What is a Hoarder?

You would have to be living under a rock at the moment to not have heard the term ‘Hoarder’!

Many of you would be familiar with the TV show Hoarders as featured on GEM TV here in Australia.
It is the first point of reference for people when I mention my career as a Melbourne Professional Organiser.

So what is a hoarder and how does it differ from being disorganised or simply living with clutter?

The term Hoarding is defined as a pattern of behaviour that is characterised by the excessive collection of and inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that would seemingly qualify as useless or without value.

Clutter is best described as a confusing or disorderly state or collection of items.  People who live with clutter can still function within their spaces, they simply require some time and effective systems to put items back into place.

So why is hoarding considered to be on the increase?  Is it our larger homes, lack of time and resources, overuse of storage items which increase the amount of ‘stuff‘ our cupboards can hold or that everyday items, once considered a luxury, are now more readily available and within our budgets?

The Australian Women’s Weekly have a fantastic feature article in their June 2012 magazine.

Rest assured help is at hand.  You will find many Melbourne Professional Organisers, disguised as ‘clutter busters’ throughout Australia.  We have the knowledge and skills to help you work through all the paper piles, spare room and all things clutter.  Most importantly we understand it’s not just about ‘the stuff’

For regular hints, tips and inspiration join me on Facebook or take the 10 Day Organising Challenge.