Hoarding Houses

Have you ever wondered who cleans out a “hoarding house” when a restoration company is called for such an assignment?

Well we have heard of structural workers literally taking snow shovels, wheel barrows and wagons to empty out a house right down to the drywall. But real contents professionals have been sent in to discover what treasures might be hidden under all the detritus.

Consequently, they have found property deeds, precious jewels hidden in rotting shoes, cash in coat pockets, gold coins and rare artifacts in boxes filled with otherwise valueless magazines and matchbooks. And our favorite was significant sums of money rolled up in window shades for “safe keeping.”

Contents teams know what to look for – structural teams often just want to get to the walls and floors, so everything is treated as trash. Is that vinyl record a priceless relic or ready for the dumpster? Is that music box a rare antique? Or does it belong in a yard sale?

Contents crews start off thinking that everything is valuable – not just on hoarding assignments, but on every assignment.