HOARDERS! You’ve probably seen shows about hoarding on TV. You have probably seen or read documentaries about hoarding. BUT, have you ever remediated a job for a client that is a hoarder? If you have, you know only too painfully how stressful and complicated that can be. If you have yet to be called upon to face that challenge, a word to the wise is to tread slowly and only AFTER receiving much-needed advice from someone in the know. The reason is that although we are called upon to be “psychologists” when working for difficult customers, working for hoarders takes on a completely different paradigm. Unless we are prepared, we can get ourselves into a situation that may be difficult to prevail and could also create a huge liability for us. Just some of the issues that can come into play are:

• Was the claim created by or made worse because of hoarding? If so, will it be covered by insurance?
  • Common belief: Insurance will cover ALL or NONE of the hoarding cleanup.
• How is the extra time, manpower, and equipment going to be paid for?
  • Common belief: The homeowner will cover ALL the costs.
• What are the different levels of hoarding and how does each level create its own challenge?
  • Common belief: All hoarding situations are the same.
• When removing a hoarder’s possessions from their home, to facilitate the claim, who will be responsible for helping the client through the process emotionally?
  • Common belief: The cleanup crew will handle the emotional support.
• Who will organize, facilitate and pay for the team of psychological experts that will be needed to get through the job?
  • Common belief: The cleanup company will arrange and pay for psychological support.
• Who will be there to decide which contents to restore and which contents to discard?
  • Common belief: The cleanup crew will make these decisions.
• What could be our liability if we are unprepared and fail to provide the support that will be needed?
  • Common belief: There are no legal consequences for inadequate support.

For additional insights on these questions as well as perception through the eyes of a hoarder, don’t miss my presentation, “Hoarding – A Restorer’s Nightmare”, being presented at The Experience in Punta Gorda, Florida April 8, 2025.

Register here!