“You can come but your stuff can’t.” was what my client heard when preparing for an upcoming move. The home, like many over-‘stuff’ed spaces, had “prized possessions” meticulously stacked from floor to ceiling.. Family members were desperate when they asked for my help. The more they had tried to encourage their hoarder to purge , the more defiant she became.  Battles had erupted and feelings were hurt.

With a week to go before the move, I met with the client, we reviewed what was happening, how she felt and what she wanted. Together we outlined the steps we were going to take, and what she was ready to do.

I first went in with a crew and we sorted the entire apartment putting like with like. Two of my assistants spent five hours just sorting clothes.   Once the home was sorted I booked another visit with my client to start the purge. We wrote out guidelines again and posted them on the wall to keep us focused.  Goal #1: reduce the clothing by 80%.  ‘Can’t be done!’, they said.

We had a miraculous day; full of laughter, fun, conversation and phenomenal success. The client stuck with the goal and reduced her clothes by a whopping 81%!  Over 100 bags of clothing left her house that day.. We kept what she loved, what fit her, what was in good shape. Anything that was stained, torn, worn or didn’t fit was non-negotiable.

Hoarders build a wall of safety around themselves ,as protection.  Our stuff comforts us. My client had grown up in a hoarding household. She didn’t like it but she didn’t know another way to live. Her mother was a giver and use to shower her with wonderful treasures. It was impossible for my client to say ‘no’, so the possessions accumulated.  Forty years later, her life had become a lost buried treasure, hidden under a mountain of ‘prized possessions’.

We traded clutter for confidence, chaos for calm and stuff for serenity. When I first  met my client she was a broken, emotionally exhausted and defeated woman. Once her burden was lifted she transformed into someone who is peaceful and ready to move forward with a simpler way of living.