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What Are The Stages Of Hoarding?

Sep 9, 2016

To be honest, we all deal with Hoarding to some degree. Most everyone has a drawer full of clothes that no longer fit or a trunk of photos they hope to one day go through. Hoarding is broken down into five distinct stages that effect the home and the mind. In our materialistic culture, most of us operate within a Stage 1 hoard. As time passes and contents continue to gather, it can be simple and scary to find yourself in a far worse situation than you imagined.

  • Stage 1 Hoard
    • In the Home: Normal looking, a few piles, habits are the problem
    • In the Mind: Minor anxiety, plan on correcting
  • State 2 Hoard
    • In the Home: Storage room is full, pet litter box growing full
    • In the Mind: Feeling aware, embarrassed, justifying actions still
  • Stage 3 Hoard
    • In the Home: Entire rooms are becoming inaccessible, pets using restroom inside
    • In the Mind: Performance at work is suffering, Hoarder is sacrificing bathing and eating because of inaccessibility, family knows something is wrong
  • Stage 4 Hoard
    • In the Home: All but one room is full, Hoarder is living in cockpit, structural issues in the house are an issue, major fire hazard
    • In the Mind: Hoarder is fully withdrawn, depressed, not following societal rules, not paying bills or bathing, family is seriously concerned
  • Stage 5 Hoard
    • In the Home: House is completely full and no longer safe, Hoarder may be living in car
    • In the Mind: Entire day revolves around menial tasks like getting food, going to the bathroom or looking for an item, often in complete isolation


As the mess grows, the mental stress associated with the clutter can be overwhelming, causing the Hoarder to retreat further to their hideout. The key is to work with professionals who will use Compassion Based removal skills to help that Hoarder choose a better life.

For more information or help with Hoarding removal
Contact us at ServiceMaster in Mason.
Phone: 517-676-1626 Email: ServiceMasterAbsolute@gmail.com