South Dakota – Aidan and Catherine McGowan made a highly unpleasant discovery in a roughly 120‑year‑old farmhouse that irked them to their core!

When Aidan and Catherine stepped into their new home, they soon noticed a strange smell in the living room.

Aidan got to the bottom of it and immediately removed the old carpet. It quickly became clear where the odor was coming from: large brown and yellow stains appeared on the subfloor beneath the carpet.

Gradually, it turned out that almost the entire room was affected. Having a good sense of humor about it, the couple commented on the discovery on Instagram, saying they're starting to think the previous owners had a dog.

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"When we ripped up the carpet, we were horrified," Catherine told Newsweek. "Other carpets had stains, but the living room was absolutely wretched. We are planning to pull up the subfloor, remove the bottom 3 feet of drywall, and lay new hardwoods."

As the two realized, the damage went even deeper. Aidan now plans to replace the entire subfloor, remove parts of the drywall, and install a new hardwood floor.

The renovation video went viral quickly and attracted a lot of attention. Many users expressed shock and shared similar experiences with hidden damage in older homes. Some even advised the couple to replace the walls as well, since odors and contaminants can settle there too.

For Aidan and Catherine, the renovation has long turned into a massive project. The couple jokingly describes the house as "full of not-so-great surprises" because every task they finish seems to reveal several new issues waiting to be tackled.

Nevertheless, they want to transform the historic building into their dream home step by step.