@@Mmm...yummymummy trust me. Am also kind of a hoarder. They call it a mess too. But at one point it gets too overwhelming to clean out. You don't know where to start. I had so many half empty bottles before a big big cleanse which took 2 days and that was only my desk reorganising(mainly having a new box and throwing pens in there rather than just spread put. And cables in a bin) . And half of my closet (the half where i throw random crap in. And have my personal hygiene stuff in. So many empty bottles!)
@@dutchik5107 you start with a pile or anything and you get rid of junk- trashcan / donate it / sell it somewhere or use it. All those junky clothes could be used as cleaning rags to clean that mess n' she'd need help to do it probably. Cleaning rags clean stuff n' trash the junky clothes. Old shoes can donate to salvation army and htey give them to the homeless.
as a hoarder myself i can understand what the lady was like. its taken me a year to clear my house cos my hoarders brain saw value in everything. but it would let me give something to charity. so thats what i did. every week id take a trolley full of stuff to the shop. and now ive only got a few boxes left. but i did have a stall on the market for old stuff. so watching this video is like... you are after my own heart. lovely house. well done for the sight.
how did you get over hoarding? my mom is a hoarder and i live in a filthy house full of clothes and extra stuff we don’t need. i can’t invite friends over because of her. it’s impossible to clean up because when i do she yells at me and tells me she hates me because in her eyes it’s “organized” i don’t know what to do anymoew
I just want to say thank you for doing that. I’m sure it was difficult and you should be proud of yourself. Thank you for not just leaving it to become someone else’s problem.
As someone who is striving towards being a minimalist, since I have hoarder tendencies and realized I needed to get ahold of it, this simultaneously hurts me inside to watch, and also makes me feel so grateful that I've put a stop to my own hoarding. I could've very easily gone down this route. It was so hard for me just a few years ago to let go of anything, even useless scraps of paper. Now, I've cut down so much of what I own to just things that are actually useful to me or make me happy. I feel so much better now, and I'm headed towards a brighter future, instead of what it could have become...
@Zichqec Same here, but I'm an artist/creative worker so I wíll need to continue the hoarding to a certain point, otherwise I'll lack materials and tools for my art. However, I am going to (wáy more often) have a cleaning-session and clean out the cabinets and give away/sell what I don't need after all.
@@Widdekuu91 I'm also an artist ^^ Honestly, my art supplies were the hardest thing for me to stop hoarding. But I took a good long look at my supplies. All the cheap supplies that I just kept around because 'maybe I'll use them for something someday' are gone. Some little kid will enjoy them more than me. Old dried clay is gone too. I cut myself down to just a few mediums I know that I already use, and a few that I want to work on exploring, but honestly giving myself less supplies has made it so much overwhelming. You don't really realize how much stress your stuff is giving you until you decide to let it go. I do recommend going through your art supplies and just really considering why you have some of them and if you're actually going to use them for anything. You don't have to get rid of anything, you can just really, truly look at them and think about it. And if you want to keep them you absolutely can! But if you decide that maybe you'd be happier without, then you'll be able to make that choice and it feels so good. Best of luck to you ^^ It can be a real struggle with crafting supplies so I feel your pain ;;
@@Stettafire Oh man, I feel that a lot. Honestly, the best thing for me was just to take a box of stuff at a time, and sit and pull out every single item, considering each one and why I had it and what I really wanted to do with it. If you take the time to sit and think, sometimes you realize you're holding onto some pretty silly things XD Usually I'd end up with a pile not much smaller though, and realized I'd clicked into a mindset of recognizing a thing, and not really thinking it through, just setting it in the 'keep' pile because I'd recognized it. So then I go through the pile again and repeat the process slower, until I feel like everything I've kept has a valid reason for being kept (even just really liking a thing is a valid reason!) Good on you for the effort you're putting in, I'm sure your family will eventually truly appreciate it ;; It's a good thing you're doing to be caring for them even after you're gone Best of luck to you ^^ Minimalism isn't always easy if you're not automatically wired for it, but it should feel very rewarding once you've gotten started
This reminds me so much of my mother’s house. She was a hoarder but we never knew the extent of it because she did not permit us to visit her anymore. When mom suffered a stroke last year, our younger sister moved in with her. She had no patience or desire to go through mom’s stuff to see what was worth saving. She hired some men and rented a trailer to help empty three sheds in the back yard. For three consecutive days, loads and loads of everything, you name it: vintage clothing, appliances, furniture, electronics, etc. . ., were placed on the trailer and taken to the city dump. Approximately, three tons of hoarding were disposed of just from the sheds! I felt sad for my 90-year old mom as she stood there helpless seeing all her “treasures” thrown away. Some of that stuff was salvageable in good condition and could have been donated. Mom’s dream had always been to put a “little thrift store” out in the country where she lives but never got around to it. Instead she held garage sales in a desert community where people had very little money to spare. The years passed and she lost control of the accumulation. We told her she should have just given the stuff away for free and not end up like the property in this video. We had hoped that mom’s hoarding could have been disposed of after her passing but her stroke changed all those plans. Mom could not live by herself anymore and the place had to get cleaned up and made livable for my sister. It was heartbreaking 💔 for mom but time was of essence because there was evidence of mice and termite infestation that needed to be taken care of. The inside of Mom’s house was jam packed just like the video; one could not even walk through her house. How sad 😢 that things get to this point. Sorry for the long comment. Thank you for reading 🙏.
If you were so concerned you should have just shown up years before she got so old . She wouldn’t allow you ?I would’ve shown up with family right then! Hope you don’t blame your sister ,sounds like she showed up to be with her at the end and she couldn’t live in that. There was plenty that could have been done it just wasn’t 😢
Also I recommend hepatitis B vaccination. Suit up, face mask, gloves. You can’t be too careful. I know a gent who kept his sharps in cardboard chocolate boxes! Be aware/take care. It does take a nurse. Nurse knows 😉
Just discovered this channel today and this is probably the whole travel-scenario from start to finish is just so Canadian, from the lack of gas stations on the highway to the policeman pulling him over just to hear the sirens of the ambulance... definitely put a smile on my face!
Am I the only one who didnt want this episode the end? I love you Alex, no guts no glory. Your wife is a gem! Can't wait to see what you pull out of this giant tresasure box! Good luck, we are rooting for you.
Every piece you pick up, seeing it's value, there is a lady up above who is so pleased that she kept it. It's sad when collecting becomes hoarding, but finding value in her stash is a validation in some small way of her life. This is the first of your videos I've watched, but I love your easy-going manner, the care you have in "digging through" what others call a mess, and your charming manner. I am already subscribed (around ¾ through the video) and will happily go through your catalog!
Thank you so much for subscribing :) It’s funny to think that somehow our life became a show but I am so glad that we have so many people along for the journey :)
Watching the series for second time. I love how kind & thoughtful Alex is towards the home owners. Reassuring them it’s no big deal. Be careful. He runs out of gas, crazy shower pressure and all his comments are good natured and kind. ❤️👍🏼❤️👍🏼❤️👍🏼❤️
@@WildHorseWay-gi1zb Because she was. He treated her with the greatest of respect, but that was the fact. Man, woman, alien - if you hoard items, you are a hoarder.
