A hoarding house clearance is not something to tackle lightly. This is because the behaviour is the outer sign of a deep-seated obsession. Therefore we need to understand the dynamics of hoarding squalor and house clearances first, before embarking on the project so everybody concerned is on the same page.
Hoarding Squalor and House Clearance Issues
Squalor and hoarding are both outward signs of complex mental conditions, and physical and emotional states. A project team whose report we rely on for this article explains a house clearance should not begin without consulting a doctor. or a competent medical professional first.
A house clearance team for hoarding or squalor faces an accumulation of possessions, rubbish or both. However, the underlying drivers are different, as follows:
- Hoarding disorder is a mental illness with no known medical ‘solution’ at present.
- Squalor is an unsanitary environment resulting from extreme domestic neglect.
Clearing Squalid Homes After Tenants Depart
A quarter of all people with either condition have physical comorbidities such as incontinence, immobility, or severe visual impairment. We mention these things to illustrate how hoarding squalor and house clearances may be real challenges to loved ones and friends.
Living under such circumstances poses safety risks to occupants, neighbours, and anyone else entering the premises. The risk of injury, fire, and even death may be high. Landlords are often left with the house clearance bill when such tenants finally depart.
House Clearances of Hoarder’s Homes
Hoarding is a tendency to keep unnecessary possessions to an extreme degree. It may, or may not be accompanied by squalor, although this is quite often the case. In either instance the hoarded items eventually take over rooms, reducing the available space for normal living.
- The main driver of this lifestyle in an inability to shed possessions.
- Attempting to enforce a house clearance can cause extreme distress.
The drivers behind this state may begin in early life, but the condition follows a chronic, progressive course in old age.
A Brief Summary At This Point
In summary then, hoarding squalor and house clearances may manifest for one of two reasons:
- The occupant or occupants may simply be too lazy to follow convention.
- The occupant or occupants may be mentally unable to correct things.
Avery Associates can help with a house clearance if requested. Please call us 0202 640 0044 to arrange a meeting.
What If the Occupants Don’t Agree?
This is a problem some clients have when they call us for a quote for a house clearance. Many people living in squalor, or in hoarded homes can’t understand the problem other people have with their lifestyle.
We can’t enter and begin our work under those conditions, because we need a clear space to operate safely and thoroughly. We have no legal right to challenge the occupants, although family and friends may have interests.
Here are several ways family and friends could try to gain the free access we need to do our job:
- If the occupant, or occupants are still able to reason logically, then explain you are there to help, and it is time they cleaned and tidied their space. Try the approach that this will benefit them, you are not just trying to satisfy yourself.
- However, if the occupant or occupants are unable to reason logically – and perhaps won’t even admit you – then you may need to ask a doctor or your local council for advice.
- If you believe, after seeking professional advice, that the people in the house face a safety or welfare risk, then you are running out of options. Someone with a court order may have to intervene.
Avery Associates Bespoke House Clearances
Avery Associates are here to help you if you need a hoarded house clearance. We deliver a fast, effective service that is sympathetic and confidential.
Our considerate approach makes us the go-to choice for an increasing number of people, including solicitors, executors and family members based overseas.
We have a waste carriers licence, and comply with all the rules for disposal of domestic waste. You won’t find old documents dumped on street corners with us. You can rest assured low value items in good condition go to charity shops.
We have an enviable success rate for finding important documents like bank accounts, investment receipts, wills, and letters of intention. If you need assistance with selling valuable collectible items, we have expert valuers on our team.
We are the hoarding clearance specialists in Greater London and beyond. A senior staff member will always be in attendance guiding our work team. We don’t leave litter behind. Your premises will be thoroughly clean before we leave.
Avery Associates will be there when you need us. Call our office manager on 0208 640 00 44 for further information and advice. Our business address is 291 Mitcham Road, Tooting, London SW179JQ.
More Information
Hoarding Disorder Affects Families Too
