Messy house or hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | Jun 18, 2021 | Handy hints, Lifestyle, Opinion | 0 comments

Messy house or hoarder?

Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between hoarding and extreme clutter.

Many times in my real estate career, I have come across people who do not see the clutter when they come to sell their homes. It is rude to point it out to them, and sometimes difficult to be tactful,so how does one help in these situations?

When it comes to selling a home, the property needs to be clean and tidy and “less is always more”. Buyers like to be able to imagine their possessions in a home in order to visualise living there. This is not possible if it is overcrowded with clutter.

Having a messy room might be the result of a lot of factors. It might mean that one is too busy and has very little time to clean and organise. It might also be a sign that one has too much stuff. Or it might be the result of having young children or teens in the house who are likely to have to be motivated to clean up after themselves.

Household clutter is a common problem, but crowded spaces full of clutter of all kinds that make rooms no longer habitable can be a sign that the inhabitant has a hoarding disorder.

“Hoarding disorder” is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.”

It’s important to understand that hoarding has nothing to do with being messy, lazy or indecisive. Instead, it’s a mental health disorder. People who hoard struggle to decide when to throw something away.

Some people develop a hoarding disorder after experiencing a stressful life event that they had difficulty coping with, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, eviction or losing possessions in a fire.

If you have a relative or friend who shows signs of being a hoarder then it is best to tackle the situation in an empathetic way.

Help them by understanding the reason for their behaviour and then set a plan in motion to encourage them to sort out their belongings. Help them recognise that there is also professional help available if need be.

©2021 gentlelifehacks.com| women-in-realestate.com|e-propertymatters.com| Author|Kathryn

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Smart gadgets

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Technology | 0 Comments

Renovating a home is not for the faint hearted Take it from one who knows! Smart wiring, or smart homes are often talked about and the digital natives amongst us know all the tricks. Just listening to some of the things required in our new smart home made my head...

Houses built from hemp

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate | 0 Comments

Some interesting ways of building homes over the years have included products such as Hemp. It has apparently been used globally as a natural building product for thousands of years. Recently a Western Australian couple hand built their three-bedroom home on a...

10 Simple Life Hacks to Stay Healthy and Active

by gentlelifehacks | 25/09/2024 | Health and Wellness | 0 Comments

Introduction to Healthy LivingIn today's fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can often feel overwhelming. However, implementing a few simple life hacks can significantly improve your well-being and help you stay active. This blog post explores effective...

10 warning signs to look out for when buying a house

by gentlelifehacks | 30/11/2021 | Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate, uncategorised | 0 Comments

Renovating is not always easy. Even the the tasks that look like they could be simple can turn out to me a mission to finish! Have you ever found a few cracked tiles in the kitchen and thought about replacing them? It is okay if you have spare matching tiles, but what...

A wise old donkey

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Lifehacks, Lifestyle, uncategorised | 0 Comments

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He...

Are you a hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 20/01/2023 | caregiving, Coping skills, Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Are you a hoarder? They say you should always "declutter" when selling your home? When I was selling my own home after the death of my husband, I wondered if I was a hoarder! They say that hoarding is often a coping mechanism. Apparently if we are bereaved , or...