Hoarding cleanup
Clearing a home without taking it away from you
We clear, sort, and clean homes that have become hard to live in. Here’s what a day on site is actually like, how decisions get made in the room, and what happens to the things we find.
- Nothing leaves without your yes
- Safety first, then function
- Your pace, and you can stop any time
- Papers, photos, and keepsakes set aside as they’re found
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On this page
- Who this is for
- What the days on site are actually like
- Every item gets one of five decisions
- Where a yes has limits
- When the whole home can’t be done at once
- What the service includes
- What happens to the things we find
- What “quiet” looks like on the day
- When a family member or landlord made the call
- Often part of the same project
- Questions about hoarding cleanup
Who this is for
People call us when a home has become hard to live in: rooms that can’t be used anymore, paths that have narrowed, a kitchen or bathroom that no longer works the way it should. Sometimes it’s the person who lives there. Often it’s someone who loves them.
You don’t need a diagnosis to call, and we won’t give you one. Some homes become overcrowded because of a hoarding condition. Others because of illness, grief, an injury, a move that stalled, or years of being too tired to keep up. The physical work is similar. What changes is how carefully it’s paced, and how much of it is about decisions rather than lifting.
What the days on site are actually like
Nerves before the first work day are normal. Here is how a day usually goes.
- We start where we agreed. Usually that’s the path to the door, the kitchen, or the room that matters most to you. We don’t spread out across the whole house.
- You set the pace. Some people sort alongside us all day. Others make decisions for an hour, then step away. Both work.
- We ask instead of assuming. When we’re unsure about an item, we check with you. When you’re unsure, it goes in Hold.
- Breaks are part of the plan. Making hundreds of small decisions is tiring. We’ll suggest a pause before you have to ask for one.
- Each day ends with a short recap: what’s done, what’s in Hold, what’s in the set-aside box, and what’s planned for next time.
Every item gets one of five decisions
Sorting goes faster, and feels safer, when everyone uses the same short list. It’s how the promise works in practice: nothing is loaded until it has one of these.
- Keep
It stays, and it gets a place where you can find it and use it.
- Hold
Not sure yet. It’s boxed, labeled, and set aside where you choose, with a date to look at it again. Nothing in Hold is thrown away.
- Give
To family, friends, or a donation center that can use it. We’ll tell you plainly when something can’t be donated, such as items damaged by water or pests.
- Recycle
Paper, metal, electronics, and other materials go to programs that accept them. Personal documents are set aside for you first.
- Discard
Spoiled, broken, or unsafe things, or things you’ve agreed can go. Clear categories, like expired food or empty packaging, can be agreed once so you aren’t asked about every wrapper.
If you’d rather approve whole categories at the start and not be asked about each item, that’s your call too. How Hold works
Where a yes has limits
The promise is real, so we’re specific about the few situations where it works differently. None of them is a way around asking.
- An executor, guardian, or agent with authority decides instead of the resident.
- In an emergency we stop and call 911, and responders don’t need anyone’s yes.
- A code notice, court order, or lease deadline can require changes by a set date.
- Needles, waste, spoiled food, and some chemicals and medicines have their own rules.
- A landlord’s appliances, someone else’s things, or estate items need their owner’s yes.
- We may pause an area until pests, wiring, or a leak are dealt with.
When the whole home can’t be done at once
Most homes can’t be done in one visit, and many don’t need to be. This is the order we suggest, and you can change it.
Step 1
Safe
Clear exits and walkways. Remove spoiled food, waste, and fire hazards. Check that stairs, heaters, the stove, and smoke alarms aren’t putting anyone at risk.
Step 2
Usable
Get rooms working again: a kitchen you can cook in, a bathroom you can use, a bed you can sleep in, a chair you can sit in.
Step 3
Yours
Then, if you want to keep going, arrange the space around how you live: what’s out, what’s stored, what’s within reach.
Many projects stop at safe or usable. That’s a real result, not an unfinished one.
What the service includes
What’s included
- A private walkthrough and a written plan before any work starts
- Sorting with you, area by area, using five clear decisions
- Setting aside documents, photos, cash, keepsakes, and anything that looks important
- Bagging, hauling, and disposal of what you’ve agreed can go
- Donation drop-off and recycling, where local programs accept the items
- Removing spoiled food, trash, and soiled materials
- Basic cleaning of cleared areas, with deep cleaning available as a next step
- A final walkthrough together
What’s not included
- Counseling or therapy (we’re glad to work alongside a therapist)
- Clearing a home without the resident’s agreement, unless someone has legal authority to decide for them
- Pest extermination (we coordinate with licensed pest control)
- Repairs, renovation, or anything that disturbs walls, floors, or paint
- Buying, selling, or appraising belongings
- Large-scale mold remediation or structural water damage
If something on the second list is part of your situation, tell us early. It changes the plan, not whether we can help you work out a way through.
