The best place to start is with yourself: get a piece of paper and write down everything that you know about your family, including full names, dates and places of birth, parents, siblings, children and any other details that you know. Record everything that you can and remember to add to it later if more things occur to you.

As well as the genealogical facts, you could also include information about your relatives' characters: their hobbies, likes and dislikes, and anything that will capture the story of their lives.

Track down documents

Many families keep important documents relating to themselves and their forebears, sometimes in a box in the attic or hidden under the bed.

The more certificates, photos, letters and newspaper clippings that you can find, the more money and time you might be able to save later on. This is a great time to start adding the details that you already know to a family tree. There are many different ways of arranging this information, including computer software that will help you organise what you've discovered.  

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