Special cases
Hoarder Apartment Clearance
Also known as: Hoarding cleanup · Clearing a hoarded flat · Messie-Wohnung Räumung · Extreme clutter clearance
Clearing a hoarder apartment is a specialist clearance of severely cluttered or neglected homes that requires protective equipment, disinfection and often odour neutralisation. In Switzerland it typically costs CHF 3,000 to CHF 15,000 depending on the degree of neglect, and takes two to five days.
What sets a hoarder clearance apart from a normal one
The difference is not just the quantity. In a severely cluttered apartment the floor is not visible over large areas, walkways are blocked and some doors cannot be opened. The material is intermixed: waste, food remains, packaging, textiles, furniture and personal belongings all lie on top of each other. Separating by material group is only partly possible, which increases disposal costs.
Then there is the health exposure. Depending on the condition there may be mould, vermin, faeces or spoiled food. Our teams therefore work in protective suits, gloves and respiratory protection, and change equipment several times a day.
The three degrees of neglect
In practice we distinguish three levels. Level 1 means severe disorder and overfilling but intact hygiene — here a thorough clearance with subsequent cleaning is enough. Level 2 means spoiled food, mould growth, odour contamination and in places an infestation of vermin. Disinfection and odour neutralisation are added at this level.
Level 3 is the most severe: faeces, massive vermin infestation, odours drawn into the building fabric, partly damaged floors and walls. Here the clearance is only the first step; disinfection, removal of contaminated building components, odour remediation and frequently a renovation follow.
Discretion is part of the service
Those affected and their relatives almost always experience the situation as shameful. On request we therefore arrive in neutral vehicles without company lettering, work without drawing attention in the stairwell, and do not discuss the job with neighbours. That is not an add-on service but a basic principle.
Equally important: we work without reproach. Hoarding behaviour is in many cases the expression of psychological strain — depression, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, the consequence of trauma. Shaming the person affected makes the situation worse and often prevents help from being accepted at all.
Valuables in hoarded apartments
Contrary to expectations, valuables are regularly found in severely cluttered apartments: cash, jewellery, savings books, documents, occasionally collections. They lie among the waste and are thrown out with it if the work is done carelessly. We therefore sort through systematically and document every find.
A real-world example
A 2.5-room apartment in Zurich Altstetten is cleared after the tenant's death. Degree of neglect 2: the floor is covered roughly knee-high, spoiled food stands in the kitchen, there is odour contamination and light mould growth on one external wall. Volume: around 55 cubic metres. Three staff in protective equipment need two and a half days, followed by disinfection and ozone treatment for odour neutralisation. During sorting, CHF 3,200 in cash and two savings books are found and handed to the community of heirs.
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Frequently asked questions about Hoarder Apartment Clearance
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Free on-site assessment, a fixed price, and final cleaning with a handover guarantee (Abgabegarantie) — we stand behind the result at the official handover inspection.
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