Unexpected bonus in new house - am beyond excited!

[weehoo]

Have lived in a tall house on a small plot for years. Very little outside space, no parking or garage.

Just bought a doer-upper - it's built on a fairly steep hillside with lovely views. We viewed it in a bit of a hurry and had a quick look at the undercroft which wasn't really mentioned on the particulars. Saw a shed-sized room full of stuff and thought it would be useful for something.

Purchase is going through so I went back to the house yesterday to have a good look and to measure windows etc. Went back into the undercroft and realised it's a bloody warren of rooms! You can't stand up properly in some of them but they're all dry and clean and have power. The main room which I saw on first viewing is also way, way bigger than I remembered. Am almost embarrassed at how excited I am at the prospect of STORAGE. Also slightly tempted to put a trapdoor in the lounge and then the kids can disappear down there with their bloody felt pens and Barbie dolls

It will be so much fun deciding what to do with the space

I also have loads of 'hidden rooms' dreams.
Sounds very exciting and full of potential.

I'm so happy for you, weehoo. What a brilliant thread.

I also have the hidden rooms dream. It's usually completely exhilarating. Once I discovered a giant wood panelled ballroom. And an enormous Scarlett O'Hara staircase.
Often in the dream I'm not quite discovering them for the first time, so much as remembering them. Oh, yes, I'd forgotten all about the galleried library behind that door, how silly...

Only once has it been less than pleasant, when I dream-discovered a suite of at least seven bedrooms, which were annoyingly haunted. I was peeved and frustrated not to be able to make the most of my newly discovered wing.

It's fascinating that so many of us have this rooms dream.
And even better that it's come true for you!

I'm sure I saw this somewhere, is it like caves?

I've a background in historic houses and would usually think of an undercroft as a medieval thing - a storage area under the main great house, possibly vaulted. But yes a sort of additional space not included in the living space.

It sounds great OP!

I have a recurring dream residence that is accessed through a particular doorway in my house, but my dream house has an upgrade on all yours. In my dream residence, time stands still.

Oh, the projects I complete without losing a minute would leave you speechless.

Just finished my Nobel acceptance speech in the last dream. Needs work.

Fabulous.

I know of someone who got a whole cottage extra. ( Bought it. So knocked through)

Also have the extra room dream. Sometimes with a flight of stairs that have been blocked off and end at the ceiling. I need extra rooms now.

I’ve never heard of an undercroft. Is it a different word for a basement? Or something else?

I also have hidden room dreams. They always have magnificent William Morris wallpaper.

@Anoisagusaris if you scroll back a bit, you should see a rough sketch I did - it's like a basement but above ground because the house is built into a hill. Back of house (uphill) is at ground level and front is elevated. The undercroft is the spare space underneath - full head height in some areas, then lower in others.

Sounds awesome! I would be thinking of making a little den down there.

I have a house with secret voids, The estate agent didn't know they existed. I'm not even convinced the past owners had even realised..

I did when we got the floor plans and I happened to lay them over each other and say ummm hang on a minute, what's that space? We opened the floorboards And have a void.. they were old bread ovens, coal store and basements.

It's like our houses secret!

I have dreams like this too!

My friend in Hebden Bridge had one of these under her house. Apparently, they're quite common round there because of the hills. They are referred to as “underdwellings” , which sounds pleasantly Hobbit-esque.

I have the hidden rooms dreams too, and they are mostly ones I've forgotten about, rather than new discoveries. They are always fully furnished, too.

Our latest rental turned out to have 2 rooms more than I expected, and is ther biggest place I've ever lived... it's amazing! It's still shabby, slightly depressing and awful kitchen, but great light, and space for everyone to ignore each other

I have dreams like this too.....usually discovered through casually tapping a wall, hearing that it's hollow, thinking "hhm, that's strange" and knocking through. Same as previous posters, these rooms generally have fabulous William Morris wallpaper, beautiful old chesterfields (battered just the right amount to be exceptionally comfy), old oil paintings of the houses previous occupants, and occasionally share certificates in companies like Shell and BP and vintage bottles of wine

Most things are covered in big white dust sheets that I delight in whipping off.

So excited to hear about all your extra space. The possibilities are endless.

Please post some pics!

Blimey, I also have dreams of finding hitherto unsuspected rooms Mine always require a good deal of work, and there are cobwebs, dated paint colours, old wallpaper, cheap old wood paneling. In one dream I found a small bowling alley in the basement.

whynotchangemore, my dad was born in an early Georgian house with voids and also a poltergeist. There were stories of a child who died an unnatural death back in the late 1700s, related somehow to the voids.
My grandparents had an exorcism done.

We viewed a house a couple of times. A spooky house on a hill, it was an odd layout but we liked it, we called it Goth House.
The owner showed us the cellar and we noticed a wall with a hole through it, I asked him what was behind it 'not sure but the cat got in there, he came out after a couple of days.' We didn't buy it, it still gives me the creeps.

I have recurrent dreams about finding new and unused rooms in my house. They are so vivid and odd. However in my case I always feel stressed as I realise it's more to clean!

Where can I buy a house with an undercroft? I’ve finally found the thing that is missing in my life!

I've had this dream too!

How exciting, OP.

Thanks for the update. I had been wondering.

I have a recurring dream about extra rooms - it's usually a filthy gorgeous ancient wing with warren type corridors and rooms - total opposite to my 30s semi!

Although I've never had an extra room dream, I've had an extra garden dream.. it came off the first floor as a balcony above the actual garden.

The house we own (rather than where we live in Army housing) has a four room cellar, with a decrepit but original Victorian range. Unfortunately it's likely to be another 10years before we move in there if at all, it we would love to restore the kitchen to the cellar and have another room down there. It will need an extra bathroom though, including the cellar it's over 4floors

Undercroft? never heard of that but it sound so cool! Congrats OP- enjoy your new discovery 😃