When renovating a new home and stripping the wallpaper with the help of a wallpaper specialist, it can often be quite a surprise to find secret messages and hidden secrets underneath the rolls and layers of paper that accumulate over the years.

In one case in Australia reported by News.com.au, a mysterious “Jon” had left a note with a date from 1997, noting that the room needs eight rolls of wallpaper, as the six he had bought was not enough and it upset him greatly.

Discovered over two decades later by a later owner of the house, it has inspired a question regarding the etiquette of leaving a note like this on the wall for a future renovator to see.

For the most part, decorators and fans of DIY have been largely approving, saying that it is a nice touch to ensure they avoid the same problem they had dealt with in the past.

It is probably a good idea to measure regardless just to ensure that the figures are still accurate, but at the same time it gives you a general figure to prepare for and that can be helpful when making budgetary calculations.

As well as this, it is always charming to receive a message and words of encouragement from the last person who renovated, especially if it is yourself.

With that said there are some caveats to bear in mind that can make a message a bit unhelpful.

Jon only mentioned the price and how many rolls he needed, neglecting to give measurements of either the rolls or the house himself, suggesting he may have eyeballed the entire decorating job.

If you plan on writing a note, leave all of the information that is likely to be useful, so either the measurements of the room or at least the measurements of the rolls used.