If you’re looking into hoarder property cleanup in Rancho Palos Verdes, we can help. Dealing with a hoarder property can be very challenging, especially if the hoarder will still be around while cleaning is taking place. Hoarding disorder is the type of disorder that takes a reasonable person and turns them into someone who is very difficult to negotiate with. It can be extremely challenging for people who are trying to help a hoarder move on from negative and self-defeating practices.

We completely understand the issue. We’ve cleaned many hoarder properties, and each one has its own story to tell. We understand that hoarding is not representative of the person themselves but instead indicative of the disorder that is controlling their impulses. We understand that it’s a disorder that takes a lot of mental health support in order to beat it. Our goal is to help orders and to their loved ones cleanup quarter property so that it can be taken back to its original state.

Hoarding disorder is a very unique mental illness, and it has several different levels. If you’re a hoarder or the loved one of a hoarder, you may be wondering whether it’s worth it really reaching out for help at all. You may be unsure if the hoarding situation that you’re dealing with requires professional cleaning help.

There are five different levels of hoarding. The information below can help you figure out the hoarding level you’re dealing with and help you determine whether hoarder property cleanup is something that you can put off for the future or something that must be done immediately.

Level One Hoarding

Level one hoarding is considered the mildest form of hoarding. This is the type of hoarding where it looks like something may be starting to happen, but nothing’s really clear yet. Any mess in the house could simply be excused as the result of someone who’s been too busy to clean. The occupant may have some difficulty throwing some of their items away, but that hasn’t caused any real concern yet. 

You may notice a little bit of clutter here and there throughout the house, but you won’t have the unpleasant smells that you start to smell at higher levels of hoarding. You can still walk through doorways and into rooms without bumping into anything. If you see a little bit of animal waste, it could probably be excused away as something that the owner didn’t have time to pick up.

Level Two Hoarding

This is the level of hoarding where the hoarder themselves starts to feel a little bit of anxiety when it comes to allowing people into their home. They’ll start to feel stress as they notice piles of items starting to rise around them. The situation may have gotten to the point where one of the doorways in the home has been blocked due to a growing number of amount of items in the room.

This is also where you’ll begin to see situations where certain appliances may not work in the home. Heating and ventilation systems may be down. They may have been turned off due to nonpayment or due to the fact that the hoarder was unwilling to let anyone into the house to fix these items. 

There’s a noticeable amount of clutter throughout the house, and when you look into different rooms, you’ll see clutter there as well. Some people will notice that there is starting to be evidence of things like heavy dust buildup and mildew, indicating that the hoarder is no longer cleaning the home on a regular basis.

Level Three Hoarding

At this level of hoarding, the lack of care for the home has now extended to the hoarder’’s lack of care for their own body. At this stage, it’s evident that the person has developed poor hygiene habits. 

This is also the level of hoarding where the hoarder starts to become openly hostile when confronted about the hoarding. There are now at least two broken appliances in the home, and it will be difficult to move down hallways because of all of the junk and items that line the sides. Kitchens are now filled with mildew, rodent droppings, vermin waste, and other signs of neglect. Certain rooms of the space are now completely off limits due to inaccessibility, and the house has become clearly and obviously unkempt and filthy. Smells are noticeable throughout the entire space.

Level Four Hoarding

Hoarders at this level are now at the point where they can go for weeks and weeks without cleaning their bodies or washing their clothes. The hoarding disorder has now had a profound effect on their ability to reason in any way. There is visible structural damage to the inside and/or outside of the home, and toilets are most likely backed up because of sewer issues. Kitchens are filled with insects, mice or rats, and are completely unusable.

Level Five Hoarding

Once you get to level V levels of hoarding, you’re dealing with situations where people may be removed from their homes. They are using containers to collect their own waste, and there are clear and visible signs of extreme structural damage to the home. Seeing from one space into another is virtually impossible, and the house most likely doesn’t have any working utilities. Human waste can be seen throughout the home, and it is completely impossible to move to any other part of the home.

As you can see, hoarding has different levels. Each level will determine the level of intensity of the cleaning that will need to be done. Each level contains biohazardous waste, and removing it from the site while cleaning and disinfecting the rooms will be the most important thing. Give us a call so that we can discuss your situation.