Why we don't do same-day hoarded clearances
An ordinary house-clearance company will tell you a hoarded property can be cleared in a day. We will not. Forced or rushed clearance of a hoarded home is now widely recognised — by Hoarding UK, by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and by hoarding-specific intervention services across the country — to be counter-productive. It re-traumatises the resident, hardens resistance to future help, and statistically leads to the home re-filling within months. Our phased approach takes longer but produces a sustainable outcome. We typically work in week-long blocks with rest days between, and we will always tell you honestly at the start how long the job is likely to take.
The Clutter Image Rating Scale and what it means for cost
Hoarding is graded on the Clutter Image Rating Scale developed by Dr Randy Frost. Levels one and two are roughly what most people would call 'cluttered' — surfaces visible, pathways clear. Levels three and four are what most people picture when they hear the word — items piled to chest height, narrow pathways, some hygiene concerns. Level five is the kind of property that makes the news — ceiling-height accumulation, structural risk, vermin, biohazard contamination. Our quoting reflects the level. A typical level-three one-bedroom flat clearance is £600–£1,200; a level-five three-bedroom house is £3,000–£8,000 depending on duration and any biohazard work required.
Working with social services and safeguarding teams
Adult-safeguarding officers and social workers under the Care Act 2014 regularly refer hoarding cases to us. We can attend multi-disciplinary team meetings, work to a written care plan, and adjust our scope in response to capacity assessments and best-interests decisions. Where the resident lacks capacity to consent, we work only on the basis of a documented best-interests decision under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, or with authority from a properly-appointed deputy or attorney.
Frequently asked questions
My mother is a hoarder but doesn't know I've called. Will you visit?
We will not enter a property without the consent of the resident or someone with lawful authority on their behalf (attorney under LPA, court-appointed deputy, or a properly recorded best-interests decision). But we will have a free, confidential conversation with you about how to approach it, what support exists, and what a realistic timeline looks like.
Will you throw away her belongings against her will?
No. We do not exceed the scope the resident has agreed to in advance, and if she changes her mind mid-job, we stop. Forced clearance is widely understood to be counter-productive — it re-traumatises the resident and statistically leads to recurrence within months.
How is hoarding clearance different from a regular house clearance?
Hoarding clearance is psychologically led, not logistics led. The pace is the resident's pace, every item is sorted (not bulk-disposed), and the team is trained to recognise signs of distress and to slow down or stop when needed. The price reflects time taken, not volume of waste.
Can you help us find a therapist or support group?
Yes. We can point you to Hoarding UK (the leading UK charity), to NHS Talking Therapies in your area (CBT is effective for hoarding disorder), and to local hoarding support groups. We're not therapists ourselves but we know who is.
What if the property has rats, fleas or worse?
We routinely encounter all of the above and have established pest-control partners we can bring in the same week. A typical pest-control pass is £150–£300 and is quoted separately from the clearance itself.