Help For Hoarders
We have been clearing properties London and in places up and down the country for many years, and in that time we have seen it all! Some of the most challenging clearances that we are asked to take on involve properties where compulsive hoarders have lived.
If you know anything about compulsive hoarding – perhaps from some of the TV programmes on the subject – then you will know that it is when a person occupying a property collects a huge amount of items and junk until there is hardly room to walk around.
You may think that when we are asked to clear such a property the task is a daunting one – but due to our extensive experience we take it in our stride.
Our Clearance Routine
We have developed something of a routine for dealing with even the most demanding of hoarding properties, and this is the same that we use on small properties and large.
Let’s take the recent hoarding clearance we carried out in Chelsea, SW London as an example.
It was a five-bedroom, semi-detached property, so it was by no means small. When we arrived we found items stacked up so high that they nearly touched the walls! The windows were also blocked by piles of belongings to there was very little light.
First Priority: Safety
As always, our number-one priority was to ensure that the property was safe. Hoarding can lead to a number of hazards, including: the collapse of floors under tonnes of items; the risk of fire posed by flammable objects; and hidden dangers such as chemicals and sharp items.
So we started by making a preliminary check of the building to judge whether it is safe to enter, and then we used professional cleaning equipment and clothing to protect our workers.
Second Stage: Remove Items
After this, we got to work on the actual clearance. We always work quickly and effectively, removing the collection of items in an orderly but rapid way so that the safety of everyone involved is maintained.
If we come across items of value then they will be separated to either be sent to auction or used to offset the cost of the clearance. We will also separate recyclable items and those which can be used again, and we try to send as little to landfill as possible.
Final Stage: Finish the Job
Once all of the items were removed we then cleaned the property down to leave it in a good condition. This may involve anything from sweeping the floors to disinfecting the area. When we finished the job, you would never have known that it had been occupied by a hoarder at all!
A Tried and Tested Process
It is important never to try and clear a hoarding property yourself because it can present a number of dangers. We have the training and the experience to deal with even the most challenging cases, and we know how to go about clearing properties quickly and safety, it is always a better idea to leave it to the experts.