I'm happy you bought the house. And the lady who lived there probably wouldn't mind it either. You have such a calm, respectful and at times almost loving energy towards the things in the house. The people in those hoarder tv-shows always have a us vs. the house or hoard mentality. They mainly exhibit contempt, disgust and anger, even if there's near to no rotten stuff or garbage in the house. Same with a lot of "treasure hunter" type tv shows. Always on the hunt for that one valuable thing and destroying everything in their wake. If it's the original vintage packaging or the 100 year old closed wardrobe missing the key, everything gets torn apart. This was someone's home! And there was probably a reason why she kept all those things. Even if it was only in her head and maybe she got overwhelmed by it. It still was significant to her and deserves to be treated with respect. And who knows which of these things (will) have significance to other people (in the future).
clay fairless I understand that he was there to look at the stuff and maybe buy some things in the beginning. But in the morning of day two he says that he decided to make the family an offer for the hole house, stuff and all, and they accepted the offer. From there on out its his house, he bought it from them. Although it was not the original plan in the beginning of the video.
@@FairxPotamus Pay attention. He says he bought the whole thing, lock stock and barrel. He's responsible for cleaning up TONS of garbage as well as renovating the whole house. Not exactly "looting."
I don't think he is "that" respectful, I've never seen any Treasure hunter really care, in saying that its all his and he can do what he wants and take as much time as he wants, living the dream I say.
"...so powerful it would clean ticks off of a goat" As a man who's raised goats, sir, I take my hat off to you. I quite literally laughed my ass off. It's lying on the floor, right now, and I am assless.
Now you'll just get suggested more videos like this, congrats. If you're sick of seeing a suggestion, Hover over the video thumbnail and it'll show a vertical set of 3 dots that you can click, and say "not interested".
I can't believe i watched this entire episode minute for minute AND that it totally has me brimming with *ENVY* (your life dude...collecting, digging, making a living, driving a boat of Ghostbusters coffin car & most importantly: finding a life partner great supportive human that dials in for a fun scheme!! Ideal as it goes) AND *ADMIRATION* (you are full of whats seems a great wealth of respect for ppl & broad knowledge for craft / collectibles / hand made iems of character etc. Best of luck in all things to you & your fam. ..now to try & catch up on the updated episodes. Peace.
I watched this whole series about a year ago, recommended by my daughter. I was hooked. I "fell in love" with your family as you all restored this house and honored the owner. What a heartwarming story! If you ever write a book on this adventure and this remarkable woman, please let your viewers know. I would be interested in purchasing one. You and your family showed what amazing people you really are. Now I intend to re-view this again. This is better than Hollywood fake stories. Thank you for doing the youtube videos. * * P.S. I am indeed sorry about your Father's death with the virus. Doctors just didn't know much about this thing at its beginning. There was more fear than knowledge. I am glad I found you again, and have subscribed so I don't miss your videos.
Every second of this video is SO CANADIAN. Fan happily saves you, police pulls you over just to say how cool your car is, and obviously the entire conversation in the house is full of your stereotypical Canadian accent and phrases. I LOVE it. It's a life-long dream of mine to move from the fiery hell pits of southern Texas up to the winter wonderland of Canada. The reasonable political situation is a huge bonus, too! USA kinda sucks when you're born sickly.
Coming back a year and a half later, knowing what Alex and his family and friends did with the house. What a great bunch of people! Such cooperation, mutual respect, and concern for Mary and her legacy!
Good advice! He probably needs to do several other things: drain the tank and take the much out of the bottom, check the fuel gauge and sending unit and the wiring. Also, while he's at it, he should check the fuel pump. These things all need maintenance when old. Prep for a trip might include seeing where the gas stations are on the internet.
I was taught the same, but for summer. It didn't help me when the only gas station for miles closed since I'd last driven to my mom's. Just barely got to the next town
I had to clean out my mom's house when she moved to a nursing home. We were somewhat estranged and I was never invited into her home when I would visit her to see if she was doing alright. It took me 8 months to clean it out. Some days I would just stand in the middle of it all and have a good cry. Then I would get back to work.
That will be me. My mum no longer lets me into her place. It's horrible. She hates her environment, but can't change anything, or allow anyone to help. Hoarding is so hard to understand.
@@pufycino1431 You don't understand what people with mental issues/ hoarding or OCD are like. They are so fiercely protective of their crap and their way of life, they'd rather isolate themselves. They would rather be alone than have anyone saying anything or doing anything to help them. They'd rather lose their family than their stuff. It's sad but true and even if you love them and try to help them, they'll fight you and push you away.
It is a mental illness. Much like obsessive compulsive disorder. They fill a void w things. So she loved clothes. But they usually start our w a system it just gets lost or they are over whelmed. This is there comfort their things. It is much deeper than people think and a process to help them through. I have a BA I psychology. But I own a business called Moving Forward Foreclosure Cleanouts LLC. 😎Long story but I love it. And I also understand and can help people. I also love the treasure hunt and giving back to my community.
@@movingforwardfco1587 yes I know. Unfortunately I lived it bc my mom was a hoarder. (Btw, My comment was a quote from the episode not a question...perhaps you missed the other sentences in it.)
@@NativeBratElaine well thank you for pointing that out. I needed that today. Was just saying because so many over use hoarder and not know what it truly is. But again thanks for pointing it out.
@@joea1433 I am not sure coming from a wealthy family had anything to do with what I was referring to. What I liked was that he didn't get to shook up about running out of gas and then when he went into the hoarding house he was very respectful and even when it came to being in the real Dusty part that caused him not to be able to breathe he managed to stay upbeat.
Second time around watching this. I have been slowly trying to watch everything from the start of the channel while keeping up with the current. This is almost like revisiting an old friend. I have nothing but respect for Mary along with an understanding of how it all snowballed for her. Thank you, Alexander, for making sure her humanity was kept intact.
You better get insurance on the house immediately. It might burn down with the furnace running and all the vents blocked! I would wear a mask and gloves and probably coveralls from now on. Good luck!
There’s a limit switch on the Furnace. Even if it did start it would shut right back down to keep from overheating. I’d be more worried about the electrical system being covered like it is. Who knows what’s still plugged in under those piles.
i'm re watching this after watching this whole series...really amazing journey. thanks for taking us along with you on this. i can totally understand why you just bought the house so you could thoroughly go thru everything. the first walk through is soooo overwhelming you really couldn't have found the real treasures you ended up finding. and it would have been awful if the family had just hired someone to clean it out trashed it all with no appreciation for the treasures that were hidden. such admiration to you and all those that helped you and appreciation for your respect to the fact that there was some good stuff there in all that "mess".
You are brave...I did the same thing back in 1972.. the house had 14 rooms, it took awhile to clean it but worth it we made money on it..we even found a silver coin collection in the ceiling a couple of guns etc.. With some renovations we got 10 times more then we paid for it. Hope you have the same luck that we did
@@CuriosityIncorporated That was 1972 when there was plenty of prosperity & people wanted to "collect". Times have changed. The market is now flooded with unwanted boomer stuff & Millenials do not "collect" but prefer "minimalist" lifestyle.
