When looking at television shows or photos online, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could do what a hoarder does. But sadly, this is a serious problem. Experts estimate that as many as 14 million people in the US alone have compulsive-hoarding disorder.
What a mess
Not only do hoarders cause significant damage to properties but they do it to homes they own, as well as those they rent. Recently, a story circulated about a man who had this problem. He was a tenant who left a house in horrific condition. But it’s what happened after he left that has people talking.
Trash…from ceiling to floor
This guy’s hoarding problem was so bad that it was hard to even get inside the front door. And then when entering the house that he rented, it was nothing but junk from the ceiling to the floor. Every inch of the home was covered with trash.
Total destruction
This house wasn’t just messy but because of all the trash and lack of care, he’d done a significant amount of damage. The entire place was smelly and gross.
Dirty living
Unfortunately, most hoarders don’t keep a clean home. Since there’s so much garbage piled everywhere, everything is a mess. Eventually, they can’t get to the bathroom and instead of putting the trash out to be collected, it sits wherever they place it. That creates an issue with rodents and insects.
A brilliant idea
A real estate investor purchased the house for $450,000. But all the trash inside and outside was part of the deal. Instead of having all of the “stuff” thrown into dumpsters and hauled away, he decided to hold a scavenger hunt.
Cash reward
He had friends go to the house and whoever found the three most valuable items would get $1,000. Any other items of value would go to charity. An individual found a vintage gold watch and ended up winning the cash reward. But then, this investor had another great idea.
Online ad
This man then posted an ad on Craig’s List, offering the remaining stuff to anyone who wanted it. In the garage, someone found a new coffee machine still in the box.
One person who responded to the ad found a decent amount of money inside a dresser drawer. But there were many other items like this…all free.
Emptied out
Once everything was gone, the investor could start putting the house back together. He transformed both the interior and exterior of the home. The difference was unbelievable. Comparing what it originally looked like to the after photos…just incredible.
88 days…start to finish
From the time everything was hauled out of the house to when the investor had a new tenant in place only took 88 days. During the transformation period, he changed and upgraded everything. In total, including the purchase price of the property, he spent $515, 287.86. But the return was worth all the hard work.
Although he plans to keep the house as a rental property, if he were to sell it, he would easily make around $690,000. That’s quite a favorable turnaround. Now, you can see why so many people have shown interest in flipping houses.
If you click on the video below, you can see the full transformation. It’s beyond impressive.
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Source: YouTube, Scientific American
