Hoarders

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Hoarders

So my grandfather has lived in the same place for 34 years and he doesn't like to get rid of anything becaue he bought it, he built it, he knows someone who could use it or he got a great deal on 40 flashlights for a $.25 each and he thinks he can sell them for $1.00 each to noone who wants them. Our entire family has been trying to help him downsize and move to a smaller place, but the only problem is he won't let you throw anything out because of what the above says.

This is no joke, I feel like we should call hoarders and have them come tape this! The major problem is, most of it isn't crap, its collectibles! He knows what is in every box, in every corner of the house even if he hasn't seen it in 36 years!!! So far we have cleaned the attic, the entire 3 bedroom second floor, and we still have the first floor, half the basement and a 3 car garage!!!


We have been at this for 2 years..........ANY SUGGESTIONS!!! :-\

Have you seen the show Hoarders: Burried Alive?

It is on TLC...it is eye opening...It is a serious issue, one that can destroy families...I have a hoarder in my family...there is a serious psychological issue with hoarders and taking their stuff and selling it or tossing it or donating it will really screw them up.

[daved931]

Re: Hoarders

You can clear it all out, but you have to change the behavior or else it will happen all over again.

We're going through this with my grandparents right now. They aren't to the extent that someone on Hoarders is, as their house is still tidy, but they have a lot of useless sh*t. Closets are full, basement is full, garage, attic, etc. My grandfather has buckets of paint, boxes of batteries, you name it.

Part of it is a generational thing. People that remember the Great Depression and WWII rationing are much more reluctant to throw things away. Remember when you were a kid and your parents had a picture tube TV that lasted 15 years? If something went wonky, you took it to the TV repair guy and then he brought it back, good as new. That's what they remember. You didn't throw stuff out, you fixed it. While I admire that thinking, there are times when you have to embrace the fact that you don't fix a DVD player because the parts cost more than a new one.

Those people are now old and set in their ways and they have a hard time understanding that you can't just save all this stuff because there may be another Depression or war or shortage or whatever.

I would say your dad is even a step beyond this and he may need some counselling of some kind to help him adapt. Otherwise, as long as he is able to, he will continue to fill his place up with crap.


Edit: Maybe it's just a MA thing. My grandparents live in Northampton. They're easy to find--they're the one straight couple.

[goBIG_or_goHOME]

Re: Hoarders

The man is 80 years old and he don't know anything about ebay!  We are at the point of just giving him money and saying look Pops some guy stopped by and bought that entire room of crap for $1000 and off to the dump we go!!!!

also with the amount of stuff he as we would have to hire someone to put it all on ebay!

[BOOOGHAR]

Re: Hoarders

ebay

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Hoarders

ebay or craigslist ? dang , I used to live right down rt123 from you guys

[goBIG_or_goHOME]

So my grandfather has lived in the same place for 34 years and he doesn't like to get rid of anything becaue he bought it, he built it, he knows someone who could use it or he got a great deal on 40 flashlights for a $.25 each and he thinks he can sell them for $1.00 each to noone who wants them. Our entire family has been trying to help him downsize and move to a smaller place, but the only problem is he won't let you throw anything out because of what the above says.

This is no joke, I feel like we should call hoarders and have them come tape this! The major problem is, most of it isn't crap, its collectibles! He knows what is in every box, in every corner of the house even if he hasn't seen it in 36 years!!! So far we have cleaned the attic, the entire 3 bedroom second floor, and we still have the first floor, half the basement and a 3 car garage!!!


We have been at this for 2 years..........ANY SUGGESTIONS!!! :-\