A homeowner was shocked to discover a hidden room 13 years after buying their house.
When Laura Kohler and her husband moved into their home in Munich, Germany, they had no idea a secret space was hidden in the foundation.
It wasn’t until recent essential construction work that the room was revealed.
“We had to redo our front stairs because they became a safety hazard as ants were eating away the mortar,” Kohler told Newsweek. “When they were removing the stairs, the construction workers discovered that they were not a solid block as expected, but a floating piece of concrete. Under the stairs, and behind them under our front hallway, was an empty space.”
Measuring about 5 feet by 13 feet, the small space left everyone puzzled.
“The architect we work with for renovations has no idea what it could’ve been for,” Kohler said. “Nothing was in it except some used planks. It’s also not on the original house plans submitted to the city.”
The man who built the house died in 2012, likely taking the secret of the hidden room with him.
Kohler has her own theory. “I think it’s there because he originally had plans for it but then realized there was no easy way to access it without adding a new door and support beams from the basement,” she said.
Whatever the original purpose, Kohler and her husband already have a plan for the space. Once it’s properly insulated, “We will be using it as a utility room, freeing up some space in the room we plan to turn into a third bathroom,” she said.
Finding the hidden room could also increase the value of their home. Kohler estimates it could add about €66,000 ($75,000 USD) because property in Munich is in high demand. “The cost per square meter in our part of Munich is about €11,300 ($12,800 roughly),” she said.
Studies show that additions like this can raise property value. According to real estate company OpenDoor, renovating a basement space can increase a home’s value by $22,000, while adding another bedroom can add around $20,000.
What makes the discovery even more unusual for Kohler is that she had a premonition about it.
“I literally dreamt there was an extra room in our basement for several months and told my husband about it. We were both shocked when we actually found one,” she said.
Kohler said that in one dream, their architect found “an extra room under our basement,” and in another, she dreamt “he found a room under the bird clock in the hallway,” which is where the space was discovered.
Not all the dreams were pleasant. Kohler said, “The dreams always had something sinister about them, so I will be cleansing the space with the help of a friend before we use it.”
