Your house is your primary asset, probably the greatest material investment you'll ever make, and as the sanctuary that shapes your family's work, play and rest day and night, every home will offer distinctive memories for life.

But imagine how much richer those memories will be if you understand the architectural history of your house and your family's place in its evolution. We work together to find out who built it, and when. And then we go much further. Was it the first building on the site? Which period features survive to reveal alterations over time, who might have extended and demolished parts of the house? In what way is the building unusual or important? How might it have been furnished or decorated? Using a wide range of surveying, research and archaeological techniques, we'll reveal the fascinating life of your house from the moment it was built, charting the changes that have made it unique and distinctive.

As a memory bank, an application for planning permission, or a conversation piece or gift, a physical survey of your house is an invaluable asset. Dr Jonathan Foyle offers exhibition quality illustrations of your building both reconstructed and as it looks today, which make stunning presentations. A thorough architectural analysis of your property starts at £400 per day, excluding travel and expenses. Separate prices can be quoted for a range of artistic illustrations (eg a framed historic portrait of your house).

To obtain a quote or commission work, please click here.

To view images and case studies from former commissions, click here.

Of course, you may want to add other elements of work to the architectural and archaeological research, such as archive research into former owners and occupiers, or a scientific investigation of the fabric of the building. Click the links above for further information.

Dr Jonathan Foyle is the co-ordinator for architectural and archaeological research undertaken by House Detectives. To find out more about his background, click here.