Inheriting a large house from a relative – no bad thing.

But imagine finding a huge haul of treasure buried within it after moving in.

An unnamed Frenchman stumbled upon 100kg of gold hidden among the furniture after being gifted the stately home in a dead family member's will.

The heir discovered huge piles of wealth in marvellously inventive hiding places around the estate, including under piles of linen, in tin boxes attached to the underside of chairs, and tucked away in bathrooms.

"There were 5,000 gold pieces, two bars of 12kg and 37 ingots of 1kg," auctioneer Nicolas Fierfort told AFP .

Overall, the fortune is worth an estimate £3 million.

Nicolas said that he visited the mansion in Evreux, Normandy, to value furniture that the new owner had decided to sell.

The gold, which was "extremely well hidden," he said, had been completed missed.

Gold coins only became apparent after the man started moving his relative's belongings around. He spotted a box of gold coins in a box under some furniture, then found more in a whisky box.

He also unearthed a "staggering pile" of gold bars and ingots.

"At that point he called his solicitor to make an inventory," Nicholas added.

Certificates found in the deceased's estate say that the treasure was purchased legally in the 1950s and '60s.

Apparently it's all been sold already – although local newspaper La Depeche , which reported the story first, said the finder will be liable to pay up to 45 per cent inheritance tax.

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