We like to think that during the process of open houses, putting in offers, inspections, and signing contracts we'd know everything about our new home before we move in.
But sometimes, our new apartment or house has hidden items or even whole rooms we didn't know about. Other times, when our home is very old, there are cool little features that feel straight out of a period movie.
Pretty cool find, though. The basement was filled with old blueprints and even a newspaper from 1937. Perhaps the building was once an architect's office.
If I found this in my home, I'd try to peel it off in one piece so that I could frame it to hang as art in the refinished space.
According to the user who shared the pic, the tunnel is about a mile long and runs beneath a friend's apartment building. Most likely, it's meant to divert flooding.
Even if they're no longer functional, they still add a ton of character and vintage charm to an older building.
Painted history, to be specific. When this wall chipped, it revealed just how many different colors the room has been over the years.
When the new homeowner ripped up the old carpet, they found a well-preserved, human-sized game board. Imagine what the pieces would have looked like!
I wonder if the family just let the artist have fun knowing that they were going to wallpaper over it anyway.
This time, it revealed an old cellar door and a surprisingly large selection of old preserves.
At some point, someone decided that this screen door should have a spoon for a handle. Which is a cute idea, but why couldn't they center that screw?
Some previous owner decided to hack together a duct with old anti-freeze cans, soldering them together. They must have done a decent job, since there was never a problem.
It's pretty cool that the whole family was involved with the project when it was done in the late-'80s, even the kids.
The apartment used to be part of a police station and all the original cell doors were left intact, though a coat of white paint makes them cheerier. Many of the windows also still have the bars on them.
This person's house used to be a bank, so now they use the original vault as a basement. That's super cool, but I'd be terrified of that door closing on me. Even if it doesn't lock anymore, I don't think I'd be able to relax inside a vault. Cool idea though!
I'd feel weird learning that my house was built over an old well — thanks, The Ring — but being able to see down into it through my floor would be a no-go.
If a random well in the middle of your floor isn't bad enough, how about one in your table? This bar has positioned one of its tables over top of a disturbingly deep well. So, you know, if anything comes popping out of it, at least you'll be enjoying a pint to ease the shock a bit.
Like, did people just assume that their homes would never, ever be changed or otherwise in a state when someone might need to open up a wall? Like, a whole bunch of blades just hanging out in there seems ill-advised.
This is a former Toys 'R' Us. The remaining employees all signed their names on the wall before leaving for the last time.
This is an 1800's cemetery that has been left perfectly preserved and untouched in the basement of a tall building. This is as big of a "nope" as I've ever seen one. You would literally never catch me in that basement.
Because the Spice Girls aren't just still popular, but they've gone on a reunion tour and there are rumors of a second movie.
This person found some cave painting-style art in their basement while doing some renovations. These obviously aren't real cave paintings (note the skipping rope?) but they're still a really cool find!
This pharmacy used to be a bank, so when it was converted into the new store, they saw an opportunity much too cool to pass up, creating the "Vitamin Vault."
This guest bedroom comes complete with a random shower stall built into the wall. Convenient? Definitely. But still super weird.
It would probably be a selling point. Instead, the new tenant discovered that what they thought was a little tool cubby was actually a secret passage.
I honestly don't know why anyone would want to cover this up (and with wallpaper, of all things). But thankfully it is back out in the open again. I just hope whoever found it recognized how beautiful it is and didn't cover it up again.
Apparently, it was locked when the house's previous owner lived in it too, but they were apparently never curious enough to try and get it open.
Although the new owner was much more enthusiastic about finding out whether they had gold or just a dead spider on their hands, they apparently went quiet about this two years ago.
Maybe we'll never know what's in here...
Rather than worrying about the relative worth of birds in the hand versus birds in the bush, they were just glad the ones in the bush weren't lonely.
It's a nice, if pretty random thought.
It turned out that whoever lived here back in 1981 saw the need to keep £500 hidden in the insulation.
I'm sure our imaginations will lead us to all sorts of different conclusions for why, but it will likely remain a mystery.
For one thing, I didn't know that Radio Shack made security systems.
For another, if they couldn't make a clock radio that lasted more than a few months back then, they probably shouldn't be the ones to put in charge of your home security.
Of course, given that dessert wines aren't exactly for everyone, it's entirely possible that the previous owners kept passing it over for 20 years after they received it as a gift.
Unless they were a CIA agent or something, it's hard not to imagine that they were trying to destroy some pretty messed up evidence.
And if that was indeed the reason they left this chandelier behind, it seems that their plan worked because the new owner apparently intends to put it up.
For example, the uploader's son happened to dig up these long-buried doll parts while playing around in the yard.
I think the less we know about this, the better.
I can't say I would've preferred to have some cartoon character stare warmly at me while I'm trying to use the toilet, but to each their own, I suppose.
They considered this three of clubs the three of clover and kept it here in the hopes that it would bring the new owner good luck.
Since they had just won the lottery before moving, they figured luck was on their side.
I guess we can assume that a previous owner's child chucked it up there for whatever reason, but it's hard to tell what animal this was even supposed to be before nature claimed it.
Out of all of these little doodles, I think the ones that say "eek! eek!! eek!!!" for whatever reason are my favorites.
If their experiences were anything like mine, there were probably times when they wondered where this book jacket and dinosaur toy went before assuming they were gone forever.
Little did they know, they were hiding in the vents all along. I couldn't tell you how they got there, though.
When the uploader told them what they had found, the previous owner apparently wanted them back because they belonged to their late mother.
At least that answers a few of our questions.
And so, it remained behind in a mostly empty house before it was finally discovered by the place's confused new owner.
I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
Seriously, this is super weird. The owner's best guess is that it was once used as extra floor support from its anchor in the attic.
Someone found a paw print perfectly pressed into a brick, which definitely asks a lot more questions than it answers. Like, for instance, how?!
This person's house was built around a massive sandstone rock. I'm no decor expert, but I think having that thing sticking out of a wall is just about the coolest accent piece I've ever seen. Somehow it just works?
While brushing their teeth, they absently wondered what was behind a piece of wood in the back of the medicine cabinet. Behind a few bricks they found a bunch of silver coins, a 1899 keepsake coin with a note, two rings, and a tie pin.
