During their bathroom renovation, a pair of individuals were unexpectedly amazed to discover an item that had been left behind by the former occupants inside the wall.
Renovating your home can be an exciting yet stressful experience. While most of us are focused on the present and future of our living space, we often forget that the people who lived there before us also have a history in that same place. Alex and Jess Monney, a couple from the Bay Area, were recently reminded of this fact during their bathroom renovation.
Unexpected bathroom discovery
In 2018, as they began their bathroom renovation project, the couple’s contractor stumbled upon something rather surprising – a note hidden within the bathroom wall. The note, written by the home's previous owners, the Shinsekis, read:
'Hi! We're the Shinsekis. We remodelled this bathroom summer 1995. If you're reading this, that means you're remodelling the bathroom again. What's wrong with the way we did it?'
If you know me, you know I love house projects. However, even I think I might be a little crazy for kicking off a bathroom remodel 4 weeks before I’m due. Bye bye bathroom! 👋🏻 And sorry in advance for the bathroom remodel updates to come. pic.twitter.com/yCJJN0A0KL
— Jess Monney (@Jess_Monney) July 3, 2018
The note was accompanied by an image of the Shinsekis and their pet rabbit, Cassie, along with a message that the rabbit was potty trained and also lived in the house. Alex and Jess were amazed and delighted by the unexpected discovery and took to Twitter to share their story.
According to reports, Alex initially tweeted the photo in response to a message Jessica's wrote about remodeling the bathroom four weeks before she is due to have a baby.
Viral sensation
The couple's tweet quickly went viral, receiving over 40,000 likes, more than 21,000 retweets and hundreds of comments and shares. Many people were intrigued by the Shinsekis and their humorous message, while others shared their own stories of discovering unexpected items during home renovations, reports TODAY.
A Rev. Jay Shinseki from Sunnyvale, California, took to Twitter to claim the man in the photo is his brother, Troy, but did not have any further information.
This is my youngest brother
— Rev. Jay Shinseki (@jayshinseki) July 4, 2018
The note served as a reminder that while we may view our homes as our own, they have a rich history that stretches back long before we ever set foot inside them. By uncovering this note, the Monneys were able to connect with the previous owners of their home and discover a unique piece of its history.
Search for the Shinsekis
After the tweet went viral, Alex and Jess embarked on a mission to find the Shinsekis and thank them for their funny note. They even had a possible lead when someone tweeted a hypothesis Mr. Shinseki was their younger brother, which was later proved nonsensical. The couple's search continued as they wanted to find out more about the Shinsekis and their time in the house.
While the couple has yet to find the Shinsekis, the viral tweet has sparked conversations about the possibility of finding hidden messages in other homes. Many people are now wondering what they might find if they were to renovate their own homes and uncover hidden treasures.
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