Can hoarding create a dangerous living condition?
Hoarders often live in houses with dangerous conditions. This can lead to health problems for the hoarders and their family.
Beyond emotional health, hoarding can affect family health. When clutter becomes excessive, it becomes very difficult to clean up household debris and dirt from the environment because families cannot vacuum for months at a time or longer. Additionally, spills of fluids can’t be swept out, resulting in mold, fungi and unwanted pests. Inability to vacuum can cause people suffering from a range of respiratory symptoms due to a poor house situation and a lack of cleanliness of homes.
Is clutter hoarding?
Clutter is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass. Clutter is about disorder. Clutter fills or covers an area of a home with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness. Who also has to live with all the clutter? A major area of conflict arises when the clutter results in a loss of usable living space, especially in shared areas such as the kitchen, living room, and garage.
It is common to have so much clutter in a hoarded home that paths must be carved through the clutter in order to get around the home. These paths may become blocked by fallen or new clutter, which can result in people tripping, slipping, and falling. Thus, hygiene for the entire family may become an issue. This is a sign that clutter is becoming a hoarding disorder.
What is hoarding’s relationship with clutter?
Hoarding is about keeping anything and everything. A hoarder’s house is cluttered but a cluttered house is not always hoarding. It is the keeping of items that is the key to hoarding. Clutter is stuff scattered around but not kept. Both clutter and hoarding can have an impact on the property. I wrote an article on this subject; The Impact of Hoarding on the Property Value.
While hoarding and clutter are related, they are not the same thing. Clutter is a symptom of hoarding disorder, but not all clutter is caused by hoarding. Clutter can be caused by a lack of organization skills, a busy lifestyle, or a lack of motivation to clean up, while hoarding is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, often leading to the accumulation of excessive clutter.
In many cases, hoarders may not realize that their clutter is a sign of a larger problem. They may believe that their clutter is manageable, or that they have control over their possessions. However, hoarding disorder is a serious mental health condition that requires professional support and treatment.
Clutter, collecting, and hoarding: What’s the difference?
It is not always possible to distinguish hoarding disorder from being messy, cluttered, or just too many things. Is it possible for people to get away with just being pack rats and not a hoarder? Despite their clutter, their home remains accessible, allowing them to use it.
There are differences between collectors and hoarders, and it is important to know them. According to the American Psychiatric Association, hoarding disorder is a mental health condition that causes people to save items that others see as not having any value.
In the early stages or in less extreme cases, it isn’t always easy for family or friends to differentiate hoarding disorder from being messy and disorganized or just having too much stuff. So, at what point does being a “pack rat” cross the line? People who are messy or prone to clutter usually still feel comfortable inviting others into their home. Despite the untidiness, their rooms remain accessible and can be used for their original purpose.
A hoarder, on the other hand, fill up their home with items each considers indispensable. Where severe hoarding exists, families rarely have space for shared activities or they are forced to combine spaces inappropriately. Some people who hoard accumulate so much stuff that it fills an entire house.
What is hoarding?
Hoarding is a mental health disorder that involves the persistent difficulty in discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. Hoarders often feel a sense of attachment to their possessions, believing that they may need them in the future, or that they have sentimental or emotional significance. This attachment can lead to the accumulation of excessive clutter and difficulty organizing living spaces. A hoarder keeps or collects things. A hoarder may collect old, not useful items, magazines, household items, clothing, boxes, and other items.
A hoarded house contains so much clutter and possible garbage that there is usually only a narrow path through the house. Any where there is a flat surface becomes a point to store stuff. Countertops, sinks, stoves, desks, and stairways are usually cluttered with a mountain of paraphernalia.
When the room inside the home is full, a compulsive hoarder may continue to extend out into other areas of the property and even off premises like storage units.
The persistent difficulty in getting rid of anything is the heart of the issue for a hoarder. Almost everything has sentimental value with a hoarder. Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and other mental disorders, may be contributing to your loved one’s hoarding. Encouraging them to treat the underlying condition may help improve their hoarding symptoms.
An obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over, the National Institute of Mental Health states: Hoarding is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What are more dangerous living condition created by hoarding?
Rodents, flies, roaches and other insects are often present in a hoarder home. The rodent feces contribute to a strong smell and health issues. Many hoarders’ living conditions have rotting food and feces around the house which is very unhealthy.
Contaminants, rotten food, garbage, and molded piles of newspaper that attract insects and rodents infiltrate the home. Air quality eventually becomes toxic. When pets are in the home, objects often get covered with animal waste. As a result, children suffer health problems, such as asthma, and are at grave risk for being trapped in a house fire or being bitten (and infected) by pests.
Some hoarders can keep flammable products or gasoline on the property. This is very unsafe and dangerous. The clutter in the home can make it more difficult to escape if exits and entrances are blocked.
In addition to being a fire hazard, clutter and compulsive hoarding can also prevent family members from leaving the home in case of an emergency and/or can prevent emergency response personnel from entering the home. Fire is especially a risk when paper items are piled high and located near the stove, heaters, or other flammable materials.
