As you know, we do lots of home renovation projects here at TLC Inc. We focus mainly on basement and bathroom renovations.
And one of the interesting things about renovations is that sometimes some really strange things are found during the renovation project – maybe stashed in an old wall, or under a floor.
So I thought you might be interested in this list of some of the strangest things ever found during home renovation projects. Some are strange-interesting. Some are weird-interesting. And some are creepy-interesting!
- Monopoly Floor. When the bedroom carpeting was pulled up in a home in California, the entire floor was found to be one huge Monopoly board game. It was all there: Park Place, Marvin Gardens, Jail, the railroads – everything. Apparently that bedroom was once a game room – quite literally!
- Mummy Baby. An apartment in Paris, France was being renovated, when out from the interior of a wall tumbled a mummified baby. In a knee-jerk reaction, the owners of the apartment were initially charged with murder. But forensics later revealed that the baby WAY predated the hapless couple. Who was the baby, and how did it die? Why was it entombed in the wall? Nobody knows.
- Witch Bottle. A home in Greenwich uncovered a witch bottle during a renovation. The bottle is believed to have dated back to the 17th century. Don’t know what a witch bottle is? Well, you see, when you believe that a witch is trying to curse you, you take some nail clippings, some red thread, and some, um, urine, place them in a bottle and hide the bottle in your home. That counteracts the witch’s evil power. You didn’t know?
- Cats. In Europe, particularly, it’s not unusual for a mummified cat to come tumbling out of a wall during a renovation project. Why are mummified cats in walls? It’s because of the ancient ritual of hiding cats in walls to ward off evil spirits. What, you didn’t know about that either??
- Cha-Ching! Yes, sometimes money is found! A recent home renovation in Ohio revealed $182,000 in Depression-era bills stashed inside a bathroom wall. That find actually led to quite a squabble. The contractor laid claim to a big chunk of the money. And descendants of the home’s original owner got wind of the find, and claimed that the money rightfully belonged to them. It took a nasty court case to get it all settled. (FYI, if we find money in your home during a renovation project, you’ll get it all – we won’t claim a penny!)
- Cha-Ching Redux!: In Eldon, Ohio, a man came upon a kettle stuffed full of gold coins during a renovation project. Yes, the fabled pot of gold. (No word on whether there was a rainbow overhead when the discovery was made.)
So there you have it – some of the more interesting discoveries made during home renovation projects.
Actually, we’ve just scratched the surface. There are many more strange discoveries – some weird, some wonderful – that I could tell you about. Perhaps another time…
P.S. What might we find hidden in your home when we tackle your home renovation project? There’s no telling – but the older your home, the greater the chance that we’ll find something really strange! Give us a call and let’s get your project started so we can find out!
Even if we don’t find anything strange you won’t be disappointed. Because one thing you WILL find is a home that’s more comfortable and enjoyable for your family. Nothing strange about that, but it’s a wonderful discovery!