Most homebuyers start their search with a list of must-haves—maybe it’s a certain number of bedrooms, a spacious backyard for the kids and pets, or a roomy garage for tools and storage. Everyone has their own preferences, and while styles and priorities may differ, there are a few things that just about everyone can agree should never be included in a dream home. One of those? An infestation of snakes.

That’s exactly what Amber Hall discovered in what she believed would be her perfect first home. After weeks of searching, she thought she’d struck gold with a four-bedroom, two-bathroom property in Centennial, Colorado. The home checked all her boxes, and she could already envision her two children and their two dogs playing in the large backyard. It was in a great location and seemed like a place her family could finally settle down in and make their own.

Everything felt right—until it wasn’t.

Amber had officially purchased the home and was in the process of moving in when things took an unexpected turn. As she was unpacking, one of her dogs began acting strangely. He crouched down low and crept slowly toward a specific area, clearly disturbed by something nearby. Curious, Amber walked over, thinking perhaps he’d spotted a bug or a spider.

Instead, what she found left her panicked and shaken.

There, emerging from small holes in the wall near the door that leads from the garage to the yard, were snakes. Actual snakes, slithering right up the wall inside her new home.

According to local news outlet KOAA, Amber said, “I was trying to unpack, and my dog crouched down and started walking over here really slow. I came over to see what he was looking at, thinking it was like a spider or something, and there were two little holes right here and I saw snakes slither up the wall. So, I panicked.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Snakes—inside the walls of her house.

Amber was stunned to find not just one snake but several. They had apparently coiled up inside the walls, and when she placed her hand higher up along the drywall, she could feel warmth. That suggested more snakes might be hiding out, using the inner walls as their personal habitat.

She described the snakes as being “shockingly big,” and while experts suspect they may be a form of garter snake, there’s still uncertainty due to their unusual size. “After all the research, everybody’s saying they’re some form of garter snake,” Amber explained. “But they’re also giving the caveat that nobody’s ever seen their garter snake that big.”

As unsettling as it sounds, things only got worse from there. Since discovering the first snake a little over a week ago, Amber and her hired snake wrangler have found a total of ten snakes. The professional, brought in to remove the snakes safely and humanely, told Amber that judging by their size, some of the reptiles could have been living in the house for up to two years—possibly even before the home was listed for sale.

This revelation left Amber feeling betrayed and frightened. “I don’t feel like I’m the first one to find them,” she said. “But I don’t think that anybody would ever say that they knew they were there.”

The presence of the snakes has completely changed her feelings about the home she worked so hard for. “It’s rough. I’m 42 years old, and this is my first home. I’ve worked my whole life for it, and I can’t enjoy it. My kids can’t enjoy it. I’m scared to death.”

Amber says she hasn’t even been able to fully unpack. The fear of more snakes lurking in boxes or hiding in dark corners has made her hesitant to settle in. “It’s like you crawl into bed, and if the sheet brushes your foot or something, you immediately rip the covers off or jump out of bed to make sure nothing’s in there,” she shared.

So far, Amber has spent nearly $1,000 on snake removal, and unfortunately, that figure could rise. She mentioned that she probably won’t feel truly at ease until professionals dig into the foundation—literally tearing up the concrete—to find the nest or the source of the infestation. Until then, the anxiety looms large.

This kind of discovery is many people’s worst nightmare. Buying a home is one of the biggest investments a person can make, both financially and emotionally. To go from feeling excited and hopeful to terrified and anxious is a heartbreaking shift, especially for someone who’s worked for decades to become a homeowner.

Amber’s situation has sparked sympathy and concern across the community, with many wondering what legal or financial recourse—if any—she might have. Could the sellers have known? Should a pest inspection have uncovered something like this? While those questions remain unanswered, the emotional toll is undeniable.

No family should have to deal with something like this after buying a home. While some people are comfortable with snakes in the wild or in controlled environments like zoos, very few are okay with them sharing their living space—especially in places as intimate as the bedroom walls.

Amber’s story is a reminder that sometimes, even when everything seems perfect on paper, surprises can still lurk beneath the surface—or inside the walls.

What would you do if you were in Amber’s shoes? Would you stay and fight to reclaim your dream home, or cut your losses and walk away? Share your thoughts and reactions, and be sure to spread the word about Amber’s experience to raise awareness. No one should feel unsafe in their own home.