Avery Associates

House Clearance & Probate Valuation Services


  • HOME
  • HOUSE CLEARANCE
    • Probate House Clearance
    • House Clearance
    • FAQ
    • Hoarder House Clearance
    • Garden Clearance
    • Charity Donations
    • Recycling
    • House Clearance Gallery
    • Our Locations
  • PROBATE VALUATIONS
    • PROBATE HELP
      • Probate Valuation Guide Fees & Advice
      • Probate House Clearance
      • Executor Assistance
      • Solicitor Assistance
      • Our Locations
    • Probate Valuation Explained
    • RICS Property Valuation
    • Classic Cars
    • Jewellery
    • Coins
    • Books
    • Stamps
    • Vintage Toys
    • Records
  • REVIEWS
  • NEWS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
    • BOOK A PROBATE VALUATION NOW

Hoarding in the Context of Seasonal Shortages

March 2, 2020 By Richard Farrell

There’s evidence people may impulsively hoard more than they need, if they fear it may not be available at least for a while in future. This is different from compulsive hoarding where the objects may have no intrinsic value.

However the dynamics are the similar and there are lessons we can gain by comparing the two.

Hoarding seems to be a natural response in times of imagined or real shortages. Britain became a ‘nation of hoarders’ during the second world war and some of us are still hoarding after Brexit happened.

Many animals also cache food for future consumption. The Sun reports that polar bears have started burying kills in ice which is a departure from previous behaviour. Perhaps they sense something is about to change.

Will the Covid-19 Coronavirus Trigger a Food Hoarding Response?

We don’t really understand why people hoard unnecessary possessions, even junk. However, psychologists suggest this gives them a measure of comfort, a sense of stability, and even fond memories. We all hang on to things we will never use again, even the most ‘normal’ of us.

There’s news in The Sun that Australians are ‘hoarding gas masks and even weapons like swords, tasers and axes’ as a response to the Covid-19 coronavirus threat.

This is sensational stuff over the top; however it does indicate that pressure can trigger sudden hoarding behaviour. There’s an echo of compulsive hoarding in this. Many behaviourists believe a traumatic event like loss of a spouse may trigger compulsive hoarding too.

Newsweek may think things over several before it publishes and is a reliable source. It spoke to a virologist at University of Queensland, Australia who blogged now is the time to slowly fill a ‘pandemic box’ with items that won’t go off. This is despite the fact that he says ‘the disease may become a pandemic but it may not be severe’.

What Does This Mean in Cold Scientific Terms?

Science portal Research Gate published a paper on how consumers react to perceived shortages created by suppliers. Scientists from Universities of Illinois, Springfield, and University of Nebraska at Lincoln interviewed 21 fast fashion store managers, consumers, and an industry expert face to face.

All the persons they interviewed agreed ‘fast fashion stores were successful in creating perceived scarcity which reflected both limited merchandise supply, as well as deliberate manipulation of merchandise availability by the retailer’. This created urgency in the minds of consumers, who were more likely to purchase available stocks.

Tying This Back to Our Topic, Compulsive Hoarding

Mayo Clinic defines hoarding disorder as a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them for a rainy day. Persons with the condition become extremely anxious at the thought of losing possessions regardless of actual value.

Our detour into seasonal shortages helps us understand why compulsive hoarding is rational behaviour in the mind of the hoarder. Hoarders are not ‘crazy people we should put into care’. They simply see the world differently from us, and to them hoarding is a natural thing to do. We carry out hoarder house clearance in Abbey Wood

More Reading

Did You Know Compulsive Hoarding Unfolds in Five Stages?

Compulsive Hoarding and Buying-Shopping Disorder: Some Common Ground

Related

Filed Under: Compulsive Hoarding, House Clearance Tagged With: clearing out a hoarders house, clutter clearance, coronavirus hoarding, hoarder clearance service, hoarder house clearance

Our House Clearance Services

We provide a full house clearance and property management solution:

  • We clear hoarded houses, regardless how big or how cluttered
  • We clear all types and sizes of property, irrespective of location, or access is restricted or where parking is difficult or not available.
  • We can help avoid water damage by draining the central heating system.
  • We can secure the property and change the locks.
  • We can reinstate the gardens and maintain them whilst the property is empty.
  • We can provide 24 hour security to eliminate the risk of squatting or unlawful occupation.

As well normal house clearances we specialise in clutter clearance and we can clear a hoarded house which may contain years of accumulated possessions, or which have abnormal amounts of general household items, sometimes as a result of compulsive hoarding syndrome.

Equally we can help to clear a property where the occupants were previously unwell and unable to care for themselves or their property which sometimes results in insanitary, dangerous or just plain unpleasant conditions.

More info

About Richard Farrell

What We Do

Get A Quick Quote

Client Reviews

Imogen
Aug 3, 2022
 by Imogen on Avery Associates
Professiuonal House Clearance

Dear Jeffrey I want to extend a heartfelt thank to you and your team for the hero’s work that you all did yesterday at the house in Highbury. You... Read More

Anne Wenham
Jul 26, 2022
 by Anne Wenham on Avery Associates
Fantastic service

So pleased to have found Avery Associates when we had to clear a three floor town house. The probate valuations for house and contents were swiftly ... Read More

Margaret Campbell
Jun 24, 2022
 by Margaret Campbell on Avery Associates
Amazing Service and Support

Hello Pam / Jeffrey, As requested, sorry it is late …. I forgot☹️ I used Avery Associates for probate content valuation, clearance... Read More

Page 1 of 45:
«
 
‹
 
1
2
3
›
 
»
 

Share, Email or Print

Looking For Something?

Our Latest News & Advice

  • Why Must I Place a Deceased Estate Notice?
  • If We Must Vape Let’s Recycle E-Cigarettes
  • UK Government Fly Tipping Statistics 2020 to 2021


Avery Associates
291 Mitcham Rd
Tooting SW179JQ

Tel: 0800 567 7769 or 0208 640 0044

Services provided throughout London and the Home Counties. View our clearance case studies.


Website Terms | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Copyright © 2005-2018 Avery Associates
Website Development by Avara Web Media