We ripped up the carpets in our new home expecting beautiful old floors – but were left gagging by £15k damage

WHEN AIDAN and Catherine McGowan moved into their dream home, there was a sense of excitement and joy. However, there was one thing that was bothering them – the fixer-upper was plagued by a constant smell that wouldn’t leave them alone. The couple recently moved into their new dream home – but were left horrified when they discovered a nasty surprise Credit: Jam Press/@littlefarmontheplains Aidan, 30, after removing the carpet from their home in South Dakota Credit: Jam Press/@littlefarmontheplains To tackle it, the duo, both 30, decided to take matters into their own hands and ripped up the carpets. Naively, they expected to find the property‘s original hardwood floors. Instead, the pair, who bought their rural South Dakota home just a month ago, discovered the floors and wall corners had been soaked in urine. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Catherine, a teacher, said the smell became even worse once the carpet was removed, with one corner so bad they were gagging as they tried to clean it. She said: “We were speechless at the state of the floors. All we could do was stand there in shock. The duo were expecting to find the property’s original flooring underneath Credit: Jam Press/@littlefarmontheplains The couple was so unprepared for the state of the floors they weren’t even wearing masks when they began ripping up the carpet Credit: Jam Press/@littlefarmontheplains “Our sweet pup, who had never had a potty accident in his life, was standing nearby looking equally as horrified, as if he might get blamed for the mess.” The couple was so unprepared for the state of the floors they weren’t even wearing masks when they began ripping up the carpet. Unfortunately, their renovation nightmare didn’t end there. The century-old pine flooring is covered in lead paint and still smells despite several coats of Kilz paint. Most read in Fabulous The couple has decided to replace the flooring throughout the house with dark-stained, wide-plank oak – costing around £15,000 ($20,000). They are also ripping out the bottom three feet of drywall in the affected room to tackle the lingering smell. The couple is keen to preserve the property’s early-1900s farmhouse character, rather than giving it a modern makeover. For now, their home is caught somewhere between a building site and a place to live, with mismatched rugs covering the floors, baseboards and door frames removed and extension cords running from the kitchen because there’s no power in the bathroom. Catherine said: “It’s a mess. But we love it.” The pair have no previous renovation experience but say they knew they were taking on a fixer-upper when they bought the property. And despite the extensive flooring bill, they remain excited to make the house their own. The couple’s video was viewed over 455,000 times, with 12,700 likes and 153 comments. One user said: “This is why I didn’t want used carpet in my room. I have cats, and used carpet in my room. I’m fighting my cats over it all the damn time now.” Another person added: “This is why I hate carpet. It’s so nasty.” A user commented: “Replace the drywall too. If there is that much on the floor, the walls probably got it too.” Sarah said: “Nothing will make you more anti-carpet then pulling one up.” One person added: “There is no carpet in my house. This is an absolute requirement for me. Carpets are DISGUSTING. I have an area rugs can be rolled up to clean underneath. I’m actually thinking of replacing it with a washable one because even the area rug freaks me out with how dirty it gets.” Comment now