If you’ve seen The Watcher on Netflix, you’d be suitably spooked by the true story of a family plagued by disturbing letters sent to their new house. But how alarmed would you be if you actually received an anonymous letter addressed simply to ‘Purchaser’, describing mysterious details about your new home? That’s what happened to this couple, who uploaded the unfurling of events to TikTok. Click or scroll on to discover this real life Watcher story…

New homeowners, Courtney and Matt received a mystery letter after moving into their 130-year old estate. Uploading details of the letter and its contents to their TikTok account, @living_in_history, the couple filmed their reactions to the message from the ‘last surviving member’ of the previous owner’s family—the Madisons.

Addressing simply the ‘Purchaser’, the letter holds instructions to discover secret rooms, chambers, and compartments throughout the house. In the second part of their trending TikTok series, Courtney reads out a part which speaks of the secret compartment above a fireplace within their Victorian-style home…

Sitting patiently behind a mirror in the front parlour, accessed by a sliding panel, this selection of unopened spirits, wines, and beer lay in wait. The dusty drinks bottles offered a delectable array of vintage bourbon, 1970 French rosé wine, 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon, and some cream sherry, which didn’t take Courtney’s fancy.

The second secret room was to be found upstairs, “directly opposite the door in the wall” inside the bathroom. Excitedly running upstairs with their daughter, Matt leads the way to “the scariest room in the house,” according to Courtney…

The bathroom, in need of renovations, hints at the hidden space to be uncovered behind wood panelling that has been removed. More of a crawl space than a secret room, Courtney describes it as "a creepy attic space". But a tiny secret door sitting directly opposite their toilet leads somewhere else...

The small, unassuming door leads into an expansive trunk room. Speaking to their followers, Courtney explains how they are figuring out what to do with the space, which for now is “just... a cool, cool room.” But the discoveries don’t end there.

More recently the TikTok stars have continued to find antique furniture and decorations throughout their treasure trove of a house, not least in their daughter’s wardrobe. With 1.4 million views, the video shows Matt opening up an old chest to find a music box, which slowly plays the wedding march. Not creepy in the slightest! 

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