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HOUSE OF FUN

It looks like a normal Victorian house from the outside but you’ll never guess the huge secret this family home is hiding inside

The house was described as the dream home for any family with kids

FROM the outside, it looks like any other luxury Victorian home.

But this beautifully-maintained house in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, hides an extra-fun secret - its own games room featuring a hidden ball pit.

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The luxury home, built in the 1890s, looks stunning from the outside with a pristine garden

 The ball pit, complete with a tunnel system, is installed in the basement of the house
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The ball pit, complete with a tunnel system, is installed in the basement of the houseCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 The home also features a games room, as well as five bedrooms
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The home also features a games room, as well as five bedroomsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Quickly snapped up after being put on the market for £375,000, the five-bedroom detached house on Abbey Park Road was advertised as the ultimate dream home for anyone with kids.

Originally built in the 1890s, it has has all the grandeur you may expect - featuring bay windows, a pristine pebbled driveway and beautifully-maintained garden space.

It also boasts a shower/steam room and three en suites, as well as a modern family bathroom.

Steeped in history, it is believed the property was originally built for the Mayor of Grimsby, and it is said to have been used as a command centre during the First World War.

But while estate agents Jackson, Green & Preston described the recently-refurbished property as 'oozing opulence and charm', viewers were likely surprised to discover a brightly-coloured ball pit tucked away in the basement.

With luminous yellow brickwork, green netting across the ceiling and a tunnel system, the unique installation will pose a challenge for anyone looking to redecorate the luxury home.

But it seems one buyer was charmed, as the home was sold within just two weeks.

 The Lincolnshire home was put on the market for £375,000 and sold within two weeks
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The Lincolnshire home was put on the market for £375,000 and sold within two weeks
 The property has been sensitively remodelled, keeping many of its original features
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The property has been sensitively remodelled, keeping many of its original featuresCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 The house has a number of child-friendly installations, as well as a large private garden
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The house has a number of child-friendly installations, as well as a large private gardenCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 The huge garden is screened by trees offering the residents some privacy
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The huge garden is screened by trees offering the residents some privacyCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Jackson, Green & Preston sales manager James Stanhope said: "It is the first property we have marketed with a ball pit and we are delighted to announce that it has sold, subject to contract, within two weeks of marketing.

"Two weeks isn't a record time but is very good for a property in this price bracket in the local property market.

"It's certainly a house that is very unique to us and we have never seen anything like it."

And it's not just ball pits - take a look at these other inspired renovations...

Believe it or not, this stunning £2.2million family home hides a slide, which takes you to the basement and a secret room featuring a cinema that can only be reached through a wardrobe.

Paul and Carol Newland, who live in Hertfordshire, added the entertaining extras as treats for their kids eight years ago.

 The Newlands built this mansion after demolishing the bungalow which used to stand on the property
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The Newlands built this mansion after demolishing the bungalow which used to stand on the propertyCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 The two-person slide leads to cinema room with surround sound
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The two-person slide leads to cinema room with surround soundCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS

And slides seem to be popular, as a £695,000 mansion in Alyth, Perthshire, went on the market last month featuring an express route from one bedroom to the kitchen - via a metal tunnel slide.

It's certainly a solution for any parent struggling to get the kids down for breakfast in the morning.

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This impressive property in Perthshire has a whopping nine bedroomsCredit: Cascade News
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The metal slide ends up firmly in the breakfast areaCredit: Cascade News

Slides have also featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs - with one award-winning home, valued at £3.8 million, featuring a wooden slide into a children's room.

Owners Tim and Jo Lucas transformed the South West London property from a plot of seven derelict garages, and built the slide which snakes from a hole at the top of the stairs down to the astroturf flooring in the playroom.

Grand designs house
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The London home features eye-catching pre-fabricated weathered steel cladding that encases the houseCredit: Bournemouth News
Grand designs house
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The wooden slide snakes from a hole at the top of the stairs down to the astroturf flooring in the children's roomCredit: Bournemouth News

But the fun doesn't have to just be for children, as this three-bed in Norfolk proves.

The home looks completely normal from the outside - but the former village hall actually features a skate ramp in the hallway.

skate house
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This home is particularly unassuming from the outside, and looks like any other house
skate house
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But inside, it's the perfect venue for any skater desperate to fit in some extra practise

After putting the former youth club venue on the market last year, the owners asked for £200,000 - which some may think is a small price to pay for that much fun.


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