Cleaning Up A Hoarder's House? Work With A Garbage Removal Service

Have you been tasked with cleaning up a home that has been lived in by a hoarder? Maybe it's a friend who passed away, or perhaps it is a family member who needs help getting their stuff under control. In either case, the idea of getting rid of all that stuff at once can be really daunting. However, there is a way to make this challenge easier on yourself; hire a garbage removal company. Here are some specific tips for making this work.

1. Sort out the valued items worth keeping first.

If you go through everything in the home and try to sort out the trash, it will take forever, especially considering that in most hoarder homes, the majority of stuff is trash! An easier approach is to first go through the home and sort out the items that are worth keeping. Set them aside, sell them, put them in storage — whatever you want. Leave everything else in place. Don't worry too much whether there is an item or two left behind that might be worth keeping. The time it takes to retrieve and find such items is often not worth it.

2. Let the garbage removal company remove the trash themselves.

Some garbage removal companies will come park a bin and expect you to carry everything out to it. Others will come and personally remove the trash from your home. Look for a company that takes the second approach and will actually remove the stuff from the home for you. This will save you so much time. Yes, you will have to pay for the service, but the company can send a whole crew of experienced people who will work faster than you'd be able to.

3. Don't let the hoarder be there while the garbage removal team is working.

If the hoarder is still around, make sure they are not at the home while the garbage removal team is working. As they see things being carried out, they may be tempted to keep items that they do not need. It's best if you don't let them return to the home until all of the stuff has been removed.

Hiring a garbage removal company really is the best approach when you're faced with cleaning up a hoarder's home. Do make sure you inform the company that they'll be dealing with a hoarding situation before you hire them.