Getting the keys to a new home should be an exciting time, but one new homeowner has gone viral after revealing the unexpected nightmare he experienced on moving day.
After years of renting, this Missouri resident, who goes by the name Sonny, was thrilled to become a homeowner at the age of 26 and couldn't wait to make it his own. He told Newsweek that he never thought he'd be "lucky enough" to own his own place, so this was a dream come true.
Read more: First-Time Homebuyer Guide
The 100-year-old property had been empty for some time, so Sonny got started on a deep clean before moving in. Following a long day of cleaning and waiting for furniture to be delivered, Sonny and his wife stayed elsewhere on that first night. Unfortunately, the property didn't remain empty, and as soon as he returned the next day, Sonny knew "something was off."
He said: "I tried to unlock the door and it was jammed shut. I hadn't had any issues with the door the prior day, so I messed with it a bit until realizing it was safety latched from the inside. Once I smelled the cigarette smoke and looked for my cleaning supplies inside the front door, I realized someone had been in our house."
He scanned the house, and although he didn't find anyone inside, many of his belongings had been moved and there was some material damage, ranging from his mattress to his brand new candle.
"There was a smoke smell, my new bed was unboxed and dirty, trash everywhere, a power saw stolen, the garage door opener was stolen, and tons of things moved or misplaced," Sonny continued. "The oddest was that they took new dog gifts we were given and took them to the garage and put them inside the grill."
Sonny had locked the house overnight, but he believes the intruder broke in through the basement. He contacted the police to report a break-in, and later that day they arrived to check the property was safe.
In April, he revealed the details of his "first time homeowner nightmare" in a TikTok video (@goodsonnymusic) and it instantly went viral. The clip has amassed over 776,800 views and more than 53,800 likes, leaving many social media users horrified.
This certainly wasn't part of the process that Sonny had anticipated, but rather than feeling unsafe in his new home, he insists that he simply "felt angry" instead. However, it's still a huge milestone and he doesn't want this to detract from his joy at buying their first house.
He told Newsweek: "In the moment it was a big obstacle, but we're more than grateful to have a place to call our own. It's a life-changing opportunity that so many people don't get to experience, so we never want to be ungrateful.
"It was still an exciting day because we'd dreamt of owning a house for years."
Sonny never expected his TikTok video to generate so much attention, but it's already gained over 2,000 comments at the time of writing. One comment reads: "The candle vandalism was PERSONAL."
Another person responded: "no, this is so sad, I'm so sorry."
While another TikToker wrote: "get this man a documentary."
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