Yes!!! My friend is a physicist and a tinkerer and this happened-- the cop just wanted to see how his device worked, then radioed to his partner to come see!!! 😂
can't wait to see that house totally clean and empty! great find, I with help broke my hoarder habit, still have 1 room to go through then my entry apt with be clean, the room is over half cleaned already, thanks to those people who help people like me and not make fun of us
Let me just start out by saying that I enjoy all of your videos , but mostly I respect and admire you and your wife, you both are so refreshing and it warms my heart knowing that true love and happiness can still be found in this world we live in. Your kids are so well behaved and I'm happy to be a fan of your channel. Thank you for the fun and corny jokes that make me laugh.
Great video! Really enjoyed it. Better than anything on TV, that's for sure! Looking forward to seeing what treasures are in that house. And love the house, very quaint.
That leather purse you found is actually super trendy for now a days! I'm honestly interested in purchasing it if you're up to it. Hopefully you see this comment!! Definitely will be watching more of your videos! Best of luck with everything
I remember when I found this series and I showed my dad. He was so excited for every update. Since he passed on Christmas, I kept thinking about this series. Maybe it’s him telling me that I should rewatch.
My grandpa was a hoarder. We cleaned out 47 lawnmowers, 56 vacuum cleaners, and thousands of tools. Yeah, it's neat to find things you've never seen, but it's so sad thinking about the mental issues people go through when they start saving every thing.
Tasha By any chance did he have OCD or OCD behaviors? That may seem like a weird question, but I've recently found out there's a correlation between hoarding and OCD. I myself have issues with letting things go. I'll literally keep little insignificant notes, and just random things. I find it hard to let things go and I tend to collect things. Recently my therapist had mentioned it's actually my OCD which makes me collect things or have that "what if I want it/need it later" mentality. I'm just curious if he showed any OCD tendencies because that correlation fascinates me. People assume people with OCD have to be spotless and have everything tidy. That's not always the case. I prefer things organized and tidy but I do tend to overwhelm myself with stuff. It seems a lot of these people who hoard have obsessive compulsive disorder.
Many older people also needed to save everything because they were poor and needed to fix and reuse everything. Just wanted to say that. But certainly there's a line somewhere..
I am 54 years old and I was raised being told how long something had to last you. And I am not a hoarder but I have a hard time throwing out stuff that's still good. I think I have every pair of tennis shoes I've bought in the last 20 years. Thank goodness I don't have a shopping addiction or I probably would be a hoarder. But we were very poor growing up on a farm.
American girl No, not really. That's not particularly how disorders work. You can have a disorder, yet it can not interfere with your happiness in any way, and doesn't have to largely effect your life. Doesn't mean you still aren't afflicted with that mental disorder. Besides, your logic is flawed here. You say it has to interfere with your life. Well..hoarding interferes with someone's life.. very much so interferes.
my father-in-law hated banks, as he went through the depression. When he died my husband and i were going through his clothes. I found an old pin stripe suit in plastic, way in the back of the closet. When I pulled it out it seemed too heavy to be just a suit. I felt around and the hem had these lumps in them. I carefully undid a thread to make an opening,,,,he had 40k cash in the hem of his suit he never wore!! My husband found sock sets unopened he and his brother had gotten their dad for christmas when they were kids!! This man wasted nothing, but he was neat as a pin!! He got free cheese and butter from the govt., tubs of grain in the attic, and turns out he was worth over half a million dollars!! That was just from working and saving his entire life. He was from the old country, Germany, his name was Otto. What really made me laugh was, he had one plate, one glass, bowl, spoon and fork, and 2 pans!! He was the oldest of 14 kids and born in 1911, I think. And he even still had his phone on a party line!! The only person left in the city to have one,lolHe was quite a character. He was a handy man, working on a roof one day, alone. He cut three fingers off sawing some boards, he picked them up, wraped them in a hankerchief and drove himself to the hospital!! When they say, they don't make em' like that anymore, it was damn true in his case!!!
When I watch the hoarders programs on mainstream TV, the main thing I hear is, "I just don't know what happened. It started as a pile on the dining room table." Then, I start cleaning, too! Ha-ha! Oh, and I no longert have a dining room table!
Susan Hickson you are absolutely right, I discovered this the wrong way. I let myself in to a store that had been closed since the middle 90s. It was a very nice high end gift store that had been locked up for about 15 years. There were Hummel figurines, tiffany glass ware. Lots of very nice things but inside the store it was full of mold on the walls and shelves, I made about 400 dollars off the stuff I sold but I did major damage to my lungs, the Dr said I still have mold in my lungs and I have a hard time breathing, so please anybody going into places like that you need plenty of ventalation, rubber gloves and masks like you said.
Wear a mask and gloves so you don't get sick after cleaning. Then clean the house out in stages (working from the top down). I'd get ride of trash & recycle first. I watched an hoarder show right before this and the lady made $100 on a van load of old tin cans. after that I would donate the holiday decorations. Either take the clothing to consignment or take it someone where its organized to sell. The vintage clothing is so amazing, Id have so much fun sorting that. The leather handbag you found at 4:45 is really nice. I could see that selling for $100 in a vintage store.
I think top down would not be the best way. If you do that, then you are constantly going over, through, and around stuff to get to the top and back out. I would start at the entrance and empty/sort inward room by room.
Only issue with working top, down, is if you can't get to the top because of the stuff thats down. I think it also depends on the psycology of the person cleaning. In my case, I work on the thing that's slapping me in the face first. Then that will make me feel less overwhelmed, which will help me continue on with the cleaning. Work from big stuff, into smaller stuff one room at a time, starting from the entrance and going back and up:) But it depends on what suits you the best:)
+ curiosity incorporated Love your channel, reminds me so much of my daughter we would scour upstate NY just to look at old cars and properties. We would go into random small town antique shops. One shop owner saw her interest so much he gave her something from the shop for free. We had and still have a few old cars, one car a 72 Chevy C-10 I had purchased to flip and make money off but she begged for me to keep it and well... I did. I gave it to her, although she was too young to drive, she wanted it for college when she was a bit older. we got to do a few things on it together. An amazing young daughter, buddy, best friend, I raised her as a single widowed dad and she sadly passed away at 13 years old in 2016 in a car accident two weeks after I had given her the pickup truck. I hope one day I have money to restore her truck in her memory. Love your channel, seeing the kid in the intro reminded me so much on how I and my baby used to go everywhere.
Geo M, so sorry about your loss, I have an idea how you feel, as my nephew aged 18yrs was involved in a car accident, although that's isn't as sad as you losing your precious daughter, here is a Poem specially for you and anyone else reading this : Have you had a Kindness shown, Pass it on, T'was not given for thee alone, Pass it on, Let it Travel down the Year's, Let it wipe another's Tear's, Till in Heaven the Deed appears, Pass it on.
@@annemccabe1714 Hi. So sorry you lost your nephew, any age is so hard to lose someone. A loss of life is so difficult on us humans especially when they were close to us. thank you for the beautiful poem.
I just found this video cus it was recommended but I already love this man. Idk what it is about him but his voice and attitude puts me in a good mood 😂
EEEkkkk....I'd wear gloves, too. Never know what you might touch. One lady donated the contents of her house after she died to an animal shelter where I volunteered. We opened a big plastic bag and a bunch of urinals and bed pans came clattering out....they were clean but still, somebody had probably used them. Yuck.
Briana Mora While there are some molds that are toxic and dangerous for long term inhalation, but the majority are harmless unless the person has an allergy. I still think he should have minimum PPE for this type of project.
