It is a common misunderstanding that those who hoard are simply untidy or lazy individuals who neglect to clear up their homes. This could not be further from the truth; hoarding is a psychological disorder that makes it incredibly difficult for the individual involved to throw anything away. This can result in so much hoarding over time that it can become difficult for a person to move around their property, and for the safety and hygiene of their home to be compromised.
If you have a loved one who is hoarding, or if you have inherited a hoarders house, then it can be very difficult to know where to start with solving this problem. If the person is still living there then the underlying psychological difficulties will certainly require support. When it comes to the house, it is worth considering professional help. We, here at CleverClear, have many years of experience helping people with these kind of properties clear out their property safely and effectively.
Identifying hoarding behaviour
A serious condition, hoarding behaviour can have social, emotional, financial and even physical effects on an individual. The signs that someone may be an impulsive hoarder include:
• An inability to throw away possessions with no value to the individual or anyone else
• Mild to severe anxiety at the idea of getting rid of anything
• Repeatedly adding to the hoard without believing there is a problem.
• Being unable to use some rooms in a property due to the amount of clutter they contain
• Having an abundance of possessions that negatively impact safety, health or hygiene.
Some hoarders have tendencies that are more severe than others, but if you have a loved one who is hoarding, or if you have inherited a hoarders house, the first step in moving forward with clearing the property is to seek professional help by contacting us at CleverClear. There are often underlying issues regarding the safety and hygiene of tackling a job like this, at CleverClear we know exactly what to do. If the person is still living in the house, we would advise that they also engage with their doctor and seek other emotional support too. Any issues that have driven the hoarding, once dealt with, can help with coming to terms with the decluttering process. At CleverClear we work hard to recycle up to 100% of items and material and items that come from our house clearances.
The steps to helping a hoarder clear and organise
The first step in how to help a hoarder’s house is to start a conversation. CleverClear staff work with kindness and compassion. Our communication style is sensitive and non judgemental. We understand what the end goal is, particularly when it comes to the items an individual wants to keep. When dealing directly with the person that has been hoarding, we use neutral language to help this process; words such as clutter or unsanitary are not helpful.
The next step is to create an action plan that everyone is in agreement with. The criteria for disposing of items can be a stressful process, so patience and kindness is key. A good schedule will tackle each room individually so CleverClear and the client will know exactly what to do. We can help set some goals to assist with the process if there are items in the house to be taken away before we start. This might be the amount of time that is spent on each task, deciding what to keep, or how much space is needed to be cleared.
Once the plan has been completed, CleverClear can begin work. Remember, house clearance is not cleaning; this is something that can be tackled later. We work according to the the plan and take time to sort, separate and remove items to donate and recycle.
The final step that is required, because there will be a lot of things to dispose of, is for CleverClear to remove and recycle the unwanted items and. material. This is done away from the site where care is taken to recycle as much as possible. We have many years experience helping clear hoarders houses and we offer a friendly, sensitive, and professional approach. We understand the nature of hoarding and we are here to help in the process of reclaiming the property.
If you need help with a hoarder’s house or any type of house clearance, we provide quick quotes. Get in touch with Clever Clear today!
