It should come as no surprise that we love old homes. They’re often very unique, have lots of lovable quirks, and have a long and storied history. There are also lots of surprising things left by the previous owners that you can find among their various nooks and crannies.
Our team at Bored Panda is showcasing some of the most incredible and cool treasures folks have found while renovating or tidying up their historical properties. Scroll down for a peek at how lucky some people have been. Pssst, Pandas, don’t forget to upvote the photos that wowed you the most!
#1 I Developed A 120-Year-Old Photo Found In A Time Capsule
Someone in my family told me about a possible time capsule in our old house. After investigation, I found a box dating from around 1900 and the belongings of a little girl judging by the objects found inside.
Image credits: Mat0fr
#2 I Found This Victorian Terracotta Tiles Underneath Layers And Layers Of Wood And Linoleum. It Was Such A Pain To Get There, But So Worth It
Image credits: Euphoric-March-8159
#3 Uncovered This Beauty - We're Still Finding As Much History As We Can. We Have Found That This Pub Of Mine Was Built In At Least 1835 As A House, Before It Became A Pub In The 1870s
Image credits: rjle_x
You definitely have a good chance of finding cool, interesting, and even valuable things hidden in any property. The larger and older it is and the more prominent the former owner, the better your chances. However, it’s no guarantee that any and every old house is going to have a hidden treasure hoard.
Luck, as well as your curiosity and patience, all play a huge role here!
#4 I Was Doing Some Painting And Carpet Removal In Our 1920s Dutch Colonial When We Realized These Stained Glass Windows Were Underneath The Wood Paneling
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#5 I Was Sorting Though Some Old Bricks That Was Left Over From Our 1890s Townhouse, And Came Across This
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#6 I Found Louisa May Alcott's First Editions In The Century Home I Acquired. Rare Book Lottery Won
Image credits: offensivemailbox
If you happen to have bought an older property and you’re a fan of antique hunting, you should take the time to go through the entire home, from the lowest creaky floorboard to the highest shingle.
The most obvious places where you’ll find valuable things are the basement as well as the attic. It makes sense because these rooms are usually meant for storage.
#7 Discovered Original Tin Ceiling In Our 1920s Foursquare
Image credits: hailthethieves
#8 I Found A 130-Year-Old Recipe Book While Cleaning Out My Grandma's House
Grandma was from the UK, and it contains handwritten recipes. I'm struggling to read most of them, but they get more plain in the times during the world wars.
Image credits: KimJongsDongUnMyFace
#9 Medical Chest I Found In My Grandfather's Attic. I Think It's From Japanese Showa Period
Image credits: ASexualWalrus
Meanwhile, you should also patiently go through every cupboard, drawer, and trunk within the house. You never know what unexpectedly impressive knick-knacks you’ll stumble across.
Even if you don’t find something that’s going to wow the crowds at Sotheby’s or Christie’s, you can get to know the house’s history much better. Photographs, ornaments, and journals can tell you a lot about the people who used to live there, what they did, and what happened to them.
#10 We Found This Tunnel In The Basement Of Our Rowhouse. The House Was Built Between 1850-1874
It's located in southeast Pennsylvania. Directly above the tunnel is a public sidewalk and street. If you continued down the tunnel, you would be under a cemetery established circa 1750. The house is rumored to have been part of the Underground Railroad, and the realtor alleges the tunnel is connected.
Image credits: Bll9tu
#11 We Found This Beautiful Old Cast Iron Furnace Vent, Original To Our 1897 Farm House
Image credits: danielle_meow
#12 Plate Warmer Rediator In Our 1888 Home. We Bought The House About 5 Years Ago. I've Been In And Seen Hundreds Of Historic Homes And Never Seen Anything Like It
Image credits: BigguyZ
In the meantime, think outside the box, too. The furniture inside the property may be incredibly valuable due to its age, make, and materials. You might have a potential gold mine right under your nose.
Especially if the fixtures are still in a good enough state. And if you can bear to part with them, you could potentially have enough money for a proper renovation or some other project.
#13 A Woman From Edinburgh Discovered A 135-Year-Old Note Buried Under The Floorboards Of Her House
The Victorian time capsule was found in the exact place in the floorboards where it had been left on October 6, 1887. The Victorian-era note reads: "James Richie and John Grieve laid this floor, but they did not drink the whisky. October 6, 1887. Whoever finds this bottle may think our dust is blowing along the road."
