3 Signs Your Home Was Once Owned by a Hoarder

Are you planning to remodel your home or to hire someone to help make some upgrades?

If so, you may uncover some unexpected surprises as you start to tear things out and otherwise prep your home for your upcoming project. In some cases, you may even be surprised to discover that your home was clearly once the home of a hoarder. In fact, here are three signs that your home was likely filled with to the brim with piles of items at one time in its life.

Sign #1: Uneven Carpet Wear and Discoloration

One telltale sign that your home was once owned by a hoarder is the condition of the carpet. While it is normal for carpeting to be worn out in high traffic areas, your carpeting may be unevenly worn out and discolored from the items that were once stacked in the room. It is not unusual for the carpeting in hoarder homes to have stained outlines that clearly show where boxes were once stored. After all, when a floor is covered with boxes and other items, it is impossible to vacuum the carpeting that remains exposed. In all likelihood, you will need to replace your carpeting in order to remove evidence of the hoarder who once lived in your home.

Sign #2: Scratches on Your Ceiling

You can also be relatively sure your home was once owned by a hoarder if you discover scratches on your ceiling. Oftentimes, hoarders have no other choice but to stack their belongings higher and higher due to a lack of room. As a result, they frequently stack them all the way to the ceiling, where their belongings may scratch and otherwise cause damage to the ceiling. In most cases, this damage is insignificant, so you may not have even noticed it when you first purchased the home. Once you take a closer look at the ceiling, however, you may find that you need to do more than just paint the ceiling in order to complete your remodeling project.

Sign #3: Uncovering Hidden Messes

Many people who purchase a home that was once owned by a hoarder are surprised to uncover some of the “goodies” that the hoarder collected over the years. This is particularly true if you purchase a home with outdoor buildings, which may have been used by the hoarder to store some of their precious items. Unfortunately, cleaning out the clutter can be a very time consuming process, but it will be well worth it when that space becomes available for you to use. Many discover unusual odors or stains in remote corners of their homes that were missed during the home inspection process.

Have experience with buying a previously owned home of a hoarder? Share your experience in the comments below!

About Jack Taylor

Jack Taylor is a home improvement contractor who enjoys remodeling, repairing and building new homes and sharing his knowledge of home improvement with others. Not only does he write about contractors and home improvement, but he also can help you find a contractor near you.

Comments

  1. Inner City Skyline says:

    Hoarders are the worst to deal with. As a investor, i had the luxury of going through one hoarders house after they were forced out of there home. The most interesting and odds treasures i found from there home. Some even worth a pretty penny

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