Gilbert Hoarding Cleanout — 3 Days, Family-Coordinated

An adult daughter contacted us after her father agreed to let her clear the back half of his Gilbert house. The home tested at a Level 3 on the ICD clutter image rating scale — pathways present, but rooms unusable.

The family wanted nothing thrown away without a quick scan for documents, photos, mail, and one specific watch the father couldn't find. A social worker would be present every day to coach the father through the process.

Day 0 was a 90-minute walkthrough with the father, daughter, and social worker. We agreed on stop-words, a 'pause' hand signal, and the four scan categories: documents, photos, jewelry, mail.

Day 1–3, two crew members handled scan-and-sort at a folding table on the driveway while two ran the haul truck. Every box was opened and quick-scanned before going into landfill. We turned over six bins of recovered items, including the watch (in a Crown Royal bag inside a Vans shoebox).

We coordinated with a Maricopa County biohazard subcontractor for two rooms that needed pest remediation before our final sweep.

Three habitable rooms restored. Kitchen and main bath fully usable. Father remained in the home with weekly check-ins from the social worker.

Recovered: birth certificate, three passports, ~$1,800 in cash spread across drawers, and the watch.

Cost came in $1,200 below the original 'worst case' estimate because the rescue protocol kept the family from needing a Day 4.