Image credits: kibelem
#14 We Find Out That Our New 1912 Foursquare House Has Hundreds Of Old Books In The Attic
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#15 I Found This In The Yard Of My Old House In Agra, India
Update: My father sent a few samples to the Archaeological Survey of India in Agra, as suggested by many, so thank you. Those of you who said they are Terracotta figures, you were correct. They are Portuguese Terracotta figures from the 3rd to 4th century. I can't believe I thought these figurines were nothing of value and considered throwing them away.
Image credits: NotYoshii
There’s also a decent chance that there may be some lucrative items or jaw-dropping architectural features hidden beneath the carpets and floorboards, as well as within the walls. Though you’ll probably only uncover those if you’re knee-deep in renovating the entire place.
#16 I Was Cleaning Out My Dad's Old House Today And Stumbled Upon His Amazing Spider-Man Collection. He Has Every Issue From #15 To #700
Image credits: Drees14
#17 I Found My Great-Great-Grandfather's 1899 Certificate Of U.S. Citizenship, In Which He Renounced His Allegiance To The Emperor Of Austria
Image credits: Ovvr9000
#18 Apparently, I Slept 10 Feet Away From A 1910 Singer Sewing Machine My Entire Life Without Knowing It
My family inherited our 1920-built home from a family friend whose father built it, and when she passed away, we also got everything inside it. That was over 30 years ago, and we found lots of treasures over the years. My mom recently, dug in the eaves and found this 1910 Singer sewing machine with a cabinet. It was closed, so she always thought it was just an old table until she opened it last week. It needs a new lightbulb, and the pulley belt disintegrated, but other than that, it appears to be in good shape. For now, it's going to be a nice showpiece in my home, but one day I'll replace the parts. I just can't believe it took us 30 years to find it.
Image credits: StainedGlasser
Not to mention that the house itself, if it’s truly a historical and architectural marvel, can be incredibly valuable if you keep it as it currently is, without changing its unique details. In that case, it’s more an investment than a place that you might live full-time.
However, you'll have to put in the effort to maintain the property to preserve its legacy and significance.
According to 'Antiquing for Dummies,’ you can tell whether a particular item is valuable by remembering the acronym RADAR. It stands for rarity, aesthetics, desirability, authenticity, and really great condition. So, an item that is very rare, looks pleasing to the eye, and appeals to a lot of people thanks to current trends is worth a lot. If it’s confirmed to be authentic and has also been maintained well, this only makes its value go up.
#19 I Found Some Coins In A House I Recently Bought In Alexandria, Egypt
Image credits: IbMas
#20 I Found These Stacked In A Secret Drawer Left In My 1885 House
Image credits: Djourou4You
#21 While Replacing A Wall In My Basement, I Found A 100-Year-Old Marriage Certificate
Image credits: woden_spoon
On the flip side, if an antique is all scratched up, full of dings, chips, and cracks, its value drops.
Other things that detract from the overall worth of an item or a piece of furniture are if they’re discolored, have missing parts, or if they’ve been repaired unprofessionally. It’s nice that someone took the time to maintain an item. However, the reality is that if it’s done poorly, it really won’t help if you plan on reselling it.
#22 The House I Grew Up In Was Being Torn Down, So I Went Up Into The Attic And Found This Between The Rafters. Label Reads: "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1765"
Image credits: agaconn
#23 Vintage Board Games I Found In Attic Of My New House, Which Was Built In The 70s
Image credits: jlvy85
#24 Fireplace Lottery?
I decided to take a sneak peek behind a wall that covered up one of the fireplaces on our first floor, hoping to find an exposed brick. I Didn't find it, but we came across something else. Our House was built around 1898, and we wonder if this is original to the house. I will remove the entire wall tomorrow to see what else I'm working with. I'm hoping to restore this thing to its glory.
Image credits: Zealousideal_Bet4105
The Lion and Unicorn Auction House stresses that valuable antiques are made from high-quality materials. It can be as simple as determining that an item’s been furnished with gold or silver instead of cheaper metals, for instance, brass or bronze.
It’s also essential to determine whether any jewels used to decorate an item are real or if they’re simply made from glass, which is far less expensive. Something that initially looks impressive might fool the untrained eye.
