Hoarding Help

“Your house doesn’t have to be in pristine condition in order to sell it,” says ERA Justin Broker/Owner Jennifer Darby Metzger, “We can help you clean it out or explore other options.”

Metzger has personal experience dealing with top-to-bottom clean-outs, having done it for someone close who passed away leaving behind three homes that were stuffed to the rafters with paperwork, clothing, and even brand new items still in their bags along with original receipts. 

“We will never say ‘This house is too messy. We can’t list it,’” says Metzger. “We’ve seen it all.”

Shows like Hoarders are bringing awareness to this psychological condition that affects two to five percent of the American population, but hoarding is nothing new. According to the National Association of Realtors, the first recognized hoarders were brothers Homer and Langley Collyer who died in Harlem in 1947. They left behind a mansion filled with 120 tons of junk, including Model T car parts and 14 grand pianos.

While cases like that are extreme, the thought of decluttering or packing up can feel overwhelming to a homeowner especially if they’ve been in their homes for decades. “These items are sentimental to them,” says Metzger.

“Something that looks like trash to you may be very important to the seller emotionally or financially,” says Metzger. “We treat these clients with compassion and understanding as we help them shed what is no longer needed in order to  move on to the next phase of their lives.”

Extreme cleaning professionals, and psychologists alike, suggest renting a storage space for sellers who are not quite ready to part with particular items. If they’re in a hurry to sell, a storage space buys them time to revisit their belongings and decide what to keep, what to donate, what to give away to relatives and what to trash.

Formulating a plan around the clutter is critical in the selling process, “Whether it’s referrals for clean outs, estate sales or selling your home “as-is” with the contents, we have done it before and are here to help!”

If you’re ready to sell your longtime home but don’t know where to begin paring down a lifetime of accumulation, an experienced ERA Justin real estate professional can help. Give us a call at 201-939-7500.