Where is the best starting point for detecting an old house/yard?

[renegade_7]

Will be searching an older abandoned home this week. Due to limited daylight hours, where is the best starting points, or otherwise stated "where do you seem to find the majority of the goods"?

 

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[aa battery]

driveway front door and back.try close trees to the house.

 

[TheDetectorist]

I've hunted a lot of old homes, and I've never found any consistant location. Yard hot-spots vary from house to house.

TD

 

[whites XLT]

I would start in the front in one corner, work acorss & back to the house & do same around sides & back.
Be shure to check the parking strip if it has one around any walkways, doors look for a place where kid's
might have played, look for a depression that might have been an out house look for sand that might've
been a sandbox

 

[Mojave]

I would start in one corner, and make an "X" pattern, and do the same, but make a "+" pattern. My Grandpa used to tell me that that is how he used to hide money in his yard during the whole "not trusting bank" days.....That is how he'd remember where he hid his stash's, always a certain number of steps "off center"......Also, his garden was a big one...

 

[hollowpointred]

some hotspots i would check are
by the clothsline
the path to the outhouse
the path to any other outbuildings
by the front and back doors
by any large tree or rock or other landmark in the yard.

 

[ashleen]

I always start with the oldest tree that can be seen from the kitchen window.
Then pace out from the 4 corners. But, that's just me
Good luck!

 

[Mainedigger]

The hot spot in the area of those old foundations is usually where you least expect it to be. As stated above the obvious areas are front door, back door, driveway, clothes lines, old trees or stumps etc. but if this area has been hunted hard before these areas are likely to have been gone over many times before. Not a good reason to ignore those areas for no area is hunted out, but I would hit the whole yard..use a grid pattern so you are least likely to miss something, but you never know where something sweet may show up...could be anywhere, for someone else may have just hit the obvious areas and ignored the rest of the area missing out on who knows what... Good luck and look forward to some great posts from what you find there....

 

[Sandman]

First spot to check is near the fuse box if there is one. Coins would be there for placing in the sockets for the fuse. It's one place that has worked for me a few times.

 

[renegade_7]

Thanks for all the advice--will post any good finds....

 

[SCdigger]

If only limited time to hunt a house site here's where I'd hunt:

First: along the sidewalks (front and back)
Second: Under the clothes line...easy if the two poles are still standing...if not...go to the back and side yard and look for trees that have a scare ring around them about 6' high where the wire may have once been attached and the tree grew up around it.
Third: Around the big tree in the front and back yard...people would have sat under it, kid played around it or climbed in it.

Then, as time permits start working grid patterns across the yard.

SCdigger

 

[romeo-1]

All of these have been noted but I have had great success under trees, under the clothes line, near the front door and in or around the outhouse! Good luck.

 

[DemonOutlaw]

thanks for the tips also

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

A little research goes a long way. Who lived there and what did they do? Is there an area where workers may have taken breaks to eat their lunch? Was there an outbuilding on the prorperty? Were there any legends about the old owners of the house? These are just a few questions I would ask myself.

I did not see the outhouse mentioned. This was a place where the drawers were dropped and a good spot for loose change. It was also a great hiding spot for the family savings. Back in the day before modern transportation, banks were not convenient, and even after the automobile became commonplace, banks were not trusted. Many times a tin can might have been placed into the hole! Use no discrimination when searching for this type of cache. A tin can filled with paper currency and/or silver dollars will read as junk. Be very careful when searching for this type of cache. Fumes from excrement that have been covered for 50 years can be very unpleasant and extremely toxic!

One other place I have been succesful is the rural mailbox. In the good ole days change was left in the mailbox for the mailman to send a letter. Sometimes this would fall into the tall grass surrounding the box.

 

[stefen]

One place not mentioned is to check where they parked their cars (and tractors).

 

[jeff of pa]

I always start with the oldest tree that can be seen from the kitchen window.
Then pace out from the 4 corners. But, that's just me
Good luck!

This answer is Closest to mine.

I always start with the oldest tree.
Not necessarily where, just as long as it's the Oldest.
then along all walkways.

 

[Peg Leg]

If you are out west I would first start where the outhouse once was. I have recovered a few old pistols and a lot of old coins but make sure it is dryed up first .
Peg Leg

 

[Mainedigger]

First spot to check is near the fuse box if there is one. Coins would be there for placing in the sockets for the fuse. It's one place that has worked for me a few times.

Sandman...now that is one spot I never thought of, and you;re right...pennies were used all the time for fuses...I;ve found a couple of old Large Cents that were cut to fit the fuse box....hate finding damaged coins like that.. Great tip and one I'm sure to remember...thanks for passing it along. Never too old to learn new tricks...

 

[Woodsie]

The best starting point is the distance from where you park your car or truck to the yard your going to search. Just get out there and start putting that coil to the soil. If your want to start hitting something right off the bat...look for the rear of the house and where the clothes line may have been.

Woodsie.