Watch the amazing transformation of the flat that had bags filled with rubbish
[rumble video_id=vom2j domain_id=u7nb2]
A 45-year-old woman, from Tivadale, West Midlands, contacted cleaning specialists N Gervais when the council received complaints that a strong smell coming from her flat.
Sally-Ann Howell hadn’t seen her floor in four years as she had bags filled with rubbish, cat litter, bottles of urine and cat faeces in her flat.
Cleaning company, N Gervais sent Hoarding specialists Tee and Caz, from Birmingham. They arrived at Sally’s home to clean up.
Caz said: “We offer people like Sally like a great service. Plenty of aftercare, commitment, confidentiality, support TLC. I’d say we’re gentle in our approach.”
“We respect their homes and their things. It shouldn’t be deemed as a ‘house clearance’ because it’s their possessions, their lives.”
“The majority of us have some form of a care background, whether it be mental health, learning difficulties or working for the NHS.”
Sally – who calls herself a hoarder – said: “There are a lot of people who have such a terrible time getting rid of a piece of paper – I’m not that sort of hoarder.point 368 |
My hoarding is to do with me being stressed out with my anxiety and my depression, that when having a lot of stuff, I just think, well I need to get rid of it but I never do because my mentality cannot cope with it.point 171 | ”point 174 | 1
“But yes, I do class myself as one. A lot of people deny it, but I don’t.”
“How does my home makes me feel? I would say it makes me feel disgusted with myself. And it got to a stage where I just wanted to end my life because of it. I couldn’t cope anymore.”
“My hoarding actually started in the middle of 2010. My cat passed away, all of a sudden had a heart attack, and that’s when it started, leading from him and then depression and anxiety.”
“I’ve been in the flat for 15 years and things would be untidy but I used to vacuum and clean and I looked after six cats at that time.”
“Then I started going out with someone and started having problems with him and then another cat passed away.point 313 |
And it just snowballed from there.point 29 | It would just build up and build up and then it gets to a stage where you can’t cope anymore.point 105 | ”point 112 | 1
Tee said: “It’s definitely a biohazard clean. When I come in, there is this smell. There are piles and piles of black bags, which I believe is rubbish. I’ve got concerns because I know that there is bottles of urine. This is extreme. This is very extreme.”
Sally said: “I suffer with bladder problems, the stress of incontinence and I couldn’t get to the toilet in time so I started having accidents and it got to the stage where I was using bottles and filling them up more than I was getting rid of them.point 422 |
”point 7 | 1
Hoarding specialists Tee and Caz worked hard for a month to fully declutter Sally’s flat and the transformation was unbelievable.
Sally said: “My life has improved dramatically. I feel a lot healthier, happier. It feels strange because you do get used to it after four years, but now it’s all clear I still have a shock to be honest, thinking, ‘Wow it’s all gone.’”