#25 I'm Clearing Out My Recently Deceased Grandfather's Attic And Found Just Over 200 Grams Of Gold Powder
Image credits: Brody1911
#26 I Found This Lamp In The Old House During Renovation
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#27 My Parents Tore Their Floors Up And Found This Beautiful Flooring
Image credits: miraculouslyfound
Aside from the materials used, you have to pay attention to the quality of the craftsmanship. If the antique is a very notable and sought-after brand or made by a reputable manufacturer, then you’ve hit the jackpot. However, unless you’ve got lots of experience buying and selling antiques, you’ll probably need to have your haul evaluated by a professional (or two!).
#28 I Removed A Huge Mirror Today And Discovered My House's Original "Flavor"
Image credits: perfecto-pineappolo
#29 Found A Box In The Rafters In The Garage. Thought I Found A Safe, But I Ended Up With Even Better. Now I Have To Get A Player For These. Can't Wait To See What’s In Them
Image credits: Downtown-Growth-8766
#30 Kitchen Wallpaper In The 1914 Home. I'm Redoing The Kitchen Pantry In My House, And I Discovered This Old Wallpaper That I Didn't Know Was There
Image credits: porcupineschool
Which of these unexpected finds impressed you the most? What’s the coolest thing that you’ve ever found at any place you’ve lived in? Have you ever found any genuinely valuable antiques, dear Pandas? If you have some time, take a moment to share your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of this post!
For some more surprising treasures that people came across completely by accident, feel free to scroll through Bored Panda's previous posts.
#31 I Found Another Century Home Clean-Out Treasure. 1960s LOTR Collection
Image credits: offensivemailbox
#32 Real Treasure
I was in the middle of a bathroom renovation in my house and found a handwritten x-marked spot on the map. It led me into the attic, and at a certain spot under the insulation, I found a little treasure chest. One of the cool things about it was this.
Image credits: Ok-Bookkeeper-3624
#33 I Found A Suitcase In My 1859-Year-Old House Wall, And This Is The Contents Of It
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#34 Found These In Our 107-Year-Old House. Here's Some Of My Favorites
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#35 Found This While Cleaning Behind The Stove Of Our Century Home
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#36 Here Are The Contents Of A Safe I Found In My 200-Year-Old House
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#37 In My Grandparent's Basement I Found A World Atlas From 125 Years Ago
Image credits: Mackelowsky
#38 Found This Old Well Inside A 1700s Renovation I'm Working On In Chester
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#39 Found These In The Basement Of An Old House. Apparently, The Bottom Two Are Kris Daggers From Indonesia. The Top One May Technically Be As Well
The Kris is an old weapon with lots of history and legend. I found out that the previous owner of the house served in Indonesia during WW2. The blades were taken from there. I'm trying to find out how old these are and their exact origins.
Image credits: Freecake4Everyone
#40 1935 Kilgore Cap Gun With Original Box And Caps That I Found In The Attic Of A 1920-Year-Old House
Image credits: RukaFawkes
#41 We're Renovating A House, And Just Found A Cache Of Blueprints Drawn By The Last Owner Under The Floorboards
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#42 My House Was Built On Old Gypsy Camp From The 1890s. Last Night, I Found This Wedged Between The Cinderblocks In My Basement
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#43 I Found A Hot Tub And Steam Room Behind My Basement Wall
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#44 I Found A Couple Pounds Of Razor Blades In My Wall. Apparently Old Medicine Cabinets Have A Disposal Slot
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#45 Layers And Layers Of Wallpaper Found In My Kitchen (1900s)
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#46 A Wall Was Removed In A Victorian House We Are Working At, Which Revealed An Old Cast Iron Fireplace. It Is Estimate To Be Around 1850
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#47 My Dad Owns A 200-Year-Old House, And Just Found An Old Bible In The Attic
Update: It was made in 1802, and I think there was a "King James" sign in it.
Image credits: FarmerBradford
#48 Found This Under The Floor Of Our Entryway
I'm tearing up the floor of our entryway to insulate and level. Typically, folks would throw their trash under the floor when things broke, but I was lucky to find a whole plate. Our 1700s home used to be an inn and tavern, a post office, a train depot, horse and carriage storage, and a market.
Image credits: 1737_Farmhouse_Rehab
#49 Found In Grandma's Basement
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#50 We Just Moved Into Our 1920s Home This Month. I Was Rolling Out A Rug And Laid Down On It After. I Looked Over, And There Was This Wand
Image credits: ChickenBoneBooty
