I found a secret door in my £105,000 flat — what was inside left me speechless

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 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. Ready to start your homebuying journey? You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. 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) Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. 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. 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. Deals of the Day Cold mornings are coming and this is the dressing gown I want to live in Most of us aren't getting enough fibre – this easy supplement could change that My honest review of the new UKLash Lash Lift Gel Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather Dyson fans are swapping to this Hoover vacuum-mop that washes floors as it cleans 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. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: The best cocktail glasses and bar accessories to elevate your home entertaining Arrow MORE: Ambitious neighbourhood named ‘coolest in the North’ after ‘miracle’ transformation Arrow MORE: Home for sale hides underground network of rooms the owners dug by hand The Key Sign up for must-read property stories, DIY hacks and tips for buying a home.