Can hoarding lead to health problems?
As we have just seen, the hoarder could have a mental illness. And living conditions can bring on further health problems.
Some compulsive hoarders live in properties known for extreme dust and garbage, along with mold and mildew.
Many hoarders have pets or animals living in the home. The houses with pets generally have unsanitary conditions such as pet hair, urine, and even feces throughout the property. The smell can often be unbearable.
The residents in a hoarder home are breathing air contaminated with feces and harmful chemicals. This can lead to respiratory problems and a decline in their health over time.
Some hoarder homes have unusable toilets, lice on bedding, chewed-through electrical wires from rats, rotting food, and flea and rodent infestation. All of these will lead to health problems not only for the hoarder but everyone living in the home.
Many people living in hoarder houses suffer from poor health because of the hoarding conditions inside the homes.
Is all hoarding the same?
No. There are degrees of hoarding. The Institute of Challenging Disorganization has created a chart of five levels of hoarding, from minor to severe. You can get a more detailed insight at their website.
The levels of the hoarding scale
Level One Hoarder House
There is only a small amount of clutter and little to no odors in a level one hoarder house. No excessive clutter; all rooms properly used; appliances functional; good housekeeping and maintenance. (My view is a level of hoarding should be hoarding. Level one sounds like not hoarding)
Level Two Hoarder House
Level two hoarders have started to accumulate junk that is beginning to block living areas, with noticeable odors. There are often pet feces on the floor and evidence of household rodents. There are often garbage filled countertops. Garbage cans are filled. Diminished appropriate sanitation; odors from dirty dishes, food prep, laundry, toilets; mildew present; medication control questionable.
Level Three Hoarder House
A level three hoarder often has one bedroom and bathroom that has accumulated so much stuff it is unusable. Clutter obstructing functions of key living areas; building up around exits, entrances, hallways and stairs; at least one room being used for intended purpose; several appliances not functional; inappropriate usage of electric appliances and extension cords; substandard housekeeping and maintenance.
Level Four Hoarder House
A level four hoarder home will have excessive pests, animal sanitary problems, and rotting food added to all of the above hoarding seen in levels one to three. There are strong odors that can be nauseating. Sometimes there is also animal hoarding. Diminished use and accessibility to key living areas; several rooms cluttered to extent they cannot be used for intended purposes; clutter inhibits access to doorways, hallways and stairs; inappropriate storage of hazardous combustible materials.
Level Five Hoarder House
A level five hoarder house is the worst of all the afflictions. Most of the entryways and exits have been blocked off by junk. Key living spaces not usable; all rooms not used for intended purposes; entrances, hallways and stairs blocked; toilets, sinks and tubs not functioning; hazardous conditions obscured by clutter.
There are unfathomable levels of clutter that create toxic conditions. Health problems are often evident with anyone living in the home.
Should I sell my clutter-hoarding property?
If you are authorized to sell your property, deciding whether or not to sell is entirely up to you and your needs. A few things you’ll want to keep in mind when looking to sell are:
- Is there a mortgage on the property?
- Does the property need repairs or cleaning?
- Is there more than one heir for this property?
How to recognize hoarding disorder in a loved one?
Many people struggle with being a pack rat or increasing clutter at home especially as they age. People often refuse to separate from old objects that have sentimental value. People with Hoarders’ Disorder may be ashamed about how they live, or they feel overwhelmed by the situation. It may affect the hoarder’s social life, making them feel isolated and lonely.
Hoarding disorder appears to be a condition of low insight, as are other psychiatric conditions, such as psychotic disorders (particularly schizophrenia), anorexia nervosa, or body dysmorphic disorder. Because low insight prevents people who hoard from perceiving that they have a problem, they don’t believe they need help.
The first step is to begin to educate yourself and your loved one about the options. Usually, this means finding a qualified cognitive-behavior therapist in the community who is experienced working with compulsive hoarding problems.
How hoarding disorder affects family and friends?
People with hoarding disorders are extremely sensitive about belongings even though they seem useless. They find their purchases comforting but deeply distressed when they attempt to discard things. This can lead to unsanitary living environments and affect the relationship between family and friends. Having someone who has a hoarding disorder can cause feelings of stress and anxiety. You may be disappointed that you have not been able to get hoarders to change their behaviors or upset about what they are doing, which can cause conflicts and misunderstanding. Seeking professional help as soon as possible, can help everyone affected by the situation.
As family members struggle through, hoarders often feel criticized, rejected, and shunned, and they turn to objects for safety, success, and the fulfillment of many misguided beliefs or values. Hoarders cannot see that their behavior subjugates the entire family to a life that is permanently altered. Living with a spouse who has hoarding tendencies can be even trickier to navigate and puts a strain on your relationship. Whether the hoarder is a close friend, partner, or other family member, you may forget that the disorder is just one aspect of their identity, not the only thing that defines them as a person. Try to look beyond their accumulation of stuff (or animals) and find other ways of relating. Bonding over other interests or hobbies can help nurture an atmosphere of trust.
How to not enable the hoarding behavior?
