Couple Yasmine Richardson and Ashley Johnson immediately started renovations on their Grade-II listed home after getting the keys, and were amazed by surprise they found under carpets11:50, 07 Aug 2026When you buy a house, you never truly know what you're getting until you get the keys and get to explore freely. While most buyers will make sure to do surveys or inspections of the property to get a better idea of the condition of the property, there are still some things that can get missed.‌So when one couple decided to buy a 400-year-old Grade II listed house in Nottinghamshire to do up and turn into their dream home, it sure came with a list of surprises to uncover. But one that Yasmine Richardson and Ashley Johnson were happy to take on. The couple have also taken to social media to document their whole renovation process, with the goal of restoring as many of the historical details as possible.‌One of their first tasks, however, took place in a large sitting room in the house, where the walls were covered in walnut-coloured wooden panels and built-in shelves. One one wall, there was also a large fire place with iron detailing, as well as large windows and a door leading out to the green garden.‌However, what Yasmine and Ashley focused on in the flooring in the room, as they went on to remove the old, blue carpets to see what was hiding underneath it."First things first, let's see what's under these carpets," Yasmine said from behind the camera as she went on to show them removing the old carpet in the living room.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌After having pulled the carpets away from the all, they were amazed to see wooden floor boards layed out, seemingly in great conditions."Oh, my goodness. They are oak, solid oak," Yasmine said. "And the original floorboards. I can't wait to see these restored."People quickly took to the comment section to share their thoughts, as many were left 'jealous' and in awe of what the couple had found.‌"Fabulous find," one person commented, while another wrote: "annoying when other people are living my dream."Someone else said: "Other than taking the carpet up there is not a single thing I’d change in that room, holy moly.""Why? Just why do people put carpet on lovely floors like that????" a fourth person wondered.‌However, some went on to wonder if the floorboards truly were oak, as many went on to say they looked more like pine flooring."Looks like Victorian pine not old English oak," one person said, while another agreed and wrote: "Those look like pine."To this, the couple replied: "Our floor restoration guy said they were oak."Article continues belowWhat is the difference between oak and pine flooring?While both oak and pine wood flooring are great options for flooring, they offer different qualities. Pine flooring is a softer, more budget-friendly softwood featuring an orangish hue and noticeable knots. Pine tree timber does tend to be on the lighter side. This can make it more accepting of finishes, allowing it to be made to fit a certain style or colour scheme.Meanwhile, oak resists scratches better, while pine offers a rustic, softer look but dents more easily. Oak floorboards are some of the oldest, most popularly-used timber species — and for very good reason. They have a timeless, stunning appeal and are considered a classy, stylish and versatile timber for the home.Because oak trees can take well over one hundred years to grow and live for more than 300 years, their timbers are much stronger, heavier and denser than those of pine trees.