London house clearance specialists Avery Associates talk about the strange things about cases of compulsive hoarding is that they are often only discovered when the problem has already got out of hand. It is therefore quite common to have cases of OAP hoarding where the sufferers are discovered with huge amounts of items stored away in their homes that they have collected up for many years. Sometimes cases only come to light after they die.
But why is this?
A Secretive Condition
Compulsive hoarding is a notoriously secretive condition. You would think that storing up so many items would alert people to the problem, but often it remains well hidden for a long time.
It is this which makes the condition so fascinating because we all have a fascination with what goes on behind closed doors and cannot quite believe it when we see images of hoarding.
People go to great lengths to prevent other people from finding out about their hoarding habits. They don’t invite people back to their homes, they shut the curtains to prevent people seeing inside, and they generally manage to keep it a secret, its at this point that a house clearance is essential. Often family members are embarrassed by the condition and so don’t tell anyone about it, meaning some cases of OAP hoarding only come to light after many years.
It Takes Time to Develop
Hoarding is not very noticeable in the early stages. Many people hold onto lots of items that they don’t want to throw away, but this does not mean that they are affected by hoarding. You should consider that just because someone starts to hoard items away more than normal, it is often not possible to tell whether they are affected by the compulsive hoarding or not.
As people get older they also accumulate more items from other sources. What commonly happens to sufferers of compulsive hoarding is that when they are in their fifties or sixties and their parents die, they end up taking all of their possessions as well, which begins to make the problem unmanageable.
What to Do in Cases of OAP Hoarding
For some OAPs who suffer from compulsive hoarding habits, they may feel overwhelmed by their own condition. They cannot get rid of their possessions, and yet they often need help or they could end up putting themselves and others in danger.
If you find out about a case of OAP hoarding, make sure you alert the authorities to it. They will have plans in place for how to tackle the problem, and if it is causing a problem for other people in the community or poses a fire risk then it will have to be dealt with.
If you have a property affected by hoarding that you need to be cleared, then call in the professionals to clear it. Clearing a house affected by hoarding is very different from a normal property and you will need to hire an experienced team which uses the correct safety equipment and procedures. We’d be happy to clear the property for you so just give us a call.
For free confidential advice or a quote call Jeffrey Avery on 0800 567 7769
