How to Frame a House in a Story

The house in a story can be one of its most powerful characters, creating a setting that evokes emotion and helps readers empathise with the narrator or main character. In addition, a house can reveal clues about its history, with some historical details adding intrigue and others reinforcing the home’s unique pedigree.

A key to a successful house description is finding the right balance between intrigue and relevance for contemporary readers. This requires thinking about how a house’s past connects to its present and future, which can be a challenge when the home’s past is not easily accessible.

One way to approach this is to focus on the house’s role in the plot, which can help establish a timeline that provides context for its development. For example, a house might be the site of a tragedy or be the backdrop for a family’s struggle, while also being the place where a hero or heroine grows up and comes to maturity.

Alternatively, you can focus on the house’s architectural style, which can be a major selling point for buyers. This can be achieved by highlighting features that are historically significant or have been preserved over the years, and it is important to verify these details through municipal records, archives and expert consultation.

Another way to frame a house’s history is to focus on the emotions that are attached to it. For example, a house can be described as shabby, grand or luxurious, and each of these descriptions suggests how the house makes its inhabitants feel.

For example, a shabby house can make people feel depressed and hopeless while a luxurious house inspires feelings of grandeur and wealth. Identifying the emotional angle for a house can help you to find the right words to describe it, and it will also guide the direction of your research.

Local archives can also be a good starting point for researching the history of a house, as they often hold local maps and electoral registers, and wills and probate records can provide valuable clues about former owners and occupants. They are not as comprehensive as the census or valuation office survey records, but will provide a great deal of information to get you started.

In addition to these sources, be sure to look at private collections of local historical material, such as local societies’ museums or heritage centres. These will often contain items such as old photographs, books and maps, which can be very useful in building up a picture of the house’s past. Also, don’t forget to ask locals – people like the postman, your neighbours or other business owners might be able to provide valuable insights about the house’s history. They may remember a specific incident, or they might have some general knowledge about how the area used to be. They might even have some of the family’s personal belongings. These can be a real treasure trove for historians!