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Original poster

Weirdest thing (or things!) you found when moving house

156 replies

Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:06

After four long days I am fully moved into my new place - while my back may be aching, my wallet is happy as I did it all myself! But in the process of going into the nooks and crannies of my old place I came across two interesting things (nothing exciting like witch bottles sorry, both buildings are only about 40-50 years old).

The first was when I was checking down the back of the old sofa which came with the old flat and which I frankly never sat on as it was far too uncomfortable - just a force of habit really, there wouldn't be any of my spare change down there! And wedged between the frame and cushions was a set of car keys with bleeper (am sure that's the technical name!) and - I kid you not - 12 DOOR KEYS! All different sizes/shapes for different doors, it was like a jailer's set!

The second was when checking under the fridge and I came across what USED to be a grape, but was now a perfect raisin with a stalk and everything! Must have dehydrated itself in a nice cold space. I now consider myself an amateur winemaker (right?!) Honestly though, if I had taken off the stalk and put it in a packet of raisins you wouldn't have known the difference - fascinating!

Maybe not all that exciting (probably not) but it's made me nosy for what other people might have found on their travels. Also I don't have proper internet yet - this is all phone data - so I don't have any TV. Although I did find a box with my mum's old DVD player that she gave to me because she had no use of it and suggested I put it on eBay... clearly I never managed to, nor the DVDs she gave me with it... so at least I am now watching Knives Out! Was so weird being in a house without any background noise... this is definitely helping it feel like home!

OP posts:
50NotFat · 02/03/2026 21:11

More gross than weird….a manky pork chop ontop of the only kitchen cupboard still hanging straight. House had been empty for several months before we moved in. And a flea infested carpet on the stairs.

Gliblet · 02/03/2026 21:16

Us? Bugger all - stained pillowcases in the airing cupboard with someone's contraceptive pills.

One of the houses in the village I grew up in though was renovated by a new owner after being in the same family for generations. During the building work one of the internal walls was found to be very old wattle & daub under layers and layers of plaster, and into gaps in the wall someone had put some little glass bottles, a pair of child's shoes, and a few small coins.

Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:17

50NotFat · 02/03/2026 21:11

More gross than weird….a manky pork chop ontop of the only kitchen cupboard still hanging straight. House had been empty for several months before we moved in. And a flea infested carpet on the stairs.

Oh no! That's not how you want to start life in your new home! Fleas is awful - my mum 'inherited' some moths in the carpet when they moved the time before last. Who puts a pork chop in a cupboard?!

OP posts:
LeftBoobGoneRogue · 02/03/2026 21:18

Bacon fat in the bottom of the grill pan.
Newspaper from July 1966 under the kitchen carpet.

pinkstripeycat · 02/03/2026 21:19

Under my mums house floorboards a sealed bag full of beautiful flannelette bedding.

AffIt · 02/03/2026 21:19

I lifted some lino in a hall cupboard with the intention of replacing it and found a newspaper underneath, published on my exact birthday - date and year of birth.

I was so freaked out that it took me six months to actually get round to finishing the task.

T1Dmama · 02/03/2026 21:21

When we moved in I found some large metal sheets, which were something to do with newspaper printing years ago (I’ve been told).
I found a necklace with a coin in from (presumably) when the previous owners 1st daughter was born.
Then when we changed the kitchen we found paperwork from her boob job… 🤣

cymraes12 · 02/03/2026 21:23

A large collection of twigs in the airing cupboard, all with human hair wound around them, which appeared to be from several different people. Oh and a load of unwashed pants left in the washing machine - literally just pants and nothing else …

Fireside10 · 02/03/2026 21:23

I can raise you on the keys as we were presented with 27 keys when we moved into our house, which is particularly odd as we have a victorian terrace with the original door in place. Only one or two of the keys actually fit said door.

Secondly in the attic was a wooden chair with a weird aztec print (I think) the legs are all half cut off. My husband is still convinced it's cursed.

