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A couple have said their dreams were "crushed" after they lifted the carpet of their new home. When you move into a home, you can't guarantee what the previous owners have done while decorating.

Some people will leave original features such as tiles or parquet flooring in place before adding a new layer of carpet, while others will attempt to level the surface with concrete or something else. It's a complete lottery as to what you will get, as couple Kate and Dan found when starting to renovate their 'fixer-upper' home.

The couple have been renovating their four-bed property, built in the 1980s, room by room for the last year. When they decided to tackle the lounge, the couple hoped that when they lifted the old carpet they would find a stunning parquet floor due to the time the property was built.

But instead, when they lifted the carpet, they immediately noticed how "weird" the floor looked and left. After researching, the couple came to the conclusion that the floor was probably asbestos. Asbestos is usually safe unless it's damaged or disturbed, otherwise the asbestos fibres can cause harm if they're released into the air and inhaled.

The couple said: "Lifting the carpet to find no parquet, just possible asbestos. All my dreams crushed. Buy a house built in the 80s they said, it will be fun they said. What do you think, asbestos or no asbestos?! "

Viewers on the Instagram video quickly responded to say they thought they recognised the material as asbestos. One person said: "Definite asbestos - we had exactly the same."

A second person added: "We have exactly the same tiles in the whole of our downstairs, tested and confirmed very low asbestos, so we're taking the screed and forget route."

It's recommended to seek professional help immediately if you find suspected asbestos in your home, especially if you're looking to remove it.

Each council in the UK will have its own information and advice regarding asbestos and its disposal. It's recomended that only licensed contractors should attempt to remove asbestos lagging, spray coatings or large areas of insulation board.

Homeowners should always seek advice before removing asbestos and should never sand, drill or saw the materials. Asbestos fibres can only cause harm if they are released into the air and inhaled.

Once in place and during normal use products containing asbestos present very little hazard in the home. In most cases asbestos fibres are bonded in the material and cannot be released unless the material is disturbed or damaged.

Interference with asbestos containing materials during DIY can result in significant exposures for a short time and must therefore be avoided if at all possible. If working with asbestos it is adviced to wear disposable protective clothing including a disposable dust mask 'CE' marked to EN 149 with FFP2 particulate filters.

For advice on asbestos in your home and if tips near you will accept it, use the government website here.