine is what quality of materials was used. For example, low-e windows are a relatively new innovation, but they make a home much more energy efficient. However, once the labels have been removed from a window during construction it’s difficult to tell if the glass is low-e or not. Knowing what year the home was constructed can help you determine if the windows are more energy efficient or not.

Knowing When a Home was Built can Help Determine its Value

Of course, one of the best reasons for knowing when a home was built is to help determine its sale value. An older home typically has less value than a newer one in the same area or subdivision. This is due in part to the fact that the older home typically has older features such as lower-efficiency HVAC systems and water heaters. The home with the newest construction date and therefore the newest features typically has the higher sale value when all other factors are equal.

Contact the Local Property Tax Office to Find out the Date of Construction

Although there are several ways to estimate the year a home was built based on design or location, the most accurate way to find out is for you to contact the local property tax office where the home is located. Their records will show the exact year the home was constructed.

Many property tax offices have Web sites where the information can be found as well. Be sure to have all the pertinent information on hand before starting your search. This should include the exact physical address of the residence in question including the city, state, and zip code.