When I see flip shows I cringe when they just haul stuff away. If I was flipping houses I'd have a friend who had a thrift shop at least come get the stuff that is salvageable. I'd let the friend get the good stuff at least. That would make the dumpster fee less. I shudder to think of the antiques and treasures that have been thrown out. I was passing a trash pile recently and I don't normally pick stuff up, in fact I've been culling stuff the last few years but I saw a drop leaf table that matched what I already had. I saw the home owner sitting on the porch and asked him if it was up for grabs ( I live in a polite subdivision ) and I got to meet a new neighbor and he was so nice, he helped me load it. He was so glad someone was going to get use of it. At Christmas, It added five extra square feet to my table area for drinks and snacks for my parties. This was a very nice video y'all! I do feel itchy now tho. LOL
There was an amazing turnout on an item in antique roadshow you know. Women brought a little pot/vase at a car boot for £1. Used it as a plant pot for a bit and them stored it in the loft. During a clean out she came about it again and was just going to throw it out, but since the roadshow was coming to her town soon she held onto it, cause why not. Turns out it was worth at least £25k. They sold it for £32k. Could have easily thrown out that £32k non the wiser. Another pot, a guy used as a goal post for the kids or something. It valued at £10k. He held onto it and sold it later for £560k. The market had changed drastically. Makes you wonder how many people could have been far richer than current, just because they didn't see the value in an old object.
When you see this kind of thing the relatives just want to liquidate the estate and get rid of the problem.. To be honest I'd imagine they're relieved not to be forced to deal with it... I'd guess you can see a lot of value there.. Your very brave taking on such a big project..
I just discovered you accidentally. This house looks like fun to go through. You may want to wear a mask because of the dust. That 30s dress reminded me of the 80s dresses. Enjoy seeing more.
I believe the dress was much older because the "A" line cut and quality and detail in the embroidered collar. My girls wore similar when they were little (in the 80's) but I know that "everything old is new again" is true when it comes to fashion. Tie die, platform shoes, eye glass styles.. On and on.
I've done that route myself many years ago and didn't fill up before. I was literally praying to find a gas station soon as I was alone with 4 little ones in the car with me. Made it in the nick of time - I am sure I was running on fumes.
You could have had some real fun in that situation with the ambulance. Lay down in the back and when somebody pulls up and looks, pop up and say, "The aliens took us, but kept the ambulance driver. They didnt want me cuz I'm sick. Hey, this doesn't look like 1962. What year is it?"
It is an outstanding UA-cam series. I binge-watched the whole thing after I saw the episode where he was honest with the homeless guy and even helped him get back home to his kids and family in Ontario. Made me cry.
Just watched the video where you said goodbye to the house and made it ready for the new owners. Then I felt like I needed to watch it again from the beginning. This was not only the start of the Potters house, it was also where I found your channel. Just makes me remember why I love this channel.
That shower has me laughing. I have three sister and we grew up in a house with one bathroom. My Dad, in a desperate bid for sanity, installed a basement stall shower. I don't know what he did but holy crap it was like taking a shower with a pressure washer. 😂😂😂 I should have known a firefighter would make a high pressure shower. Still the best shower I've ever taken.
Putting the shower in the basement gave it an extra "head" of water pressure, like 3 meters of extra gravity compared to the rest of the place. Your poor dad with three daughters when he wanted to go to the bathroom. Yeah, I can understand that. It was worth the effort to put a new shower in. Your dad probably had to get a pump system to get the wastewater shifted out too. Your dad being a fireman, well, what he knows about water pressure would fill a chapter in a book. Hats off to your dad, he must have put himself on the line to help a lot of people. I hope his plan worked and he got to go to the bathroom when he wanted.
Treasure House, I'm sure that everything had a memory for her that's why it was hard to part with . I wish that others would be as respectful and considerate like you when cleaning up someone's history. Wonderful finds to uncover ,looking forward to seeing more.
Who the hell are the people giving this a thumbs down? But why doesn't he have face masks around if he's done this before? The best thing seems to be the cold, keeping it like King Tut's Tomb. A hoarder house with no bugs or rotting old food is very rare.
No disrespect to the owner at all, but watching this made me feel like I could not breath from all the dust you can see on camera. Good motivation to clean my house!
I was just about to post the same thing. It's nice to have the control of holding the camera, but it's not a good idea when going through stuff like that. He definitely needs a GoPro.
@@LVThN_von_Ach I worry about that same thing, put on a mask a rebreather what ever they are called ,?? And however you spell the thing . I was so mad at him lol
Start by getting a box of garbage bags and going through each bag of clothes. Old people hide money everywhere. Sell the vintage clothes, donate everything else that can get cleaned and used. Go through every piece of paper too. There can be memorabilia that has significance to the family or cool ads or documents. Found some old stock certificates in my dad's stuff. Bring some dust masks with you next time
Thank you for being so kind and respectful towards the owners hoarding issues. I've been dealing with multiple hoarding family members estates and it is so hard. Since I found your channel, I've been documenting my journey. Thank you for the inspiration!!
Wow I want that shower! Lol what a way to wake up! Lmho! Looks and sounds like that mold gotcha pretty good. You need to wear a respirator to walk through that house! Gee.
Hasn't even got to the house yet, and this is already entertaining XD Also, you know you're in Canada when there's snow on the ground and the guy says "Good thing we picked a warm weekend!"
I would ditch the addition or at the very least reconstruct it, as for the trees, leave any tree that's above 2 meters tall and cut everything else. That's tree growth people won't get to have during their life time.
Once again I’m reminded how nice, positive and kind Canadians are. So agreeable. Amiable. Peaceable. Love the accent too. If it wasn’t so cold, I’d live in Canada. Just can’t do the frigid temperatures.
I look forward to seeing more! You are such a handsome and personable young man! Really kind and agreeable. Even your critique of the hotel room seemed kind compared to what could have and would have been said by a lot of city snobs. Your attitude will take you far in life. Good luck son. I am 70 yrs old. Still know a good man when I see one.
I loved this video Alex. That is going to be so much fun going through things but lots of work as well. I saw some clothes that were so vintage and awesome like my parents use to wear and I am 70 so that tells you how long ago that was. I can't wait to see the next video. Thanks!
I know he’s lazer focused on the types of antiques he’s looking for, which is understandable, but my collector spider senses are going crazy that he isn’t looking for what I want and think is there! Glassware, mid century furniture and decor. Dig Deep!
I know pickers go into properties looking for specific things... what will resale, what is there that I like. He overlooked many things and was sloppy about his digging... kinda understandable, when you look for certain things you can toss some gold to the side. It’s not Archeaology, but it should be!!
What a great guy that man is for coming to help you with gas!!! There ARE good people left in this world! AND you got to meet a cool cop!!! :) That house was pretty full! My goodness!!! I am sure there are tons of treasures in the middle of that mess! Thanks for sharing! You should be wearing a dust mask!!! You will make your money back for sure. First you have all the cool old stuff in the house...and once the house is cleared out, and you clean it out, you can flip it and make that money back! Genius!
Rachel you are a positive person and I agree about the mask. I have to wonder where were the relatives when those folks were living on top of all that rubbish. jeez. Obviously needs a big dumpster and a clearing crew to get access in there.
You do a great job and you are kind and chat with your family in the nicest way during this difficult time. Good job! Congratulations on buying the house. I’m subscribing!
