Practical solutions for navigating
an inherited hoard
Have you inherited a hoard? You don't have to go it alone!
Room to Grieve provides a range of solutions for handling an estate so that you can focus on healing and next steps.
Grief and the Weight of an Inherited Hoarded
Losing a loved one can be a difficult experience. Losing a loved one who was a hoarder comes with its own unique set of challenges. Adult children and other close relatives of hoarders must not only face the loss of their loved one but also confront the overwhelming task of dealing with the hoard they left behind.
Grief of losing the loved one often becomes tangled with the grief related to memories buried in the piles. Relatives might struggle with unresolved trauma as they sort through years of trash, papers, unused objects, and more. The usual checklist of tasks to close out an estate grows exponentially as loved ones must weigh impacts to their mental health, physical health, time, and families.
Hoarded spaces present many challenges for loved ones
The Hidden Costs
In addition to the money potentially lost at work, loved ones can spend additional money gathering the tools needed to complete the job, booking travel and housing arrangements (depending on hoard location), and paying for multiple contractors to complete tasks.
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Time, Time, Time
If working to settle a hoard on your own, it's important to consider the time away from work, family, and other obligations as you complete the project. In addition, working through a hoard solo or part-time can lead to a weeks or months longer process, stretching out the ability to move on.
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The Emotional Toll
Sorting through a hoard can be immensely triggering for people who are also attempting to recover from losing their loved one at the same time. If a person hasn't already worked through trauma related to the hoard, the process of completing a cleanout can be extremely traumatizing.
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Lost Profit
Some choose to simply sell a hoarded property "as-is" rather than having to deal with the multiple challenges. Hoarded properties sold "as-is" can expect to lose between 10% and 50% of the home's market value. Removing the hoard allows potential buyers to see the property's possibilities.
We can help you
This is where Room to Grieve comes in. We have decades of experience in both project management and dealing with hoards.
We'll meet with you to discuss your property, budget, goals, and timelines. We can then create a tailored plan to help you clear the hoard and move on.
We're here to do the heavy lifting so that you can focus on healing.
Complete Cleanout
With the complete cleanout, we take care of all steps of the hoard removal, including removing the waste, sorting items, donating or selling unwanted items, and more.
Project Coordination
Are you interested in and able to provide the labor, but don't want to coordinate all the other steps? We can work with you to schedule and track the entire project.
Material
Removal
Unsure of which vendor or service to use to remove various types of waste and materials? We can help so that you can focus on the hoard.
Item Sorting & Distribution
Have you already removed out salvageable items and need to distribute them accordingly? We can help with donation, recycling, and selling items.
Preservation & Organization
Have you found documents, photographs, and other items that need attention? Would you like these to be organized into an archive? We can do that!
Not sure what you are looking for? We will work with you to create the best plan possible to achieve your goals.
Our Services
My Story
My name is Jen Heuer Scott, and I grew up in a hoarded home. Growing up in a time before the prevalence of shows like "Hoarders," I didn't understand why my house and my parent were so different from my friends' and family's, and I hid the truth of my home life from everyone. I continued to work with my parent for decades to create a functional and safe space.
I didn't realize the depth of my trauma related to growing up in the hoard until I started my own family. Through therapy, education, and support groups, I began to talk more about my experiences. I was inspired to create Room to Grieve after hearing about the challenges that fellow children of hoarders were experiencing upon inheriting their parents' hoards.
