Hoarder whose obsessive collecting spiralled out of control after her partner died reveals how she was too ashamed to ask for help
- The property in Skegness, Lincolnshire, was so cluttered it became a fire hazard
- Rooms were filled with paperwork, shopping bags, clothes and cardboard boxes
- The woman said the situation was ‘horrible’ but felt too scared to ask for help
- The flat has been cleared after a housing officer and local charities stepped in
- The tenant’s health and well-being has improved and she is ‘extremely grateful’
A hoarder whose obsessive collecting spiralled out of control after her partner died has revealed how she felt too embarrassed about the state of her flat to ask for help.
The property in Skegness, Lincolnshire, was so full of clutter that it became a fire hazard.
The settee, floor and tables in the living room were all littered with paperwork and shopping bags and there was barely anywhere to sit.
The tenant’s home (pictured above) in Skegness, Lincolnshire, was so filled with clutter it became a fire hazard. The settee (right) was littered with paperwork and shopping bags
The woman could not even sleep in her bed due to the problem, and her floor was piled high with clothes and bags.
Books, newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes spilled out over the bath tub and onto the bathroom floor and it was almost impossible to cook in the cluttered kitchen.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the situation ‘became horrible’ but she was too scared to ask for help.
She said: ‘It had become horrible. It all escalated from about 2009 when my partner died and, like everything else, you don’t see it coming.
‘I was regularly going to look after mum and dad and I would come back tired and think: “I’ll do that tomorrow” and over time – and I am mortified to say it – the flat got more and more out of control.
‘I’ve always loved this flat but I was heartily ashamed. I got to the stage where I was so ashamed, I dare not tell my parents and mum was livid when she eventually found out.’
She added: ‘After dad passed away, everything escalated out of control as I was going to help mum more regularly. The number of times I used to come back home and could have cried was huge.’
The landlord, Longhurst Group, discovered the obsessive collecting after a contractor was unable to gain access to the attic and a report was made to the housing team.
It was almost impossible to cook in the cluttered kitchen (above), which was filled with newspapers and shopping bags. The woman said she felt ‘heartily ashamed’
The woman said: ‘I couldn’t see a way out. I didn’t know what to do. The embarrassment stopped me from asking for help. I thought about asking Longhurst Group but I was frightened to do that. I tried to ignore it.
‘When I looked at it and thought about if there was a fire, I knew I would be stuck. I was wondering: “What have I done?” That is when Longhurst Group did step in and helped me massively.’
The flat has now been cleared after a housing officer stepped in alongside local charities, and the woman’s health and well-being has improved.
She added: ‘I can now happily walk out the door and know I am not a fire risk.
‘I can now go to mum’s with a happier heart and when I come back, I can eat what I want, watch what I want and I am extremely grateful.’
Housing officer Mark Lancaster said: ‘We are all about wanting to help people sustain their tenancies and improving lives.
‘Now, this lady can get to her bedroom and sleep in her bed, which has had a positive impact on her health, and she can also get in her bathroom now too.
‘There are no limitations for her and her well-being has improved as a result. We worked closely with local charities in this case and we are pleased to see the positive impact it has had on her.’