House we are buying used to be a shop

[Greencheese]

We've just had the paperwork back from the solicitor. It says that in 1979 it changed from a shop back to a house. You'd never know by looking it it. It's circa 1900 so I'm sure there is a lot of history there.

This won't stop us buying the house or anything, but purely from an intriguing point of view how would I find out what sort of shop it was?

Is there a website or some where I can search?

I love a bit of history!

Search online for your nearest Local History Department in a public library. They are generally staffed by lovely people who help people all day with queries just like this, and will be able to help you find all sorts of things like very possibly a photo of the shop, newspaper articles about it, all sorts of things. Have fun!

Yy to the public library. I did that to try to get history on our house. Absolutely fascinating. I was distracted by loads of other information. Was there for hours!

That's a good idea, I wasn't sure where to start. I love stuff like this. I found out my old house used to be the village blacksmiths! But that was common local knowledge as that house was grade 2 listed.

I'll try there then, thanks!

You could try just googling the address. I did this for a flat I used to own, it had been a photography studio about 1900. There were no signs of that at all 90 years later!

I've been googling the life out of it, nothing exciting comes up. I think the library will be a good start, it's near (not in) a conservation area so there's quite a lot of history here.

A photography studio sounds cool!

Certainly ask the neighbours - I bet there will be someone who remembers.

Also, if you are on Facebook, there are quite a lot of groups that post pictures / chat about local history. Where I live, it's called '..{Place I live} Past and Present' - so that might well be worth a look.

Once you have completed the purchase there is highly likely to be something in the pack of documents the solicitor sends you that the mortgage company doesn't want to retain as there will be searches to ensure the correct planning permission was obtained.

Planning permission is required for change of use to convert a commercial building to a private dwelling.

After you've moved in, it is highly likely that neighbours who have lived in the street for a long time will actually tell you - one of our neighbours told us all about the history of our house as she's lived opposite for over forty years.

I can see the planning application number in the paperwork but it doesn't come up on the council search thing, it's probably too old. I'll ring up tomorrow and see if they will tell me anything.

I'll ask the neighbours too when I call to say hello. Apparently the old gentleman on the end of the block had lived there for years and years but sadly recently passed away. I bet he'd of known!