Australian homeowner discovers 20-year-old buried swimming pool in backyard

Sam Letchford, a 25-year-old in Queensland, Australia, found a buried concrete swimming pool in his garden after buying his first home. What started as routine renovations turned into an archaeological dig, revealing a pool ignored by the seller and real estate agents during the March 2021 sale.

Letchford noticed irregularities in the ground and decided to investigate further. Using Google satellite imagery, he found the pool was operational in 2000. By 2011, the area was covered with soil and grass, hiding the original structure from potential buyers.

"It was shocking at first! But it was also funny because I was with my partner at the time and we couldn't believe what we found," Letchford told Daily Mail Australia. Despite the inconvenience, he remained pragmatic, stating, "It would have been great to know beforehand, but considering the state of the market and how difficult it is to get on the property ladder, I would have bought the house anyway."

The homeowner hired heavy machinery to excavate the pool. While he considered creative uses like a skate park, he is now weighing the costs. Since he doesn't plan to host events or use the pool soon, he finds the discovery somewhat bothersome for his current financial plans.