Omg you have waaaaaaay more patience than I could ever hope for. This fills me with dread just watching! I hope you cash out bigtime as you will have earned every penny! Best of luck
re-watching this series and while Alex is talking so casually about looking to fill the ambulance I can't help but laugh and think you have no idea what your getting into and all the treasures!
I'm literally dying of laughter! The shower head water pressure! Take ticks off a goat! Your nervous laughter as you started to go through things just cracked me up! Great find! Enjoyed it very much!!!!
I just watched part 2 then one, the whole time my face was screwed up in a "gross" or "that smells" face! Now everything I'm looking at looks dirty! I'm sure my throat will start itching soon! Bless you if you got through that without getting sick!
“Definitely made some good use of the square footage” is the nicest thing you could say about a hoarder house.
@@Mmm...yummymummy trust me. Am also kind of a hoarder.
They call it a mess too. But at one point it gets too overwhelming to clean out. You don't know where to start.
I had so many half empty bottles before a big big cleanse which took 2 days and that was only my desk reorganising(mainly having a new box and throwing pens in there rather than just spread put. And cables in a bin) . And half of my closet (the half where i throw random crap in. And have my personal hygiene stuff in. So many empty bottles!)
So Canadian
Canadians are so nice 😂
Good use of the "cubic" footage.
@@dutchik5107 you start with a pile or anything and you get rid of junk- trashcan / donate it / sell it somewhere or use it. All those junky clothes could be used as cleaning rags to clean that mess n' she'd need help to do it probably. Cleaning rags clean stuff n' trash the junky clothes. Old shoes can donate to salvation army and htey give them to the homeless.
as a hoarder myself i can understand what the lady was like. its taken me a year to clear my house cos my hoarders brain saw value in everything. but it would let me give something to charity. so thats what i did. every week id take a trolley full of stuff to the shop. and now ive only got a few boxes left. but i did have a stall on the market for old stuff. so watching this video is like... you are after my own heart. lovely house. well done for the sight.
how did you get over hoarding? my mom is a hoarder and i live in a filthy house full of clothes and extra stuff we don’t need. i can’t invite friends over because of her. it’s impossible to clean up because when i do she yells at me and tells me she hates me because in her eyes it’s “organized” i don’t know what to do anymoew
So glad to hear you consciously overcame your hoarder compulsion.
I just want to say thank you for doing that. I’m sure it was difficult and you should be proud of yourself. Thank you for not just leaving it to become someone else’s problem.
@@icantswim8952 oh honey, I'm so sorry. Look in your area for therapists specializing in hoarding or behavior disorders
I don't want to keep things but due to health I can barely make it up or down the stairs. May God bless.
As someone who is striving towards being a minimalist, since I have hoarder tendencies and realized I needed to get ahold of it, this simultaneously hurts me inside to watch, and also makes me feel so grateful that I've put a stop to my own hoarding.
I could've very easily gone down this route. It was so hard for me just a few years ago to let go of anything, even useless scraps of paper. Now, I've cut down so much of what I own to just things that are actually useful to me or make me happy. I feel so much better now, and I'm headed towards a brighter future, instead of what it could have become...
That's amazing ! You should be proud of yourself for working at it
@Zichqec
Same here, but I'm an artist/creative worker so I wíll need to continue the hoarding to a certain point, otherwise I'll lack materials and tools for my art.
However, I am going to (wáy more often) have a cleaning-session and clean out the cabinets and give away/sell what I don't need after all.
@@Widdekuu91 I'm also an artist ^^ Honestly, my art supplies were the hardest thing for me to stop hoarding. But I took a good long look at my supplies. All the cheap supplies that I just kept around because 'maybe I'll use them for something someday' are gone. Some little kid will enjoy them more than me. Old dried clay is gone too.
I cut myself down to just a few mediums I know that I already use, and a few that I want to work on exploring, but honestly giving myself less supplies has made it so much overwhelming. You don't really realize how much stress your stuff is giving you until you decide to let it go.
I do recommend going through your art supplies and just really considering why you have some of them and if you're actually going to use them for anything. You don't have to get rid of anything, you can just really, truly look at them and think about it. And if you want to keep them you absolutely can! But if you decide that maybe you'd be happier without, then you'll be able to make that choice and it feels so good.
Best of luck to you ^^ It can be a real struggle with crafting supplies so I feel your pain ;;
@@Stettafire Oh man, I feel that a lot. Honestly, the best thing for me was just to take a box of stuff at a time, and sit and pull out every single item, considering each one and why I had it and what I really wanted to do with it. If you take the time to sit and think, sometimes you realize you're holding onto some pretty silly things XD
Usually I'd end up with a pile not much smaller though, and realized I'd clicked into a mindset of recognizing a thing, and not really thinking it through, just setting it in the 'keep' pile because I'd recognized it. So then I go through the pile again and repeat the process slower, until I feel like everything I've kept has a valid reason for being kept (even just really liking a thing is a valid reason!)
Good on you for the effort you're putting in, I'm sure your family will eventually truly appreciate it ;; It's a good thing you're doing to be caring for them even after you're gone
Best of luck to you ^^ Minimalism isn't always easy if you're not automatically wired for it, but it should feel very rewarding once you've gotten started
This reminds me so much of my mother’s house. She was a hoarder but we never knew the extent of it because she did not permit us to visit her anymore. When mom suffered a stroke last year, our younger sister moved in with her. She had no patience or desire to go through mom’s stuff to see what was worth saving. She hired some men and rented a trailer to help empty three sheds in the back yard. For three consecutive days, loads and loads of everything, you name it: vintage clothing, appliances, furniture, electronics, etc. . ., were placed on the trailer and taken to the city dump. Approximately, three tons of hoarding were disposed of just from the sheds!
I felt sad for my 90-year old mom as she stood there helpless seeing all her “treasures” thrown away. Some of that stuff was salvageable in good condition and could have been donated. Mom’s dream had always been to put a “little thrift store” out in the country where she lives but never got around to it. Instead she held garage sales in a desert community where people had very little money to spare. The years passed and she lost control of the accumulation. We told her she should have just given the stuff away for free and not end up like the property in this video.
We had hoped that mom’s hoarding could have been disposed of after her passing but her stroke changed all those plans. Mom could not live by herself anymore and the place had to get cleaned up and made livable for my sister. It was heartbreaking 💔 for mom but time was of essence because there was evidence of mice and termite infestation that needed to be taken care of. The inside of Mom’s house was jam packed just like the video; one could not even walk through her house. How sad 😢 that things get to this point. Sorry for the long comment. Thank you for reading 🙏.
So sad. I would be worried valuable items were thrown away.
If you were so concerned you should have just shown up years before she got so old . She wouldn’t allow you ?I would’ve shown up with family right then! Hope you don’t blame your sister ,sounds like she showed up to be with her at the end and she couldn’t live in that. There was plenty that could have been done it just wasn’t 😢
As a nurse , I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend wearing masks. Mice droppings can carry deadly bacteria and not to mention the mold.
Seems like common sense to me.
Hantavirus
doesn't take a nurse to say that
Leptospirosis 🤢 I knew a kid that died from leptospirosis in highschool. He was about to graduate, a year older than me, good kid 😢
Also I recommend hepatitis B vaccination.
