A Place In The Sun's Laura Hamilton reveals horrible discovery she found during house renovation in Mallorca: 'It's nearly impossible to spot'

Laura Hamilton has revealed her new home in Mallorca had a woodworm infestation when she bought it.

The presenter and property expert, 42, purchased the house in the heart of Pollença back in August and agreed to buy it 'as seen'.

This means she had a massive job on her hands to gut the place which was decorated in a very old fashioned style and with old furniture.

But during her renovations, Laura discovered some of the home had woodworm and so was forced to pull down part of the roof.

Woodworm is a common term for the larvae of wood-boring beetles that can infest timber and cause structural damage to properties. 

The A Place In The Sun stare shared a snap of herself in the house with the roof above her ripped out. 

Alongside the post, she wrote: 'I recently viewed a property in Spain… (not @myrenovationinthesun thankfully) that had some serious damage… and this was all caused by WOODWORM…

'Woodworm infestation can wreak serious havoc on your home. Woodworms can eat through timber fibre and permanently damage your building’s structure, requiring extensive repairs to fix.

'Worst of all, they’re nearly impossible to spot until the damage is done.'

Laura then gave fans a list of tips on what to do if they think they have woodworm.

She wrote: 'What can you do? Well you need to act quickly. 1. Identify: Look for tiny holes and powdery dust (frass) as signs of activity.  

'2. Determine if it’s active or structural. Consult a professional if you are unsure.

'3. Move affected items away from other wood to prevent spreading. 

'4. Use DIY woodworm treatment for minor cases or call a professional for severe or structural infestations.

'5. Replace or restore damaged wood. 6. Keep wood dry, improve ventilation, and apply wood preservative.

'If you are unsure whether a property has woodworm before you buy it, get a survey!'

Laura ended up knocking down most of the house in order to create her dream 'plunge pool' as a centre piece to the holiday house. 

Taking to Instagram at the end of November, she posted an update for her fans, writing: 'LOOK HOW FAR I’VE COME...

'Back in August I purchased a holiday home in Mallorca. But of course me being me, it had to be a ‘renovation project’. It’s a massive undertaking and I am loving the process and of course the transformation.

'I decided not to post lots about my renovation on this page as I know not everyone is interested so I decided to create a separate page with more content on the project over on @myrenovationinthesun.' 

Laura shared how it was tough to gut the house as it is on a small lane in the middle of the town - and it took a team of eight people three days to empty everything.

The whole back of the house had been demolished and the roof terrace has gone in order to create a space for a courtyard garden with a plunge pool.

She has also gutted the old fashioned bathroom, downstairs bedroom and kitchen to make way for a more modern design.

Laura has been one of the rotating presenters on Channel 4's lifestyle series A Place In The Sun since 2012.

She began her rise to fame in 2003, appearing on popular children's programme Fun Song Factory on CITV - alongside JLS' Aston Merrygold.

Laura also presented the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards and was in talks to host The X Factor accompaniment show The Xtra Factor.

Since becoming a firm favourite on A Place In The Sun, Laura has appeared on Dancing On Ice, where she came second.