18 People Who Found a Surprise in Their New House
Curiosities
09/26/2020

Buying a house or apartment is a really responsible life step. Every buyer wants to make sure they know all about possible defects in advance, but it doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes new buyers find surprises left by the previous owners, both pleasant and not so pleasant.
At Bright Side, we enjoyed looking through 18 photos of people who just moved into a new house and discovered something really unexpected.
1. “My mom is a realtor. She went to show an empty house and found that the previous owners had left something behind. After checking with the listing agent and finding out that the person who had loved her was deceased, she went back and brought her home.”
2. “I just bought my first house, didn’t test the taps when I was viewing it of course. All the taps in the house do this.”
3. “We recently bought a house and the previous owners left us a huge book collection. I want to keep some, but have no idea what to choose.”
4. “This is our new house. The previous owners left this behind the basement bathroom curtain!”
5. “The previous owners of our house had a hole cut in the basement door for cats. Our dog Bernard makes use of it daily. His tail is always a good sign as to whether someone is coming up the stairs.”
6. “The previous owners of our house left behind flowerbeds full of mulch and a bunch of unused pavers, so we covered up the side of the house that was all dirt and always muddy.”
7. “The house I’m staying in kept its original well as a feature...”
8. “I found a newspaper in the crawlspace of our new house today, dated October 2, 1902.”
9. “I found a paw print on the brick wall of our house.”
10. “I just bought a house. The previous owner left a safe in the house and told us she doesn’t care. Any tips on how to open it?”
11. “My parents moved into a new house, this was left on the lid of this toilet by the previous owners.”
12. “Previous owners of my house covered a gap in the floorboards by nailing down flattened food tins.”
13. “This was found beneath our floorboards from the previous owners in 1961.”
14. “I just moved into a new apartment, and made a big discovery. There is a door in the floor that leads to a secret dungeon. There is a proper 19th century layout of corridors and hatches beneath.”
15. “My apartment is an old police station and still has the original cell doors but painted.”
16. “A friend of mine bought a house, in her backyard there’s a ‘chapel’ which was bought in Malta by the previous owner.”
17. “Why just screw or nail wood to a wall when you can use construction glue? Gifts from the previous owner.”
18. “I found a hiding spot under the sink. There was some real treasure too — old coins and 2 rings.”
What surprises have you found in newly bought or rented homes? Share your findings in the comments below.
Preview photo credit MyFriendMatt / reddit
Comments
Get notifications
im love with that ring
Reply
Related Reads
Keira Knightley Had to Go Through Years of Therapy to Overcome Trauma After Pirates of the Caribbean

People
05/19/2023
My Mom Abandoned Us When I Was 13—Yesterday, I Made Her Regret Every Choice

Family & kids
05/11/2026
12 Moments of Kindness and Compassion That Saved the Day

People
04/18/2026
10 Workplace Moments Where Kindness Quietly Turned Office Chaos Into a Small Haven

People
05/15/2026
15 Funny Stories Where Kindness and Humor Broke the Tension Better Than Any Apology

People
05/13/2026
13 Acts of Humanity That Brought Light to the Darkest Moments

People
03/15/2026
12 Moments Quiet Kindness Proved More Powerful Than Anyone Expected, Even When No One Was Watching

People
04/23/2026
12 Stories That Remind Us to Stay Kind, Even When the World Doesn’t Make It Easy

People
04/22/2026
10 Success Moments Where Kindness Was the Guiding Light to Hope and Happiness

People
03/11/2026
14 People Who Proved Opportunity Is Often Hiding in Plain Sight

Curiosities
03/17/2026
15 Real-Life Stories That Prove Quiet Kindness Finds Its Way Back When It Matters Most

People
04/02/2026
11 Family Moments That Prove Happiness Grows with Love and Helping Hearts

Family & kids
04/26/2026

