Suit up, face mask, gloves. You can’t be too careful. I know a gent who kept his sharps in cardboard chocolate boxes! Be aware/take care. It does take a nurse. Nurse knows 😉
Just discovered this channel today and this is probably the whole travel-scenario from start to finish is just so Canadian, from the lack of gas stations on the highway to the policeman pulling him over just to hear the sirens of the ambulance... definitely put a smile on my face!
And the broken hockey sticks in the basement!
Me too! Canadia sounds & looks great!
Had the Canadian Police stop me once just because I was from California and he wanted to talk. Very charming.
I’m Canadian and I’ve never gotten this kind of treatment from the police :|
@@theleggybug4699 probably because you dont have a ghost buster ambulance
Am I the only one who didnt want this episode the end? I love you Alex, no guts no glory. Your wife is a gem! Can't wait to see what you pull out of this giant tresasure box! Good luck, we are rooting for you.
Hello 👋 dear , how are you doing?
After that house was cleaned out I would metal detect the yard... Never know when a hoarder will bury their treasures LOL
Ifs there's any money vaule idfc if it's a penny worth I'm taking it even tho I probly have a total of money in my life 0f $600
@@ocgiii I luv those if there human skulls and I'll put them around my den
Mabey who knows
Teehee, I'm not at all a hoarder but I keep a money stash in my chicken coop. Call me a prepper I guess :)
Some of those hoarding treasures might be worth some money..never know.
This has more spontaneity and flow than the Pickers show, and best of all it's real and not staged.
Heeeey now....American pickers is NOT staged!
You are hilarious.
I watched the whole episode. I am glad you didn’t mock the hoarder. That was very dignified. Thank you for sharing.
Every piece you pick up, seeing it's value, there is a lady up above who is so pleased that she kept it. It's sad when collecting becomes hoarding, but finding value in her stash is a validation in some small way of her life. This is the first of your videos I've watched, but I love your easy-going manner, the care you have in "digging through" what others call a mess, and your charming manner. I am already subscribed (around ¾ through the video) and will happily go through your catalog!
Awesome comment Nicholas.
Couldn't agree more. What a lovely person he seems!
Well said
Thank you so much for subscribing :) It’s funny to think that somehow our life became a show but I am so glad that we have so many people along for the journey :)
Watching the series for second time. I love how kind & thoughtful Alex is towards the home owners. Reassuring them it’s no big deal. Be careful. He runs out of gas, crazy shower pressure and all his comments are good natured and kind.
❤️👍🏼❤️👍🏼❤️👍🏼❤️
he said he bought the house
@@linablue6054 He did, and fast forward to this week in 2022, he sold it. That's why I'm here to watch it again.
@@WildHorseWay-gi1zb Because she was. He treated her with the greatest of respect, but that was the fact. Man, woman, alien - if you hoard items, you are a hoarder.
I agree!!!!
I'm happy you bought the house. And the lady who lived there probably wouldn't mind it either. You have such a calm, respectful and at times almost loving energy towards the things in the house.
The people in those hoarder tv-shows always have a us vs. the house or hoard mentality. They mainly exhibit contempt, disgust and anger, even if there's near to no rotten stuff or garbage in the house. Same with a lot of "treasure hunter" type tv shows. Always on the hunt for that one valuable thing and destroying everything in their wake. If it's the original vintage packaging or the 100 year old closed wardrobe missing the key, everything gets torn apart.
This was someone's home! And there was probably a reason why she kept all those things. Even if it was only in her head and maybe she got overwhelmed by it. It still was significant to her and deserves to be treated with respect. And who knows which of these things (will) have significance to other people (in the future).
I agree, he's very respectful.
he didn't buy it ... the video says it repeatedly... its mother in laws house.. it's being sold after he loots it... idk why his title lies.
clay fairless I understand that he was there to look at the stuff and maybe buy some things in the beginning. But in the morning of day two he says that he decided to make the family an offer for the hole house, stuff and all, and they accepted the offer. From there on out its his house, he bought it from them. Although it was not the original plan in the beginning of the video.
@@FairxPotamus Pay attention. He says he bought the whole thing, lock stock and barrel. He's responsible for cleaning up TONS of garbage as well as renovating the whole house. Not exactly "looting."
I don't think he is "that" respectful, I've never seen any Treasure hunter really care, in saying that its all his and he can do what he wants and take as much time as he wants, living the dream I say.
"...so powerful it would clean ticks off of a goat"
As a man who's raised goats, sir, I take my hat off to you. I quite literally laughed my ass off. It's lying on the floor, right now, and I am assless.
👏👏👏 😂
thats the best comment ever...lmao
Almost peed myself with this comment...
I almost choked on my mac n cheese with that comment!
I too have goats, I totally did the same🤣. I understand completely 🤣
I have a STRONG desire to go and sort this house out. I want to clean it so bad
Watch the whole series of the porter house! It's informational about the owner & gets rid of that urge :)
a lot of ephemera he is completely mis-handling.....i can hardly watch....he has no idea what he is doing......
If you come over, my house is filthy. You can clean the whole thing. I'll even start making a bigger mess for you right now.
Meth will make you feel like that sometimes.
it's to far gone for me😂😭
I admire how respectful you are of the family and person who died. Yes she was a hoarder but she was a human with treasures too
I grew up in the Canadian prairies, and the way the men in particular talk is so dang endearing.
people keep saying he has some accent - I don't hear it I am in Bangor Maine not so far not too close
ok eh!
Fine youtube, i'll watch. Jeez
Now you'll just get suggested more videos like this, congrats.
If you're sick of seeing a suggestion, Hover over the video thumbnail and it'll show a vertical set of 3 dots that you can click, and say "not interested".
@@Tressym. It didn't work, now I'm seeing more suggestions about hoarding videos.
😂😂
Wasn't worth it.
Chantal Right! What, is this guy related to someone at UA-cam?
I can't believe i watched this entire episode minute for minute AND that it totally has me brimming with *ENVY* (your life dude...collecting, digging, making a living, driving a boat of Ghostbusters coffin car & most importantly: finding a life partner great supportive human that dials in for a fun scheme!! Ideal as it goes) AND *ADMIRATION* (you are full of whats seems a great wealth of respect for ppl & broad knowledge for craft / collectibles / hand made iems of character etc. Best of luck in all things to you & your fam.
..now to try & catch up on the updated episodes. Peace.
Being kind is one of this man's best attributes.
I watched this whole series about a year ago, recommended by my daughter. I was hooked. I "fell in love" with your family as you all restored this house and honored the owner. What a heartwarming story! If you ever write a book on this adventure and this remarkable woman, please let your viewers know. I would be interested in purchasing one. You and your family showed what amazing people you really are. Now I intend to re-view this again. This is better than Hollywood fake stories. Thank you for doing the youtube videos. * * P.S. I am indeed sorry about your Father's death with the virus. Doctors just didn't know much about this thing at its beginning. There was more fear than knowledge. I am glad I found you again, and have subscribed so I don't miss your videos.
He has written a book on it, The Potter's House: Mary Borgstrom's Art and Life Uncovered.
Every second of this video is SO CANADIAN. Fan happily saves you, police pulls you over just to say how cool your car is, and obviously the entire conversation in the house is full of your stereotypical Canadian accent and phrases. I LOVE it. It's a life-long dream of mine to move from the fiery hell pits of southern Texas up to the winter wonderland of Canada. The reasonable political situation is a huge bonus, too! USA kinda sucks when you're born sickly.
