Fixing up a hoarder home

[JohnB445]

I purchased a foreclosed house; I am unable to tell whether a hoarder once lived in the home or the person living in it was angry and decided to trash the home before it foreclosed.

I took the first step, and threw away all the trash, I found 2 dead mice in the laundry room, the fridge had some rotting food, kitchen floors have some kind of fluid which I suspect is juices from the rotting food, and the bathroom toilet appears to have overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

I never had to clean a home that was dirty to this extent, and it seems to need to be disinfected, a simple Swiffer sweeper doesn't seem to be enough.

For safety I think it may be best to hire a professional cleaner, but is a maid service enough for a job like this?

For the mice problem, looking behind the dryer I believe I found the hole they are coming from, as I see a trail of mouse droppings. This looks like a fix I can do myself once I found the proper resources on how to patch up a hole.

The shower where the shower tiles are, it appears the grout is coming off. And that the latches of all the windows in the house are broken off. The only other step I see is that the deck outside needs to be stained.

Which tasks should I hire a professional? or can I do myself?
1. Disinfecting, and deep cleaning the home
2. Blocking off the hole where the mice may of came from
3. Fixing the grout in the shower tiles
4. Replacing or fixing the window latches
5. Staining the deck

I have already planned for a professional to clean all the vents. What other checklist should I have to make sure the home is ready?

 

[dqhall]

I purchased a foreclosed house; I am unable to tell whether a hoarder once lived in the home or the person living in it was angry and decided to trash the home before it foreclosed.

I took the first step, and threw away all the trash, I found 2 dead mice in the laundry room, the fridge had some rotting food, kitchen floors have some kind of fluid which I suspect is juices from the rotting food, and the bathroom toilet appears to have overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

I never had to clean a home that was dirty to this extent, and it seems to need to be disinfected, a simple Swiffer sweeper doesn't seem to be enough.

For safety I think it may be best to hire a professional cleaner, but is a maid service enough for a job like this?

For the mice problem, looking behind the dryer I believe I found the hole they are coming from, as I see a trail of mouse droppings. This looks like a fix I can do myself once I found the proper resources on how to patch up a hole.

The shower where the shower tiles are, it appears the grout is coming off. And that the latches of all the windows in the house are broken off. The only other step I see is that the deck outside needs to be stained.

Which tasks should I hire a professional? or can I do myself?
1. Disinfecting, and deep cleaning the home
2. Blocking off the hole where the mice may of came from
3. Fixing the grout in the shower tiles
4. Replacing or fixing the window latches
5. Staining the deck

I have already planned for a professional to clean all the vents. What other checklist should I have to make sure the home is ready?

Watch “How to” YouTube videos and figure if you can do any of these.

 

[tturt]

I would wear a mask.

Vinegar, baking soda, and Dawn are pretty effective. Can be researched online.

Youtube shows how to a accomplish various home repairs.

You can research professionals online.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I purchased a foreclosed house; I am unable to tell whether a hoarder once lived in the home or the person living in it was angry and decided to trash the home before it foreclosed.

I took the first step, and threw away all the trash, I found 2 dead mice in the laundry room, the fridge had some rotting food, kitchen floors have some kind of fluid which I suspect is juices from the rotting food, and the bathroom toilet appears to have overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

I never had to clean a home that was dirty to this extent, and it seems to need to be disinfected, a simple Swiffer sweeper doesn't seem to be enough.

For safety I think it may be best to hire a professional cleaner, but is a maid service enough for a job like this?

For the mice problem, looking behind the dryer I believe I found the hole they are coming from, as I see a trail of mouse droppings. This looks like a fix I can do myself once I found the proper resources on how to patch up a hole.

The shower where the shower tiles are, it appears the grout is coming off. And that the latches of all the windows in the house are broken off. The only other step I see is that the deck outside needs to be stained.

Which tasks should I hire a professional? or can I do myself?
1. Disinfecting, and deep cleaning the home
2. Blocking off the hole where the mice may of came from
3. Fixing the grout in the shower tiles
4. Replacing or fixing the window latches
5. Staining the deck

I have already planned for a professional to clean all the vents. What other checklist should I have to make sure the home is ready?

There are companies that clean up after floods and fires. Maybe ask one of them for a quote.

 

[sandman]

I purchased a foreclosed house; I am unable to tell whether a hoarder once lived in the home or the person living in it was angry and decided to trash the home before it foreclosed.

