Liverpool buyer finds three-bedroom-sized hidden room in her £105,000 flat

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After years of saving, Phoebe Irving was ‘chuffed’ to finally own her own place.

The 26-year-old photographer snapped up a four-bedroom flat in Liverpool for £105,000 – a price that’ll have most Londoners’ jaws dropping.

And while she admits it’s a ‘ridiculous’ size for just one person, she was looking forward to making it her home nonetheless.

However, on the day she got the keys, she was left speechless after opening what she thought was a cupboard door, only to discover a ‘whole other flat’ inside her apartment.

She was expecting to find a cupboard behind the locked door (Picture: Phoebe Irving / SWNS)

‘When I went for my first viewing, there was a room that was locked,’ recalls the 26-year-old photographer.

‘The estate agent said it was just for storage. I asked if they could bring the keys for it to my next viewing, but they forgot.

‘I assumed due to the price of the flat, it wouldn’t be anything.’

But when she opened the door, she was greeted with a huge space, almost the size of three double bedrooms.

She continued: ‘I opened the door, and there was a huge room inside it. I was so shocked, it was a lot bigger than a cupboard […] it’s basically a whole other flat.’

She was shocked by what she found behind the door, as the space was huge (Picture: Phoebe Irving / SWNS)

Phoebe purchased the property as a solo buyer in April, after saving into a Lifetime ISA and putting down a £10,000 deposit.

The secret room came as a huge surprise as it hadn’t been featured on the floor plan, and wasn’t found by surveyors either.

She’s currently renovating the flat and putting in a new bathroom, but she’s not certain what she’s going to do with the additional space, as she hadn’t budgeted for it.

Phoebe paid £105,000 for her four-bedroom flat (Picture: Phoebe Irving / SWNS)

‘It’s been empty for a while, so it needs quite a lot doing to it,’ she adds.

‘I’m so overwhelmed, as now I have double the amount of space, and I don’t even have the budget to do up the rest of the flat, never mind this!’

Currently, she’s toying with the idea of turning it into a cinema room or dressing room someday.

Comment nowWhat would you do if you discovered a secret room in your home?Comment Now

If you’re considering a move to Liverpool like Phoebe, you might also be inspired by Laura Hall’s colourful home.

The 41-year-old artist took part in Metro’s What I Own series, sharing a look inside the four-bedroom home and her family share.

She revealed they pay £884 a month for the property, in a suburb of the city called Woolton Village, but it originally cost £140,000 when it was purchased in 2015.

The place hasn’t been valued in a while, but she reckons it’s now worth between £385,000 and £400,000.

It’s a 1930s ex-council house, and its transformation has been incredible.

Laura has documented it all on social media, building a loyal following on her Instagram page, @thehexagonalhouse, which earned her a place as a finalist in the ufurnish.com Home Awards 2025 for Best Interior Instagram.This article was originally published in April 2026 and has since been updated.

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