Who has lived in your house? Were they rich or famous or did they become so? Were their destinies shaped by national or international events or by the people they worked for? What we can say is that everyone - and every house - has a story and Here Before Us has teamed up with genealogist, former private investigator and writer Debby Jones of Gorddinan Consulting to tell it to you. 
 
It's always difficult to put a price on this work and for this reason our packages are bespoke.  Beginning with an initial fee of £60, (refunded when you take out a package), we will firstly look into your house to see its potential and then discuss with you what we have found and which package suits you. You can then pay via paypal or bacs, whichever suits you best.
 
As a wonderful bonus our packages include a precis version of the compete history of your house, presented on an A2 Giclée print, with a beautiful illustration from artist Darren Scotland.  Something wonderful to hang on your wall to enjoy for many years to come.  
 
For guidance, we offer the following packages:
 
 
 
Glimpse - £675 (10 hours research) Print included.  Some houses, especially those built after 1920, may have had fewer occupants and therefore less history to write about, but are nonetheless fascinating. Recently, we looked at a nineteen thirties house in Birmingham where one of the occupants worked at Cadbury as a chocolate dipper. 
 
Focused Foray - £825 (15 hours research) Print included.  As described, this is a focused foray into a particular period. Example - The Three Sisters. On the 1939 register (taken at the start of World War Two) in what was once a Yorkshire farmhouse, we found three elderly spinster teachers. We were able to trace their lives through the Education system, training at Board Schools and rising to high rank. We followed one of them into Tsarist Russia and safely home again. 
 
Centuries - £1425 (30 hours research) Print included. You might want to focus on a particular period or to start right at the beginning. We looked some time ago at a house an artist built for himself, following the design of a well-known architect. As it turned out, he didn't have long to enjoy the house, but we were able to trace his fascinating life before that and the decisions that led him to the house. 
 
House Odyssey - £1775 (45 hours research) Print included. We'll get back as far as we possibly can in the history of your house and what was there before. We were recently asked to investigate the history of a boutique hotel and we got back as far as the Domesday Book, tracing its transformation from farmhouse to Manor House and then hotel.  It's always fascinating to see how houses changed hands over the centuries. Does your house have a name? Has that changed? We will write your history up as a story. A proper heirloom and a wonderful birthday, anniversary or Christmas present.  Something to proudly display in your home or as a gift. 
 
Should you just want the history, but without the illustration and A2 print, we can supply the information in a word/pdf document for you to print out at home. In this case deduct £225  from the overall cost.  
Important Information:
Please note , we do not ever talk about or feature living people.  See our Privacy Policy for details.