Synalla Come on up to Dawson Creek BC, it’s only -40
It’s no winter wonderland here !!! It’s been beyond cold ! Past few weeks is been -25 to -45 ! It’s fuckin cold LOL 😭😭
Lol, I moved from Canada to Texas...Best decision ever...no more snow!!
Ya it's hilarious, I've never seen this guy before but when I saw the open planes and the snow I knew instantly this was AB
Please move today
I’m overwhelmed just watching this! Time to go clean out my closets...again!
this is the most canadian video i think i’ve ever watched
14:42
Prime example...
I'm Canadian and this is the most Canadian video I've ever watched 😂
You've clearly never visited ZIP TIES N BIAS PLIES channel.. 😅
I'm from montreal and i enjoy those accents from out west 😁
Carts of darkness
Coming back a year and a half later, knowing what Alex and his family and friends did with the house. What a great bunch of people! Such cooperation, mutual respect, and concern for Mary and her legacy!
My parents taught me, never go below half a tank in the winter...glad you had a guardian angel close by!
Good advice! He probably needs to do several other things: drain the tank and take the much out of the bottom, check the fuel gauge and sending unit and the wiring. Also, while he's at it, he should check the fuel pump. These things all need maintenance when old. Prep for a trip might include seeing where the gas stations are on the internet.
@@andytaylor1588, all great suggestions!!!
I was taught the same, but for summer. It didn't help me when the only gas station for miles closed since I'd last driven to my mom's. Just barely got to the next town
@@AshesAshes44 NJ
Albert Lilly I hoped he learned a lesson.
I had to clean out my mom's house when she moved to a nursing home. We were somewhat estranged and I was never invited into her home when I would visit her to see if she was doing alright. It took me 8 months to clean it out. Some days I would just stand in the middle of it all and have a good cry. Then I would get back to work.
What do you mean you were never invited INTO your mom's home when you visited her???
That will be me. My mum no longer lets me into her place. It's horrible. She hates her environment, but can't change anything, or allow anyone to help. Hoarding is so hard to understand.
Debbie Gavin Ugh I’m doing this now & my mom has ocd so finding that overwhelming I can only imagine someone with a messy house.
@@pufycino1431 You don't understand what people with mental issues/ hoarding or OCD are like. They are so fiercely protective of their crap and their way of life, they'd rather isolate themselves. They would rather be alone than have anyone saying anything or doing anything to help them. They'd rather lose their family than their stuff. It's sad but true and even if you love them and try to help them, they'll fight you and push you away.
That's me u have to clean and I sit I. The middle mad a little I'm like can I just sleep
“What was she keeping all the clothes for?”
“Uhh, she was a hoarder Alex”
Yup...
I love Canadians
I just heard it as I scrolled down. Too funny!
ROTFL....if one could get to the floor!
Probably like my Grandmother--she was saving the "nice" things to wear someday--and of course that day never came.
"What was she saving all the clothes for?"
...
"Well, she's a HOARDER Alex"
🤣🤣 Best line of the series
It is a mental illness. Much like obsessive compulsive disorder. They fill a void w things. So she loved clothes. But they usually start our w a system it just gets lost or they are over whelmed. This is there comfort their things. It is much deeper than people think and a process to help them through. I have a BA I psychology. But I own a business called Moving Forward Foreclosure Cleanouts LLC. 😎Long story but I love it. And I also understand and can help people. I also love the treasure hunt and giving back to my community.
@@movingforwardfco1587 yes I know. Unfortunately I lived it bc my mom was a hoarder. (Btw, My comment was a quote from the episode not a question...perhaps you missed the other sentences in it.)
@@NativeBratElaine well thank you for pointing that out. I needed that today. Was just saying because so many over use hoarder and not know what it truly is. But again thanks for pointing it out.
I believe, hoarders have a special sense of conservation.
We don't need to make fun of them.
We need to understand them.
At the end, when depresion stikes they are covered with everything they need.
You are so nice "She definitely make good use of her square footage".
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
If she was 104 how old is her son selling it? 😃
Clean everything out while its cold and the bugs are absent! I love hunting for treasures!
Absolutely love your mindset and upbeat personality..you were optimistic about everything!
When you come from a wealthy family, you should be upbeat.
@@joea1433 I am not sure coming from a wealthy family had anything to do with what I was referring to. What I liked was that he didn't get to shook up about running out of gas and then when he went into the hoarding house he was very respectful and even when it came to being in the real Dusty part that caused him not to be able to breathe he managed to stay upbeat.
Second time around watching this. I have been slowly trying to watch everything from the start of the channel while keeping up with the current. This is almost like revisiting an old friend. I have nothing but respect for Mary along with an understanding of how it all snowballed for her. Thank you, Alexander, for making sure her humanity was kept intact.
You better get insurance on the house immediately. It might burn down with the furnace running and all the vents blocked! I would wear a mask and gloves and probably coveralls from now on. Good luck!
There’s a limit switch on the Furnace. Even if it did start it would shut right back down to keep from overheating. I’d be more worried about the electrical system being covered like it is. Who knows what’s still plugged in under those piles.
In TX, USA you wouldn't be able to get insurance on a house in that condition.
i'm re watching this after watching this whole series...really amazing journey. thanks for taking us along with you on this. i can totally understand why you just bought the house so you could thoroughly go thru everything. the first walk through is soooo overwhelming you really couldn't have found the real treasures you ended up finding. and it would have been awful if the family had just hired someone to clean it out trashed it all with no appreciation for the treasures that were hidden. such admiration to you and all those that helped you and appreciation for your respect to the fact that there was some good stuff there in all that "mess".
Sherilyn L
Is this the guy who spent $1000 on that old WWI era footlocker?
You are brave...I did the same thing back in 1972.. the house had 14 rooms, it took awhile to clean it but worth it we made money on it..we even found a silver coin collection in the ceiling a couple of guns etc.. With some renovations we got 10 times more then we paid for it. Hope you have the same luck that we did
that's encouraging!
@@CuriosityIncorporated That was 1972 when there was plenty of prosperity & people wanted to "collect". Times have changed. The market is now flooded with unwanted boomer stuff & Millenials do not "collect" but prefer "minimalist" lifestyle.
Good point, so I guess it pays to be careful with what you do then.
Quarantine 2021 Binge Watching 👀 anyone else?
Also, super motivated to now sort my laundry piles.
Hello 👋 dear , how are you doing?
I wish there was a job where I can clean houses like this. Literally giving me joy.. I wanna categorize and clean all of it lol
There is it's called a professional organizer.
Getting pulled over cause the cop wanted to check out the car might be the most Canadian thing I've ever heard.
Yes!!! My friend is a physicist and a tinkerer and this happened-- the cop just wanted to see how his device worked, then radioed to his partner to come see!!!
😂
Right. Eh?😂😆😆🤣🇨🇦
Sandy Dale and Casa Tikvah stop
Start in the hallways...
Love it
can't wait to see that house totally clean and empty! great find, I with help broke my hoarder habit, still have 1 room to go through then my entry apt with be clean, the room is over half cleaned already, thanks to those people who help people like me and not make fun of us
Congratulations on making such an amazing change in your life. I have lots of clutter and am working on it too. I need to sell my house in the spring.
