A DAD who discovered a hidden cellar beneath his rotting floorboards has transformed it into a home cinema.

Ben Mann, 39, was investigating the flooring at the house in Cradley Heath, West Mids, when he found a secret staircase leading to the basement.

Annoyingly, the cellar was flooded with water and rubble – forcing Ben and partner Kimberley to put the job on hold at first.

But he has now turned it into an incredible home cinema – complete with a custom-made sofa, projector, and bar area.

The room also doubles up as a playroom for one-year-old daughter Bella.

Ben said: "There was some issues with rotten floorboards and the person I bought the house from wouldn't let me explore any further until we had moved in.

"I had an inkling something was hidden underneath after noticing a lot of the houses on our street had cellars and steps leading down.

"I took a gamble and guessed where the stairwell would be and managed to cut the hatch out and found a flooded cellar.

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"It was in terrible condition; there was a foot of water and rubble.

"It was rotting the floorboards and joists so I had to replace all of them.

"I saw it as an exciting bonus despite the fact it needed a lot of work."

Ben spent £4,500 transforming the cellar and managed to use a lot of secondhand materials.

He even made his own system to pump out the water, which saved him a bundle.

Ben said: "The work started in October 2020 but was only recently finished as it was an ongoing project.

"There's a large L-shaped lounger, shelving racks, popcorn machine, sweet vending machine, a mini fridge, a projector, and a bar area.

"It's around 12 square metres and a fully functioning room which we're happy we discovered."

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