After buying an older home, the new property owner was quick at removing the old carpets within the home, and was quickly left baffled by what was hiding underneath09:58, 21 Jul 2026Updated 09:58, 21 Jul 2026There are always risks that come with buying a house. Even if you have been thorough with the inspections and surveys before signing the papers and paying the money, there could still be still unexpected problems once the property is yours. These may include mould, electrical issues, or leaks.‌While most home owners will take the earliest opportunity they can to make their property feel more like home by starting renovations or redecorating certain rooms, this is often where many surprises may pop up - but sometimes, they can actually be good surprises. This was the case for one woman, who shared her bafflement after finding an unexpected feature under the old carpets.‌Taking to social media, American homeowner Alex Engberg from Wilmington, North Carolina, has been documenting her property buying process, including picking new carpets.‌However, when she removed the old, green carpets in her new home's living room, she couldn't believe her luck when she spotted what was hiding underneath.In the video, Alex moved her camera around the room, showing a large pile of old carpet lying in the middle of the large living room, surrounded by the wooden hardwood floors they'd been covering up.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌"Buying an older home and ripping up the carpets to find perfect original hardwood floors," she wrote in the overlay text of the TikTok video. She later took to the caption of her video to say it was 'a dream come true'.And Alex wasn't the only one who was left excited by her unexpected find, as several viewers took to the comments section to share the excitement, with one person writing: "How does it feel to live my dreammmmm."Someone else said: "Yeah I’m sat for your renovation content this place is gonna look like a dream."‌Another home renovator went on to share: "Mine are so good too except PAINTED."How to know if you have hardwood floors hiding under carpetIf you want to see if you may have the same luck as Alex, there is an easy way to check if you also have original hardwood floors under your carpet - without having to rip out all of your carpets beforehand.To check for and uncover hardwood floors under your carpet, carefully lift a corner of the carpet in an inconspicuous spot, such as inside a closet corner, or remove a heat register vent to peek at the layers.Article continues belowIf you spot solid wood that is at least three quarters of an inch thick, you've likely found original hardwood flooring.Before fully committing, inspect the edge of the boards. True hardwood floors will have a consistent, solid grain pattern running all the way through, rather than the layered look of plywood or MDF.You should also check for signs of excessive moisture, black stains, or rotting.