12 Bizarre Findings by Homebuyers in Their New Homes

Getting settled in a new home is always an adventure, but sometimes, the surprises you find are downright bizarre. From hidden rooms to odd heirlooms left behind by previous owners, you won’t believe some of the bizarre findings by homebuyers.

Most of the things owners have found in their new homes were harmless, but others serve as an excellent reminder to prioritize things like changing the locks as soon as you move in. But sometimes, these stories can inspire hope that you might discover some priceless relic in your new place.

While putting this list together, we sourced first-hand accounts in forums and other stories published online. We wanted to provide a well-rounded picture of all the different bizarre findings by homebuyers, so we included some that were just funny or odd and others that were a bit scary. If you have experience with these sorts of situations, hopefully, you can relate more to the silly examples than the frightening ones.

1. Surprise Messages

Imagine moving into your new home and you hop into the shower after a long day of unpacking. You get out of the steamy shower, and on the mirror is a message, “Hello! I see you!” What do you do? Well, one new resident had this exact situation happen to them. They were able to crack a smile out of it. There is nothing like a bit of humor to break into the new home.

2. Secret Rooms: Bizarre Findings by Homebuyers

A revolving door leading to a secret room sounds like a childhood dream and a potential man cave. A loose pipe led one couple to find an attached room fully furnished but untouched for almost a hundred years. Sounds cool until you find some skeletons and hear creepy voices at night. Maybe just go ahead and seal that up right away.

3. Family Heirlooms

Moving out of your former house can be so stressful that you may leave important items behind. Many stories revolve around new residents discovering old family heirlooms in closets and attics. One story involves a new home buyer finding an old traveler’s chest belonging to the previous owner’s great-grandparents. The heartwarming tale ends with the chest returned to the family in the neighboring city.

4. Other People’s Treasures

An interesting story about a new home buyer cleaning out his basement resulted in him finding a collection of gambling equipment used to cheat at the casinos. A neighbor who had lived in the neighborhood for years confirmed the man was a local con artist who mysteriously went missing. Did his luck run out, or did he hit it big and run away to the Caribbean?

5. Letters From Former Owners

Only some things found in new homes are creepy or weird. Some can be heartfelt. One new resident found letters hidden in his room from the child who used to live there. The letters wished the new owners good luck in their new home and hoped they loved it as much as they did. How sweet is that?

6. Is That a Dungeon?

From heartfelt to creepy, another person found a replica dungeon in a secret hallway in their basement. The room was decked out with fake stone walls, chains, and makeshift torture devices. How did this go unnoticed during the inspections? Would this be a deal-breaker for you? I would flip this purchase in a heartbeat. I don’t want to know what happened down there.

7. Expensive Antiques

Let’s stop talking about home dungeons and move on to something a little more fun. A couple recently found an old fruit bowl they liked and started using. A few months later, while antique shopping, they found the other bowls to complete the set. Turns out the bowl was vintage crystal, worth almost $1,000! What a cool come-up! The couple says it is no longer used as a basic fruit bowl.

8. Friendly Scares

Imagine changing out an appliance in your walls and finding something that isn’t supposed to be there. One homeowner was fixing something in their walls when they found a fake skeleton hidden by the previous owners. What a scare! I would leave it there and keep the scares going for the next owners.

9. Horror Movie Origins

I’ve seen too many horror movies in my lifetime, so if I were to find anything that brings up the origins of demons or ghosts, I’m outta there. I’m not messing with hidden passages with demonic scriptures and paintings. If a doll is involved, that is even worse. If that doesn’t scare you, then you are braver than me, and I hope you sleep peacefully.

10. Historical Documents

As a history buff, I would find it fascinating to find some historical artifacts. One couple discovered a box of letters a soldier from World War II had sent to his wife. They say that hundreds of letters were written during the war in Europe. Another good story ends: the couple can track down the man’s family, and the grandchildren hole the letters to remember their grandfather. How touching is that?

11. Do It Yourself Nightmares

This is a nightmare as faulty home fixing projects can cause further damage in the future. Remember to get those home inspections done when buying that new home. You never know what type of idiotic handyman was doing behind the bones of that house.

12. The Recurring Delivery

This is a personal story of me and my new apartment. Every few weeks or so, I get an Amazon package from what I assume is the previous owner. I used to just send it back until one day I got curious because obviously, the man didn’t realize his mistake as it had happened at least eight times. So I opened it. It is pudding. It’s always pudding. The snack packs we ate as kids. Who gets pudding delivered via Amazon once a month? I’m always baffled.

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