The reason most hoarders say they began to keep unneeded items is because they thought maybe they would be valuable in the future or because they had sentimental value, reports The Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Understanding what the hoarder is thinking can help with not enabling the hoarding behavior. Remember at times, the hoarding behavior worsens when the hoarder feels that they have lost control over the hoarded items.
Helping prevent the hoarder from accumulating more possessions is a simple way to prevent such behavior. Don’t add to the hoarder’s collection on birthdays or holidays with nick knacks and collectable items. These are just coping strategies to deal with a hoarding disorder.
Helping a hoarder
Mental health professionals need to spearhead strategies for change, which will be most effective when based on an in-depth knowledge of the disorder and its effects on people. Once you understand the fear, loneliness, and anxiety associated with hoarding, you may be better able to offer empathy and support.
You should avoid focusing on the negatives of the clutter. Instead, it is best to focus on the positives of helping your family member and finding ways to get them to overcome their hoarding problem. Be Empathetic, remember, people do not hoard just because they want to collect material possessions. There are deeper reasons for developing hoarding disorder. It can stem from issues in the past, current issues, or fear about the future.
Hoarding satisfies a set of important values for the person who hoards. This is why it’s so very difficult to give up hoarding behaviors. Even if a person who hoards has insight into the problematic nature of the hoarding, certain deeply held values related to possessions can make it very difficult for her to change. Although people who hoard may deeply value their relationships to family members, and desperately want to repair relationship it is hard for them to see the way out.
If you want to help a loved one, learn as much as you can about this condition by reading websites, consulting mental health professionals, or even attending a support group for people who want to love and help people who hoard. Once you understand the fear, loneliness, and anxiety associated with hoarding, you may be better able to offer empathy and support. Recognize small victories particularly among people who hoard who have had the habit for years, it can take time.
What can be done with a hoarder home?
Hoarder homes can be challenging to deal with, as they often have excessive amounts of clutter and debris that can pose health and safety hazards. If your inherit a hoarder property their problem becomes your issue as regard to the distressed property. Here are some steps that can be taken to address a hoarder home:
- Seek professional help: Hoarding disorder is a serious mental health condition, and it is essential to have a mental health professional involved in the process. They can help address the root causes of the hoarding behavior and provide the hoarder with the support they need.
- Develop a plan: A comprehensive plan is necessary to address the hoarder home. This may involve sorting through the clutter and debris, organizing and cleaning the home, and making repairs if necessary.
- Sort and organize: Sorting through the hoarder home can be overwhelming. It is important to approach the task in small increments and have a system for sorting and organizing the clutter. This may involve separating items into categories, such as keep, donate, or discard.
- Dispose of hazardous materials: Hoarder homes can have a significant amount of hazardous materials, such as chemicals, rotting food, and animal waste. It is essential to dispose of these materials safely to prevent harm to the environment and people.
- Seek professional cleaning services: In some cases, it may be necessary to hire professional cleaning services to address the hoarder home. These services can provide deep cleaning and sanitizing to ensure the home is safe to inhabit.
Ultimately, addressing a hoarder home requires patience, compassion, and understanding. It is essential to prioritize the health and safety of everyone involved, including the hoarder, family members, and professionals working on the project. The inherited home guide can help if you inherit a house.
Sell Your Hoarder House
the Best Fair Price
Sell Hoarder Home in ANY Condition
The best way to sell your house is what makes sense to you.
Get all the information, prices, costs, fees, time issues and stress and evaluate the best way for you. Get the free no obligation evaluation and find out….
How can you sell a hoarder house?
If you inherit a hoarder home what makes the most sense when selling it?
1. The first way is to clear the clutter. It is essential to clear the clutter and debris from the home before listing it for sale. This can involve sorting through the items and determining what can be donated, sold, or discarded. If necessary, it may be helpful to hire a professional cleaning service to ensure the home is clean and sanitized. This is just like flipping a house. You just clean and sell it. You won’t get the most money, but it is not an overwhelming amount of work.
2. The easiest way to sell a hoarder home is in “as is” condition to a cash buyer. The real estate investor will pay more than a house flipper. The standard home buyer will be over whelmed by the issues of a hoarder home. This wholesale way to sell a hoarder property in the end will net you the best price because of no cost to clean and repair. And best of all, it will save you a ton of time.
3. The retail way to sell a hoarder’s house is to clean it up, fix all the hoarding issues and list with a local realtor to sell to a home buyer. This will cost some money up front to make necessary repairs. Hoarder homes may have damage to the property, such as water damage or pest infestations. It is essential to address these issues and make necessary repairs to improve the home’s value and appeal to buyers. Disclose the hoarding history: It is essential to disclose the hoarding history of the home to potential buyers. This can help avoid any legal issues and ensure transparency during the selling process.
Selling a hoarder house may require patience and flexibility, but with the right approach, it is possible to find a buyer who sees the potential in the property. The impact of hoarding on property value can be very dramatic. Working with a real estate agent who has experience in selling hoarder homes can also be helpful. Dan Parisi is a real estate broker, investor who has experience with hoarding properties.