I took the first step, and threw away all the trash, I found 2 dead mice in the laundry room, the fridge had some rotting food, kitchen floors have some kind of fluid which I suspect is juices from the rotting food, and the bathroom toilet appears to have overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

I never had to clean a home that was dirty to this extent, and it seems to need to be disinfected, a simple Swiffer sweeper doesn't seem to be enough.

For safety I think it may be best to hire a professional cleaner, but is a maid service enough for a job like this?

For the mice problem, looking behind the dryer I believe I found the hole they are coming from, as I see a trail of mouse droppings. This looks like a fix I can do myself once I found the proper resources on how to patch up a hole.

The shower where the shower tiles are, it appears the grout is coming off. And that the latches of all the windows in the house are broken off. The only other step I see is that the deck outside needs to be stained.

Which tasks should I hire a professional? or can I do myself?
1. Disinfecting, and deep cleaning the home
2. Blocking off the hole where the mice may of came from
3. Fixing the grout in the shower tiles
4. Replacing or fixing the window latches
5. Staining the deck

I have already planned for a professional to clean all the vents. What other checklist should I have to make sure the home is ready?

Unless it’s cement board behind the shower tile you are most likely going to need to rip that down to studs, even if it’s green board.

Change the locks, but unless you can secure the windows don’t leave any tools in there... or any thing of value.

As far as maid service that is your call. I can’t tell by your description how bad it is ….and most of the maid services do not handle cleanup sites….but you can give it a try.

 

[disciple Clint]

I purchased a foreclosed house; I am unable to tell whether a hoarder once lived in the home or the person living in it was angry and decided to trash the home before it foreclosed.

I took the first step, and threw away all the trash, I found 2 dead mice in the laundry room, the fridge had some rotting food, kitchen floors have some kind of fluid which I suspect is juices from the rotting food, and the bathroom toilet appears to have overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

I never had to clean a home that was dirty to this extent, and it seems to need to be disinfected, a simple Swiffer sweeper doesn't seem to be enough.

For safety I think it may be best to hire a professional cleaner, but is a maid service enough for a job like this?

For the mice problem, looking behind the dryer I believe I found the hole they are coming from, as I see a trail of mouse droppings. This looks like a fix I can do myself once I found the proper resources on how to patch up a hole.

The shower where the shower tiles are, it appears the grout is coming off. And that the latches of all the windows in the house are broken off. The only other step I see is that the deck outside needs to be stained.

Which tasks should I hire a professional? or can I do myself?
1. Disinfecting, and deep cleaning the home
2. Blocking off the hole where the mice may of came from
3. Fixing the grout in the shower tiles
4. Replacing or fixing the window latches
5. Staining the deck

I have already planned for a professional to clean all the vents. What other checklist should I have to make sure the home is ready?

You may be working with some hazorsous materials there such as mold and mouse droppings, possibly some asbestos in the flooring and ceiling textures and who knows what else. You need to proceed with caution not only can you risk your health but you can get into some real trouble with the local government regulations. Best to have a local, licensed, reputable contractor come out and take a look they will know what you need to do. It sounds like you have a gut job to do, take out everything all the way to the studs etc then start over with wiring, plumbing, insulation, drywall, texture and paint and flooring.

 

[turkle]

I agree that you most likely need a professional come and evaluate the house for major issues. But patching a hold is simple with spackle. Grout is easy to do. Deep cleaning is a hard job, but you can do it yourself if you don't want to pay a pro. Staining the deck is also a big job for which you'll need to rent a power washer. Personally, I paid someone to do that for me, but my neighbor does it himself.

A couple of great resources for home maintenance and improvement are familyhandiman.com and bobvilla.com. They have tons of info on how to do all kinds of jobs yourself.

 

[bèlla]

Get a professional that’s accustomed to dealing with those sites. Not Merry Maids. You don’t know what happened there. The fact you call it a “hoarder house” should be a sign.

 

[Sophrosyne]

I've cleaned up after a hoarder personally and you definitely need to get a mask and gloves and be prepared to work and take breaks and open up the house also. You need to use a cleaner with bleach and may need to rent a carpet cleaner but before you try and clean the carpet take a good look at it as it could be so soiled that it may be just better off being torn up. You may need to clean things several times and be prepared to air out things for several months even as smells can be pervasive coming from floors, walls, and carpet even.
Bring lots of trash bags, cleaning cloths or throwaway towels and scrub brushes and buckets and scissors and utility knives and a good headlamp so you can see in the corners and clean things up easier.

Hot water is a definite plus also