The Dangers of a Hoarding Home Owner If you’ve seen the TV reality show Hoarders then you’ve seen how bad pack rats can get when they become a little too obsessed. Their obsession takes them to a much more intense level called hoarding. Pack rats find value in everything they receive or buy. They find it difficult to let go of a sweater they bought 8 years ago because it (1) still works, and (2) was worn during their last High School Reunion. It holds nostalgic value to them, and hence, they refuse to get rid of it. This concept applies to everything that they can assign value to: including small gifts, toys they had as a child, and even notes detailing the recipe to a lasagna they never intend to make. The recipe is kept because of the possibility of using it though. Everything a pack rat keeps is a keepsake because they see themselves using it one day.
Why Hoarding? They have no problem throwing away a broken blender, or a ripped sweater, or even a ruined recipe. They are not completely without reason; it can just be hard to let things go. That reason begins to wane though as they attach more value to their objects. They become hoarders when they start holding on to trash, cups, ripped up pieces of paper, etc. Absolutely everything they can own, they keep. The result is a house full of so much stuff that there is hardly any room to move around. Chairs, sofas, and beds are covered to the point that they are no longer usable. Counters and appliances are so crowded that you have nowhere to prepare your food. It’s all full of things that the owner is not, or will not use. Hoarding is beyond keeping things for sentimental value. It’s keeping stuff for the sake of having it. The habit is disgusting, and it is dangerous.
Serious Fire Hazards A hoarder’s home is a fire hazard. Papers, plates, wooden spoons and other flammable objects are stacked so thoroughly in the kitchen that they infringe on the normal cooking space on the stove. Once small gust of wind could push a spark onto one of these items and cause some fire damage in an Atlanta home. Normally, a flaming spoon has a chance of being taken care of without having to worry about it spreading fire damage in your Atlanta home. Since that spoon is immediately in contact with eighteen other, equally flammable objects, putting out a spark is impossible in a hoarder’s house. All of the conventional flame starters in the home increase in danger too: a lit candle, bad electrical system, or problematic dryer can get a house smoking faster. From a fire perspective, hoarder’s present a huge danger to them and their property. From a physical well-being standpoint, a hoarder’s house is full of unseen dangers. With so many objects of all shape, size, and degree of sharpness, it’s easy to step on, run into, or fall onto a less than savory object. Should you require medical attention, how would you find the phone to call the proper attention in time? Even if you could reach emergency personnel, how hard would it be for them to get you out of there? The house is a trap, waiting to hurt you. A hoarder’s house is dangerous in terms of a massive fire hazard, and a threat to the residents’ personal safety. These houses should be cleaned up and decluttered as soon as possible for the safety of those living on the premises. Photo Credit: ejbSF, Charles Valois, Sam Beebe