What happens to the things we find
As we sort, anything that might matter goes into a set-aside box that stays in the home: papers with names, numbers, or signatures, photos, letters, jewelry, cash, keys, medications, and anything you’ve asked us to watch for. We don’t read personal papers beyond what it takes to recognize them as personal.
At the end of each day we go through the set-aside box with you, or with the person you’ve chosen. Nothing in it is thrown away without a yes. Medications are kept together so they can go to a pharmacy take-back program rather than the trash.
If there’s something specific you’re hoping to find, such as a ring, a folder of papers, or a parent’s letters, tell us at the walkthrough. We’ll keep an eye out from the first hour.
What “quiet” looks like on the day
- Arrival and parking are planned with you, including where the truck waits and for how long.
- Sorting happens inside. Loading is done in short, quick trips.
- Nobody talks with neighbors about your home. If someone asks, the answer is a friendly nothing.
- No photos without your permission, and none shared or published without it in writing.
- If you asked for discreet contact, there are no detailed voicemails or texts.
When a family member or landlord made the call
Often the first call comes from someone other than the person who lives in the home. That’s fine, and we’re glad to talk it through with you. But the person who lives there is still the person we work with. We don’t clear a home behind someone’s back, and we won’t take sides in a family disagreement about their belongings.
The exception is when someone has legal authority to make decisions for them, such as a guardian, or an agent under a power of attorney that covers property. In that case we’ll ask to see the paperwork, and we’ll still involve the resident as much as they’re able and willing to be involved.
If you’re a family member, this guide for families covers how to raise the subject, and what tends to help.
Often part of the same project
- Sorting and item recovery
- Careful searches for specific things: documents, photographs, heirlooms, or anything that has gone missing in the home. See what not to throw away.
- Sanitation and odor
- Removing spoiled food, waste, and soiled materials, and finding the sources of lasting odors. See biohazard and sanitation cleanup.
- Deep cleaning
- Once floors and surfaces are visible again, a top-to-bottom clean makes the rooms work. See deep cleaning and home reset.
- Safety before a full cleanup
- If a full project isn’t possible yet, a short visit focused on exits, walkways, and fire risks can still lower risk. See making a home safer now.
Questions about hoarding cleanup
Will you make me get rid of things?
No. You decide what stays and what goes, and ‘not sure yet’ is always an option. We’ll be honest about safety, for example when something is blocking an exit or has been damaged by water or pests, and we’ll explain why it matters. The decision is still yours.
Do I have to be there the whole time?
No. Some people want to be part of every decision. Others prefer to agree on categories in advance (all expired food can go, all paperwork is set aside, and so on) and check in at the end of the day. We’ll agree on what works for you before we start.
Can we do this in stages?
Yes, and many projects work best that way. A common first stage is making the home safe: clear exits, a usable kitchen and bathroom, no spoiled food. Further stages can follow when you’re ready, or not at all.
What if I change my mind about something?
As long as an item is still in the home, you can change your mind. Once something has been donated or disposed of, we can’t get it back. That’s why we confirm before anything is loaded, and why the Hold category exists.
Will the neighbors know?
We can’t make a truck invisible, but we can keep things low-key: planned arrival times, sorting done inside, loading done quickly, and no conversations with neighbors about your home. If there’s something specific you’re worried about, tell us and we’ll plan around it.
How long does it take?
It depends on the size of the home, how much there is, how carefully things need to be sorted, and the pace that works for you. One room can take a single day. A whole home might be several sessions spread over weeks. Your written plan includes the number of days we expect, and we’ll tell you if that changes.
What does it cost?
We price each project after seeing it, because two homes of the same size can be very different jobs. This guide to estimates explains exactly what affects the price and how to keep a project within reach.
Before the walkthrough
- GuideHow to prepare for your first consultationWhat you’ll be asked, a printable checklist, and why you shouldn’t clean first.
- GuideHow cleanup estimates are worked outWhat drives the cost, what a good estimate includes, and how to keep a project within reach.
- GuideHow Hold worksWhat “not sure yet” means in practice: what goes in a Hold box, how it’s labeled, and when it’s reviewed.
Confidential · Free · No obligation
Talk through what your home needs
A short call is usually enough for us to suggest where to start, whether that’s one room or a safety-first visit, and to explain what the walkthrough involves.
- 1A real person calls you backWe listen first. Share only what you’re comfortable sharing.
- 2A private walkthrough, if you want oneWe look at the home with you and ask what matters to keep.
- 3A written plan and estimateNothing starts, and nothing leaves, without your yes.
Request a Free Estimate
Complete the form below for a confidential, free, no-obligation estimate.
Fast. Free. No obligation.
Or call (850) 347-6111