Mum finds 'clever' warning from previous owner buried under old wallpaper

14 May 2024 , 15:48

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The DIYer was stunned by the note left by the previous owner (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images)

A mum was amazed when she found a handwritten note hidden beneath the wallpaper in her house.

The woman was in the midst of renovating her home when she discovered a 'clever' note left by the previous owner to help her with the decorating. The handwritten message revealed how many rolls of wallpaper would be needed to cover the room after the old homeowner made a mistake.

The paper note was signed off by someone called 'Jon' on December 21, 1997 - meaning it had stayed a secret for more than 20 years. The mum, from Australia, was so stunned about her find that she took to Facebook to share a picture of the handy advice with fellow DIYers.

Facebook users praised 'Jon' for his handy advice (Facebook)

The note read: "If you ever need to wallpaper this room again, it will take eight rolls of wallpaper. I bought just six rolls at $17 per roll on [December 21, 1997] and didn't have enough. It really p***ed me off."

A snap of the message was shared on a mum's Facebook group in the summer of 2020 and the post was inundated with comments from people praising the idea. Some called it 'clever' and 'thoughtful', and one person joked: "You can just feel the frustration."

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Another said: "This is absolutely brilliant," while someone else jokingly sent their well wishes to Jon. "Thanks for the tip Jon. I hope you've finally gotten over it. I'm sure it's a story that's still told." But one Facebook user found a flaw in the tip and pointed out that wallpapers come in different widths and lengths.

The Australian mum isn't the only one to have found a note under her wallpaper. Recently, a woman was left terrified after finding a hidden 'Doomsday' message under five layers of wallpaper in her 150-year-old house.

Comedian Loubobang was renovating the property and documenting her progress on TikTok when she made the startling discovery. Written in what appears to be a pen, the message reads: "Sept 10th DOOMSDAY." It wasn't clear who left the message, but it was particularly unnerving to Loubobang, who revealed the date was her birthday.

A version of this story was published on The Mirror in June 2020.

Nia Dalton