People living with hoarding disorder have a constant, intense need to acquire additional items and bring them into their home or onto their property. For most people with hoarding disorder, the symptoms start during their teen or young adult years. Without treatment, the condition typically gets worse. By the time a person with hoarding disorder reaches their middle adult years, their entire life is affected by the hoarding. Their relationships, health, finances, well-being and comfort may all suffer. Many people with hoarding disorder deny the problem, and they only seek treatment for the behavior and help with the cleaning once family members, friends or even the authorities intervene. Eco Bear is an experienced hoarder property cleaning company in Claremont, CA, and we’re here to clear the hoard so that you can live a healthier life. 

Symptoms of Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding disorder is characterized by three main issues. These are:

  • Compulsive, ongoing need to acquire more belongings
  • Inability to get rid of possessions
  • Intense distress when thinking about getting rid of items

A person who meets all three of these conditions could have hoarding disorder. Another aspect of the hoarding behavior is its consistency. A hoarder experiences these issues all the time, and the emotions and behaviors get worse with age.

Who Lives With Hoarding Disorder

Anyone can develop hoarding disorder in their lifetime. There’s a strong genetic component to hoarding disorder, and it can run in families. You may have heard that an aunt, grandparent or other family member had the same condition. It’s also possible that you grew up in a messy house or always had problems with clutter, but a traumatic event triggered an increase in acquiring items and a decrease in getting rid of things. Men and women are equally affected by hoarding disorder. People of all ethnic, national, economic and educational backgrounds can develop hoarding disorder. While each person’s experience with the condition disorder is different, there are some commonalities found by researchers. They include:

  • Over the age of 50
  • Live alone
  • Social isolation or poor relationships
  • History of trauma
  • Co-existing mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder

What Happens To a Hoarded Home or Property

A hoard doesn’t appear overnight. A hoarded home or property takes years to get this way. In the early years of hoarding behavior, you may fill typical storage spaces, including cabinets, closets, the basement or attic. You may even rent a storage unit in Claremont. Many people with hoarding disorder fill their garage, backyard shed and other storage areas. As a person with hoarding disorder gets older and their symptoms worsen, the hoarded items may overtake the living areas. Kitchen countertops may fill with piled items. Things may be piled on the floor or stairs. The refrigerator could be stuffed, and some of the items may have spoiled. In severe cases of hoarding, rooms can’t be used for their intended purposes. You might not be able to access your shower, oven or stairs. Some rooms may be inaccessible. Doors may not open all the way, and narrow paths offer the only means of navigation. Outdoors, hoards can spill onto the driveway, front porch or backyard. This creates an unappealing visual effect, and neighbors may complain. Pests are naturally attracted to hoards. Cockroaches, snakes or mice could move into the hoarded areas, and they may also visit neighboring properties.

Why Hoarder Property Cleaning Is Needed

Hoards become so large that it’s impossible for one person to deal with the mess on their own. If you have hoarding disorder, the distress you experience with making decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of would cause the process to take an immense amount of time. Even if you’re in therapy, you may want the hoard completely removed so that you can start anew in a clean, sanitary and comfortable home. Some additional reasons why it’s best to leave the hoarder property cleaning to Eco Bear’s trained professionals are:

  • Fast response time
  • Licensed and bonded for complete remediation of hoarded properties
  • Rapid completion time for all hoarder property cleaning
  • Safety is our top priority

At Eco Bear, we also work with family members of deceased people who had hoarding disorder. If you’ve inherited a hoarded property, we’ll clean it for you. Our thorough services make it easier for you to move into the property and live in a sanitary home or for you to sell the property as part of the estate settlement process. We work with property owners and managers, too. If your tenant has hoarding disorder or abandoned the property and left behind a hoard, we’re here to help.

How Eco Bear’s Hoarder Property Cleaning Services Work

We start with an inspection of the hoarded property in Claremont. This process allows us to gather key pieces of information, such as what’s in the hoard and how large it is. We use the information to plan dumpster delivery, recycling removal, tow truck services and professional pest control services. We provide you with a price quote that’s competitive. Our cleaners wear personal protective equipment in order to stay safe from mold, pests, feces and odors within the hoard.

Benefits of Professional Hoarder Property Cleaning in Claremont

We relieve you from the burden of cleaning the hoard. Our team consists of dozens of cleaners who get the job done in a short amount of time. Our attention to detail means no area of your home or property is overlooked. Our thoroughness also allows us to identify potential problems, such as water or electrical damage or structural issues caused by the hoard. When we’re done clearing the hoard and remediating your property, we provide you with a sanitary, comfortable and safe place to live.