Written by Chris Smith · Illustrative case study
The situation
The owner of the place at a property in Highland Park had been storing things "temporarily" for about fifteen years. When the agent came to appraise it, she was told plainly that buyers wouldn't see past the clutter: accumulated packaging and paper, spoiled food waste and damaged furniture, stacked floor to ceiling in places.
Why the customer needed help
Their main worry wasn't the cost. It was not knowing what could legally go where, and not wanting to damage the house getting it all out. Both of those are part of the job for us.
What was at the property
By my count there were accumulated packaging and paper, spoiled food waste and damaged furniture, along with the usual loose odds and ends that build up around a job like this. It's typical of what we see from support workers and case managers.
Working in Highland Park
Highland Park is a hilly residential pocket with large blocks and views. Highland Park mixes established homes, units and local businesses, so jobs range from single items to full house and office cleanouts. We plan around driveways, unit car parks and loading zones so the truck is close to the load.
The initial assessment
I arrived at the property and the first thing I noticed was the access. Before I look at the pile, I walk the route it has to travel: doorways, steps, the driveway slope, overhead wires, where the truck can park. For this job I paced it out and worked out we'd need about two-thirds of the tipper.
How the job was planned
I gave them a fixed price there and then, based on volume, and explained what was included: staged, multi-day clearances, discreet unmarked-style arrival on request and valuables and paperwork set aside. They said yes on the spot, so we planned to load in one visit rather than two.
Preparation
We checked the weather, laid out the straps and blankets for anything worth saving, and agreed a hand signal for "stop" because the truck was right on the road.
Step 1
Step one was triage. We pulled everything into three groups: donate, recycle and dispose. It takes longer at the start, but it means the truck gets loaded in the right order and nothing good goes to landfill.
Step 2
Step two was the loose material. Bags, boxes and odds and ends went into the truck in layers, packed tight into the gaps around the furniture so we weren't carting air to the tip.
Step 3
Step three was loading the donation pile carefully, strapping it separately at the front of the tray so it would arrive at the charity in one piece.
Removal, sorting and loading
We loaded by destination rather than by size. Metal on one side for the scrap yard, green waste kept clean, cardboard flattened and bundled, and general rubbish packed into whatever space was left.
From the truck it went to a licensed transfer station, where recyclables were dropped off separately, and anything usable went to a local op shop before the tip run.
Challenges we ran into
The volume was well beyond a single load once we opened the roof space, which hadn't been mentioned on the phone.
How we handled them
I rang the customer straight away, explained the extra volume and gave them the revised price before we went any further. They were glad to know before, not after.
Completion and final result
When the last load was strapped down, the space was empty and swept. The customer walked through with me, signed off, and paid the price we'd agreed at the start, not a dollar more.
What I learned
What stuck with me was how much of it could be reused. People expect hoarder Clean-Up to mean everything goes to landfill. On this job, close to a third of it went somewhere useful.