Pinknothere · 02/03/2026 21:23

We moved in to our house to find the previous owners (adult kids of deceased) had left everything used teabags in the sink, a woman's wig in the dining room cupboard and a secret cupboard in the master bedroom with 2 windbreaks in. They left 2 sofas and a large 1980s sideboard, 2 beds and lots of kitchen bits (3 skip fulls plus many trips to the charity shop).

Fingalscave · 02/03/2026 21:24

My parents downsized to a lovely house but the dining room had a strange smell. The only thing it could have been was the carpet so they took it up. Underneath, the beautiful parquet floor was damp in big patches and the smell was terrible. The neighbours told them the people that sold them the house had a big dog that was left shut in the room all day while they were at work. Poor thing had to do its business on the floor and it soaked through into the wood. Strangely, the carpet didn't feel wet on top.
They had to have the floor sanded and refinished but I thought it always smelled faintly.

Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:25

Gliblet · 02/03/2026 21:16

Us? Bugger all - stained pillowcases in the airing cupboard with someone's contraceptive pills.

One of the houses in the village I grew up in though was renovated by a new owner after being in the same family for generations. During the building work one of the internal walls was found to be very old wattle & daub under layers and layers of plaster, and into gaps in the wall someone had put some little glass bottles, a pair of child's shoes, and a few small coins.

Not 18th century contraceptive pills?!

Wow that gave me shivers for some reason - those special things put into the gaps in the wall. Thanks for sharing.

OP posts:
Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:25

AffIt · 02/03/2026 21:19

I lifted some lino in a hall cupboard with the intention of replacing it and found a newspaper underneath, published on my exact birthday - date and year of birth.

I was so freaked out that it took me six months to actually get round to finishing the task.

WOW!

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 02/03/2026 21:26

a copy of some kind of dodgy wife swapping type mag in an envelope( opened) behind a wardrobe that was left -

Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:27

cymraes12 · 02/03/2026 21:23

A large collection of twigs in the airing cupboard, all with human hair wound around them, which appeared to be from several different people. Oh and a load of unwashed pants left in the washing machine - literally just pants and nothing else …

Do you think they thought: "Oh last time we moved we couldn't find the box with our knickers in it for WEEKS! So this time we'll give them a wash and pack them last!" And then totally forgot about them?!

Interesting twigs with human hair... wonder what that means.

OP posts:
Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:29

Fireside10 · 02/03/2026 21:23

I can raise you on the keys as we were presented with 27 keys when we moved into our house, which is particularly odd as we have a victorian terrace with the original door in place. Only one or two of the keys actually fit said door.

Secondly in the attic was a wooden chair with a weird aztec print (I think) the legs are all half cut off. My husband is still convinced it's cursed.

You totally win! I think some people just maybe keep all of the keys from everywhere they have ever lived!

Was there a doll-shaped indent in the chair cushion? Does it rock by itself?! Do you hear the faint strains of 'Ring-o ring-o roses' sung in a reedy child's voice at midnight every night?!

OP posts:
Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:30

T1Dmama · 02/03/2026 21:21

When we moved in I found some large metal sheets, which were something to do with newspaper printing years ago (I’ve been told).
I found a necklace with a coin in from (presumably) when the previous owners 1st daughter was born.
Then when we changed the kitchen we found paperwork from her boob job… 🤣

Hope she doesn't ever need a refund - you've literally got her receipts! 😆

OP posts:
Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:31

Pinknothere · 02/03/2026 21:23

We moved in to our house to find the previous owners (adult kids of deceased) had left everything used teabags in the sink, a woman's wig in the dining room cupboard and a secret cupboard in the master bedroom with 2 windbreaks in. They left 2 sofas and a large 1980s sideboard, 2 beds and lots of kitchen bits (3 skip fulls plus many trips to the charity shop).

