A father was taken aback when he discovered a scary room concealed beneath his house that he had no idea existed.
After moving into the pre-1900s home with his wife Kimberley Jane in 2015, Ben Mann couldn’t believe his luck when he discovered a secret stairwell leading to an old cellar.
The couple had no idea the secret room existed until they saw damaged floors and decided to look into it.
When the couple discovered the underground cellar was filled with water and rubble, Ben, 39, opted to put it on the backburner while restoring the rest of the house.
Ben, who is a sign maker, explained: “There were some rotten floorboards, and the person I bought the house from wouldn’t allow me to look around until we were settled in.
“After noting that several of the houses on our neighborhood had cellars and steps leading down, I had a feeling something was concealed beneath.
“I took a chance and guessed the location of the stairway, cutting the hatch open and discovering a flooded cellar.
“It was in terrible shape, with a foot of water and rubble on the ground. I had to replace all of the floors and joists because they were decaying. Despite the fact that it needed a lot of repairs, I saw it as a fun bonus.”
When work on the hidden room finally began, the couple opted to turn the ancient cellar into a cutting-edge home theater and playroom for their one-year-old daughter Bella.
They spent £4,500 to turn the rotting cellar into a home cinema with a custom-made sofa, projector, and bar area.
Ben said, ” “I did a lot of secondhand shopping and used a lot of used things. I built my own pumping system, which allowed me to save a lot of money by doing the work myself. The work began in October 2020 and was only recently completed due to the fact that it was a continuing project.
“A huge l-shaped lounger, shelving racks, a popcorn machine, a sweet vending machine, a mini-fridge, a projector, and a bar area are among the amenities. It’s around 12 square meters, and it’s a perfectly functional space that we’re glad we found.”
