Personalised Hardcover House History Book

Every home has a story. Discover yours.

Who lived in your home before you? What did they do for a living? How has your street changed over the years? And what stories might be hiding behind your front door?

Your Personalised House History is individually researched and beautifully designed to uncover the story of your home, its former residents and the neighbourhood around it.

From census and historical records to old maps, photographs, newspapers and archival discoveries, we'll delve into the past and bring everything together in a beautifully printed hardcover book created especially for your home.

A wonderful keepsake for your own family, a thoughtful gift for someone you love, or a piece of history to pass on to the next generation.

What's included?

You'll receive a professionally designed and printed 20–40 page hardcover house history, available in your choice of A4, A5, or landscape.

Depending on the history of your individual property and the records available, your book may explore:

• The history of your local area and how it developed
• The story of your street and neighbourhood
• Former residents of your home, including names, occupations and family details where records allow
• Historic maps showing how the area changed over time
• Historical photographs and illustrations
• Newspaper stories, advertisements and other discoveries connected with the property or its residents
• The architecture and development of the property, where this can be established
• Your own chapter in the home's story, using information, memories or photographs you'd like to contribute

Every house is different, so every book is different. Rather than filling a standard template, we follow the historical records wherever they lead and include the most interesting discoveries we can uncover about your particular home.

More than a book, your home's story to keep.

Your home is part of a much bigger story.

Families have grown up within its walls. Neighbours and neighbourhoods have changed. Streets have appeared, communities have developed and generations have come and gone.

A Hearth & History book brings those fragments together into something tangible that can be read, displayed, shared and treasured for years to come.

It makes a particularly meaningful gift for:

• New homeowners and housewarmings
• Anniversaries and weddings
• Birthdays and Christmas
• Parents and grandparents
• Genealogy and local-history enthusiasts
• Owners of period and character properties
• Renovations and restorations
• Families saying goodbye to a much-loved home
• Anyone who has ever wondered, “Who lived here before me?”

Choose your book

A4 Hardcover
Our larger format, ideal for showcasing historical photographs, maps and documents. A beautiful statement piece for a coffee table or bookshelf.

A5 Hardcover
A more compact and intimate format that's easy to display, store and give as a gift.

Landscape
A beautiful wider format that's particularly well suited to historic photographs, streetscapes, maps and other visual discoveries.

All options are professionally printed and bound with a durable hardcover finish.

How it works

1. Tell us about the house

When ordering, simply provide the address of the property you'd like us to research. You can also tell us anything you already know and share your own photographs, memories or family stories if you'd like them considered for inclusion.

2. We uncover its past

We'll delve into available historical and archival records to discover as much as we can about the property, its surroundings and the people connected with it.

3. We create your book

Your discoveries are carefully researched, written and brought together with maps, photographs and other historical material in a beautifully designed house history.

4. Your book is printed

Once complete, your house history is professionally printed and bound as your personalised hardcover book.

5. Delivered to your door

Your finished book is carefully packaged and sent directly to you, ready to unwrap, display or give as a very special gift.

Homes across five countries

Hearth & History currently researches properties in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Historical records vary between countries, regions and individual properties, which means every research journey, and every finished book, is unique.

Turnaround time

Because every house history involves individual research, writing and design, please allow approximately four weeks for your book to be completed.

If you're ordering for a birthday, anniversary, housewarming or another special occasion, you're welcome to let us know your required date when ordering.

If you need your book in less than four weeks, please contact us before purchasing so we can let you know whether we're able to accommodate your deadline.

Please note

House histories are generally 20–40 pages, depending on the age of the property and the amount and quality of historical information available.

Historical records have survived unevenly, so we cannot guarantee that particular information, photographs, floorplans or records will exist for every property. If, after our initial research, we don't believe there is enough quality information available to create a full house history, we'll contact you to discuss your options, including an alternative product with a partial refund or a full refund.

Each house history is individually researched and created especially for you and is therefore a personalised product.

As with all printed products, colours may vary slightly from how they appear on different screens.

If your book arrives damaged or there is a problem with your order, please contact us so we can put things right.

Have a question about your home before ordering? We'd love to hear from you.