Sounds like they either ran out of time or just thought: "Sod it, the new owners will take of this junk" - cheeky if so.

Secret cupboard sounds cool though - does it lead to an underground lair or perhaps a bell tower filled with bats?

OP posts:
Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:31

Fingalscave · 02/03/2026 21:24

My parents downsized to a lovely house but the dining room had a strange smell. The only thing it could have been was the carpet so they took it up. Underneath, the beautiful parquet floor was damp in big patches and the smell was terrible. The neighbours told them the people that sold them the house had a big dog that was left shut in the room all day while they were at work. Poor thing had to do its business on the floor and it soaked through into the wood. Strangely, the carpet didn't feel wet on top.
They had to have the floor sanded and refinished but I thought it always smelled faintly.

Edited

Oh poor big dog - hope is widdling lavishly all over their new home...

OP posts:
Original poster
Arlanymor · 02/03/2026 21:33

Crikeyalmighty · 02/03/2026 21:26

a copy of some kind of dodgy wife swapping type mag in an envelope( opened) behind a wardrobe that was left -

Reminds me of the time I found a used condom underneath the bed in a hotel - the manager said: "At least they were being careful!"

Yeah, but your cleaning team weren't, were they?!

OP posts:
SundayBells · 02/03/2026 21:35

I wonder how they ended up there @pinkstripeycat ?

When we moved to our first house in the early 80s we found porn everywhere. Under carpets, in the loft, the cellar, cupboards and behind the kitchen kick panels.

The previous owner left us a hideous old mustard coloured plastic sofa which we badly wanted gone. DH and my dad dragged out into the garden to cut up into pieces small enough to get into our Ford Escort and take to the tip. When they sawed into it out fell an absolute mother load of porn the bloke had obviously stuffed down the sides. 0

The whole time we lived there we regularly got catalogues addressed to the previous bloke trying to sell him all kinds of dubious magazines and 'accessories'.

Reliablesource · 02/03/2026 21:38

When I bought my first place the previous owners had left behind an ugly, ancient wooden cabinet which I kept as it had drawers and little cupboards for useful storage. Inside one of the drawers was a small grey remote control device of some sort, with no markings on any of the buttons. Not a tv remote, something simpler, but I never fathomed what. Even though there was nothing in the property that it could have been linked to, I had a notion it might be ‘important’, and kept it in the drawer. For 8 years!! 😂

Underthegreenwoodtrees · 02/03/2026 21:41

We’ve recently moved and have visited the local recycling centre nearly 20 times as we clear out stuff we keep finding. We investigated the gully between the house and garage as water was entering the garage where we found a pair of swimming trunks, several non matching socks and a toy tardis!! That, along with a bucket of dirt, moss and general rubbish was causing the rain to overflow.

Those socks were the 7th ones we have found throughout the garden, along with 8 rugby and footballs, lightshades in the trees, and even dolls heads and detached bodies screwed to the inside of the shed wall a bit like those toys mistreated in Toy Story!!

We also founds handwritten notes in the attic tucked between joists with various sums of money written on them - £1,000, £5,000, etc but sadly no money. We also found 2 tins stuffed deeper in the attic which clearly had held money, but again sadly empty.

SundayBells · 02/03/2026 21:41

When my parents moved into their first home there was a mattress rolled up in the small bedroom. As they took it outside the string broke and it unrolled spilling thousands of maggots on the stairs.

@Arlanymor I hope you'll be very happy in your new home.

Cherrysoup · 02/03/2026 21:42

Rental. Jar of mayonnaise in the loft, plus lots of the kids’ school photos, 2 Christmas trees, lots of half empty cans of lager, about 30 gift bags, dog shit on the bedroom carpet. Cigarette butts everywhere. Lots of empty boxes. Multiple watches. An almost full box of Kellogs’ cornflakes. A blender. Cuddly toy (I’m kidding! 🤣)

6 car loads and no parking. That was fun.