Everything You Need To Know About House Signs: Location, Material & Online Ordering

House signs are, whether you realise it or not, an important aspect of any home or business. They serve as a way to identify one property from another, not to mention give a first impression that counts. In this blog, we'll explore the key elements to ensure you get right when it comes to choosing a house sign, where to place it and why slate is the best material to go for.

A Brief History

First and foremost, let's look at how house signs came around and the important role they play in the day-to-day running of your home. It's hard to specifically pinpoint a time when the first house sign came about, but what we do know is that they have been around for many centuries. Earliest dates go back to ancient civilisations such as Greece, Rome and Egypt, where they were commonly used to make the entrance of public buildings and businesses. These signs often featured inscribed symbols and decorative features and were typically made from stone, wood or metal. 

Fast forward to 1708 and we can see the first instance of a street being numbered in the UK, which according to the Postal Museum, was Prescot Street in Goodman's Fields, London. This was the start of house number signs as we know them today and also the start of the address system today.

Prescot Street was the first street in the United Kingdom to have a numbered address system

What Does a House Sign Do?

A house sign plays a key role in the running of your home.

By it being clearly visible from the road, it helps people such as delivery drivers or family and friends find where they're looking for. This small detail can play a big part in preventing your deliveries getting lost and not reaching your door.

While this is something we can take for granted, house signs can also play a crucial role in assisting emergency workers to identify and reach your property, which can be crucial should time be of the essence.

On a more aesthetic note, a good-looking and stylish house sign gives a welcoming first impression to your home and has even been highlighted as a factor which can increase your kerb appeal should you be looking to make a property stand out and wish to make it more attractive to buyers or renters. It can also give a welcome insight into its previous history and use of a property, with common names including The Old Tavern, The Old School House or The Forge often giving a glimpse into the property's former use.

Personalised house signs can include more than just a house name, as it can be a way to express your personality or style with the use of fonts, colours, images and even the family name of the occupants on the sign.

Having a slate house sign helps delivery drivers, family and friends find your home easily

How to Order a House Sign Online

When it comes to ordering a sign online, the process is a relatively simple one. You can see a selection of house sign templates which can be edited and personalised with your text and style. A live preview will be visible as you make edits, allowing you to see how your sign appears as you go. 

Once you have chosen your size, text, font and other customisable options, it's simply a case of adding the item to your cart and checking out as you would with any online purchase. From here your sign will be handcrafted to order to your specific requests and dispatched to your requested shipping address. It is that easy!

If you need help ordering online, be sure to have a read through our 'How to Personalise a House Sign' guide.

use one of the bespoke sign house's online design tools to personalise and order your own house sign

Where to Put a House Sign

The best place to put a house sign all depends on the specific property. A house sign is best placed in a position which is clearly visible from the street or a road. The most common place to find a house sign is next to a front door or on the porch so it is clearly visible to anyone looking to find the property. 

If your home is set back from the road, a wooden posted sign can be ideal, to situate the house sign at the entrance of your drive, in your front garden or even on a fence post.

Something to consider when it comes to choosing a location for your sign is how visible it will be in low-light conditions such as in winter, as well as the height of the sign so it is easy for people to see and read.

To conclude, house signs play a crucial role in the day-to-day running of households and within the wider community. They can be used to convey important information and even add to kerb appeal.

you can hang your house sign on your door, on a brick wall or even on two wooden posts on your driveway

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