How to Declutter a Hoarders House

If you own or have inherited a hoarder home and want to declutter, it can be very overwhelming. Typically there are years of accumulation of stuff that makes the process seem impossible at times.

But it is not impossible, and we have a helpful list that will aid in your cleaning and help you determine the best way to declutter a hoarder's house. 

Decluttering A Hoarder Home

Before you get started, make a game plan. For example, do you plan to declutter the home and sell it? Are you hoping to declutter to save the home, or are you government agencies threatening to condemn the house? Understanding your end goal can help you determine the best cleaning process!

 If you are looking to sell your hoarder home, we will buy it from you as-is. We will even take care of the clutter and reimburse you for any items of value.

That means you won't even need to declutter the home because we will do it for you. 

If you are not looking to sell, here are our top tips for decluttering in a way that won't leave you completely stressed. 

Get Help To Declutter Your Home

Decluttering alone can be overwhelming, so enlist help from family and friends. We understand that you might be embarrassed about the amount of stuff you have accumulated, but they will most likely be happy to help and proud of you for taking these steps to cut back on the stuff. 

Start Small

It can be tempting to take it all on at once, but it took time to accumulate your stuff, so don't expect to clear it out in one day. Instead, start with one room at a time and break it into smaller chunks. For example, set a timer for 30 minutes and grab all the trash you can find.

Then you can set another timer to sort through books etc. This will help you feel more accomplished as you check something off your to-do list. 

Sort Through Everything

Make a few piles for each category of your stuff. A trash pile, a save pile, a donate pile, and a sell pile. This will help you sort through things and keep them organized to avoid getting too overwhelming. 

If You Can't Get Rid Of Certain Things

If you are struggling to get rid of certain items but don't use them every day, try getting a storage unit. Put those things inside and see what you actually need for over a month. After that, anything you don't use or go back to get can be donated. 

Some questions to ask yourself (or a family member) as you go through everything are:

1. How often do I use this item?
2. Do I really need this, or do I already have another one of these items? 
3. What does this item add to my life? Does it help me feel happier, healthier, or better in any way?
4. Do I have space for this item?
5. Can I easily replace this item if I need it later?

These questions will help you determine what you need to keep and what you don't when you declutter a hoarder's home. 

What To Do If You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

You can hire a company to help you declutter if you feel you can't do it on your own. You can also sell the home or follow the above steps to move through your items slowly. Progress is progress, as long as you don't bring more things into the house as you clean it out.

For example, if it took years to add all the items to your home, it would take more than hours to clean it out. 

What To Do After Decluttering?

Make sure to clean and sanitize the floors, walls, and appliances. A deep clean will ensure the home is safe to inhabit and help you keep the house clean. You can either do it yourself or hire a team to come and deep clean for you.

At first, it might be a good idea to hire a cleaning company to help you maintain the clean house for the first few months. 

Just remember, you should be proud of yourself for working on your house and trying to declutter. It's not an easy process, so be gentle with yourself.