Considerations for Owners of Hoarder Homes in Greater Cleveland

A hoarder house is not only a home that is cluttered to the extreme with personal belongings, trash, and other items blocking areas of the home. The person who owns these items also believes they are valuable or has a strong emotional attachment to them.

Hoarding is often not limited to the interior of the house. Inoperable cars, broken machinery, lawnmowers, trash etc. may also litter the backyard or front yard and block access to the home.

In this article we will discuss some potential issues with owning a hoarder home, the costs of cleaning out and renovating a hoarder home in Greater Cleveland, and some selling strategies for stressed out property owners who cannot clean out and renovate a hoarder home.

Whether you are a landlord who found out your tenant has been hoarding, or you inherited a hoarder home from a relative and are wondering what your options are, read on.

Hoarder homes Create Hidden Hazards and Huge Liabilities

Hoarder homes can cause a whole slew of problems for property owners. City officials may cite the property owner for violations of nuisance laws. Neighbors may complain about the garbage and pests that could spread to their property.

More importantly, hoarder homes often create hazardous situations for not only the occupants but also the neighbors. For example, stacks of old magazines or paper bags next to a water heater or furnace can light on fire, while exits and entrances into the home may be blocked by the items inside. In addition to the fire hazards, the inability to see all of the home, the condition of the floors, windows, kitchen, all create safety hazards. Often times stacks of items are not stable and can fall and seriously injure someone. Lastly, because most parts of a hoarder home are inaccessible, it is highly unlikely that the most basic of maintenance items have been taken care of regularly, for example changing the furnace filter, ensuring there are no leaks, roof maintenance, etc. There could be hidden black mold issues, dry rot, unstable floors, faulty outlets, rodents, and pests that you just cannot see.

A hoarder home is a giant liability if you do not have the means and wherewithal to clear it and make sure it is safe for occupants and neighbors. The risk of someone getting injured in a hoarder house is much higher than in a regular home. It is a big liability for the homeowner that should to be addressed quickly.

Costs of renovating a hoarder home before selling

If you have the time, money, and ability to remove a hoarder from the home and clean it up, renovating and selling a hoarder home can be great opportunity.

The cost of renovating a hoarder house really depends on the condition of the property. Removing junk from the house may be expensive in terms of labor and dumping or dumpster rental costs. A typical clean out crew may cost anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 depending on the condition of the house and how much junk is inside. Dumpster rental will also likely be necessary. Here in the Greater Cleveland area, the cost of renting a 30-yard dumpster for a week is typically around $450. More than one dumpster may be needed.

Homeowners can try to reduce some of the junk removal costs by calling local scrappers to pick up metal items or having charities like the Salvation Army pick up furniture and household items in good condition. Many cities in Greater Cleveland have large item pick up available, some for small charge and can remove old mattress and large furniture:

• Twinsburg, OH large/bulk item pickup: https://www.mytwinsburg.com/151/Recycling-Refuse-Collection

• Shaker Heights, OH large item drop off: https://shakeronline.com/212/Large-Items-for-Disposal

• Rocky River, OH large/bulk item pickup: http://s804876413.onlinehome.us/2022_REFUSE_RECYCLING_GUIDE_and_REFUSE_PICK-UP_SCHEDULE.pdf

• Orange, OH large/bulk item pickup: https://www.orangevillage.com/special-collections/

• University Heights, OH large/bulk item pickup: https://www.universityheights.com/special-pickups/

• Cleveland Heights, OH large/bulk item pickup: https://www.clevelandheights.gov/255/Large-Or-Bulk-Items

• Berea, OH heavy/bulk item pickup: https://cityofberea.org/301/Heavy-Bulk-Items

It is important to remember that in addition to removing all the junk, hoarder homes will also likely have a lot of deferred maintenance and require extensive repairs before they are in move-in condition and marketable to conventional buyers who plan to finance their home purchase.

Selling a hoarder home “as is” on-market

For property owners who do not have the funds or time to make a hoarder home safe, it may be wise to sell the property quickly to get rid of the huge liability it poses. A hoarder home likely cannot be sold to a conventional buyer because most conventional lenders will not finance the purchase. The fastest way to sell a hoarder home is to put it on the market for a price low enough for an investor to not only renovate the home but to also make a good profit. That will drive investors quickly to the door. However, it may be challenging to find an agent to list the property because it is going to sell for a much lower purchase price than other listings they might take (and thus lower commission than they might be used to), and there will be far fewer buyers interested in that type of property because it will only attract investors, so it will likely sit on the market for a long time if it is not priced correctly.

Avoid paying realtor commissions and sell a hoarder home off-market directly to a property buyer

Property owners who want to sell a hoarder home quickly and avoid paying realtor commissions can sell directly to real estate investors. Selling to investors “off market” is a fast and sure way for stressed out homeowners to get rid of the liability and problems posed by owning a hoarder home. Elina and Josh of LP Property Group are local and reliable investors who can make an offer on a hoarder home in as little as 24 hours after seeing it and close in as little as seven days. They make the sale process fair and easy for stressed out homeowners who cannot clean out and renovate a hoarder home and do not want to stomach the liability of continuing to own one.

Need to sell quickly? Reach out to Josh and Elina at (216) 694-8246 for a fair, no-obligation cash offer for your hoarder house

Disclaimer: The above is solely intended for informational purposes and in no way constitutes legal advice or specific recommendations.