Top News

A family who bought their house three years ago have shared details of an astonishing discovery concealed within one of the property's interior walls. Carol Thiemer, along with her husband Tracy and their young children, revealed they uncovered the hidden surprise shortly after moving in when they detected something concealed behind the drywall.

"We bought our 1920s house with a third story attic that we had never seen," Carol explained in a TikTok video. The footage showed Tracy effortlessly pushing his hand through the wall before peering into the opening he'd made. After removing the plasterboard fully, he ventured inside to discover a staircase ascending to a substantial space above.

Complete with attractive wooden beams and windows, the attic clearly offers the potential for an additional - and completely unexpected - living area.

• Supermarket instant coffee named best in the UK — and it’s £1.10 cheaper than Nescafé Gold
• Two popular perfumes urgently recalled as they contain harmful banned ingredient

"I think it was only a matter of days before we realised where the entrance to the staircase was closed off," Carol recalled to Newsweek. "From the outside, it is very obvious that there is a third-story attic."

Following the clip's viral success, accumulating an impressive 4.2 million views, Carol posted a series of follow-up videos, exploring the family's discovery in greater detail.

Upon switching on the light, she quickly noticed an "ancient chandelier", though fortunately there was no evidence of any animals or insects making themselves at home.

Remarkably, meanwhile, the attic came equipped with plumbing and electrical connections already in place. Yet any major refurbishment has been put on hold for financial reasons.

"Unfortunately, money is really slowing down this project," Carol admitted. "I think my husband and I have decided for now that we would like to make it into a playroom [and] hangout spot for our young kids. We still plan on adding a bathroom since there is plumbing stubbed up there already."

Now, with their TikTok account soaring in viewers, the Thiemer family are hoping to generate funds through the TikTok Creator Fund to continue the transformation. "Thank you so much for the interest in our attic!" Carol expressed. "We have a goal of 10,000 followers and are so close! Please keep liking, commenting, saving and sharing! it really does help."

Writing in response, one TikTok viewer exclaimed: "The question is WHY did it get closed off?"

Another suggested: "What a beautiful master bedroom that would be."

A third person declared: "Looks like the house just went up in value by a hundred thousand dollars."

Meanwhile, a fourth commenter observed: "I can understand abandoning an attic but removing the door and just acting like it doesn't exist is wild. Good luck with all the room you have now, hope you get some isolation on the roof and make something awesome."

On the other hand, a fifth user urged Carol and Tracy to abandon their plans. "I would close it back up and leave it alone," they counselled. "Those style attics should not be finished off and that blown in insulation is really helping insulate your house."

This left Carol pondering: "I'm still wondering why the previous home owner closed off the access."