Let me just start out by saying that I enjoy all of your videos , but mostly I respect and admire you and your wife, you both are so refreshing and it warms my heart knowing that true love and happiness can still be found in this world we live in. Your kids are so well behaved and I'm happy to be a fan of your channel. Thank you for the fun and corny jokes that make me laugh.
Great video! Really enjoyed it. Better than anything on TV, that's for sure! Looking forward to seeing what treasures are in that house. And love the house, very quaint.
That leather purse you found is actually super trendy for now a days! I'm honestly interested in purchasing it if you're up to it. Hopefully you see this comment!! Definitely will be watching more of your videos! Best of luck with everything
Right? It's cute.
Just randomly found this vid and I love it, I love vintage 1950's clothing I'd have a blast going thru that house
I remember when I found this series and I showed my dad. He was so excited for every update.
Since he passed on Christmas, I kept thinking about this series. Maybe it’s him telling me that I should rewatch.
My grandpa was a hoarder. We cleaned out 47 lawnmowers, 56 vacuum cleaners, and thousands of tools. Yeah, it's neat to find things you've never seen, but it's so sad thinking about the mental issues people go through when they start saving every thing.
Tasha By any chance did he have OCD or OCD behaviors? That may seem like a weird question, but I've recently found out there's a correlation between hoarding and OCD. I myself have issues with letting things go. I'll literally keep little insignificant notes, and just random things. I find it hard to let things go and I tend to collect things. Recently my therapist had mentioned it's actually my OCD which makes me collect things or have that "what if I want it/need it later" mentality. I'm just curious if he showed any OCD tendencies because that correlation fascinates me. People assume people with OCD have to be spotless and have everything tidy. That's not always the case. I prefer things organized and tidy but I do tend to overwhelm myself with stuff. It seems a lot of these people who hoard have obsessive compulsive disorder.
Many older people also needed to save everything because they were poor and needed to fix and reuse everything. Just wanted to say that. But certainly there's a line somewhere..
I am 54 years old and I was raised being told how long something had to last you. And I am not a hoarder but I have a hard time throwing out stuff that's still good. I think I have every pair of tennis shoes I've bought in the last 20 years. Thank goodness I don't have a shopping addiction or I probably would be a hoarder. But we were very poor growing up on a farm.
I save stuff because it helps my memories. These memories have become painfull so I am working on getting rid of 75% of it.
American girl No, not really. That's not particularly how disorders work. You can have a disorder, yet it can not interfere with your happiness in any way, and doesn't have to largely effect your life. Doesn't mean you still aren't afflicted with that mental disorder. Besides, your logic is flawed here. You say it has to interfere with your life. Well..hoarding interferes with someone's life.. very much so interferes.
God bless your wife! You have a lot of work on your hands.Can't wait to see what you find
She's a brave woman 😅
and the chance of mesothelioma from the thick asbestos covered house
I love hoarder houses! I would actually help clean one up for free. All the old things are amazing!
Right? This house is a treasure dig!
“This may be a four part miniseries” LOL Little did he know!
protip on clothing - check every pocket. no exceptions.
Also books. The elderly have been known to hide rainy day cash within.
my father-in-law hated banks, as he went through the depression. When he died my husband and i were going through his clothes. I found an old pin stripe suit in plastic, way in the back of the closet. When I pulled it out it seemed too heavy to be just a suit. I felt around and the hem had these lumps in them. I carefully undid a thread to make an opening,,,,he had 40k cash in the hem of his suit he never wore!! My husband found sock sets unopened he and his brother had gotten their dad for christmas when they were kids!! This man wasted nothing, but he was neat as a pin!! He got free cheese and butter from the govt., tubs of grain in the attic, and turns out he was worth over half a million dollars!! That was just from working and saving his entire life. He was from the old country, Germany, his name was Otto. What really made me laugh was, he had one plate, one glass, bowl, spoon and fork, and 2 pans!! He was the oldest of 14 kids and born in 1911, I think. And he even still had his phone on a party line!! The only person left in the city to have one,lolHe was quite a character. He was a handy man, working on a roof one day, alone. He cut three fingers off sawing some boards, he picked them up, wraped them in a hankerchief and drove himself to the hospital!! When they say, they don't make em' like that anymore, it was damn true in his case!!!
@@janetcarlson31 Wow, what a story! I think I would have liked that man very much. Thank you for sharing this.
Behind picture frames as well. Plus look for secret spots in the floor boards. Old people don't like banks most of the time.
@@janetcarlson31 Wow! If you havent done it you should write at least a short story about him. Like readers digest would print.
Keep the trees in front ; good wind and snow barrier . Good shade in the summer !
watching this and started cleaning my room lol
MOOD
Ha-ha! Does seem to have that effect doesn't it?
When I watch the hoarders programs on mainstream TV, the main thing I hear is, "I just don't know what happened. It started as a pile on the dining room table." Then, I start cleaning, too! Ha-ha! Oh, and I no longert have a dining room table!
I cleaned out my shed and closet after watching this. Lol
Honestly same
The beginning of a real good deed on you and your family’s part, thank you, it was amazing. You are a man among men. Decent and kind. This proves it.
You should always wear a face mask and glove's when your in a old house. The dust and mold can be bad for your health.
Susan Hickson you are absolutely right, I discovered this the wrong way. I let myself in to a store that had been closed since the middle 90s. It was a very nice high end gift store that had been locked up for about 15 years. There were Hummel figurines, tiffany glass ware. Lots of very nice things but inside the store it was full of mold on the walls and shelves, I made about 400 dollars off the stuff I sold but I did major damage to my lungs, the Dr said I still have mold in my lungs and I have a hard time breathing, so please anybody going into places like that you need plenty of ventalation, rubber gloves and masks like you said.
All I was thinking of while they were in the basement
Yeah- you could literally see thick dust swirling around in the basement! Not good for your health!
I would wear a full face respirator
You guys are sissy’s..... I eat mold and dust for breakfast.
Wear a mask and gloves so you don't get sick after cleaning. Then clean the house out in stages (working from the top down). I'd get ride of trash & recycle first. I watched an hoarder show right before this and the lady made $100 on a van load of old tin cans. after that I would donate the holiday decorations. Either take the clothing to consignment or take it someone where its organized to sell. The vintage clothing is so amazing, Id have so much fun sorting that. The leather handbag you found at 4:45 is really nice. I could see that selling for $100 in a vintage store.
I thought the same thing go in w/gloves, mask, boots
I think top down would not be the best way. If you do that, then you are constantly going over, through, and around stuff to get to the top and back out. I would start at the entrance and empty/sort inward room by room.
Only issue with working top, down, is if you can't get to the top because of the stuff thats down. I think it also depends on the psycology of the person cleaning. In my case, I work on the thing that's slapping me in the face first. Then that will make me feel less overwhelmed, which will help me continue on with the cleaning. Work from big stuff, into smaller stuff one room at a time, starting from the entrance and going back and up:) But it depends on what suits you the best:)
jeez... your'e really into this... eh
I loved how you handled the "out of gas" and the "police" pullover! 😍
+ curiosity incorporated Love your channel, reminds me so much of my daughter we would scour upstate NY just to look at old cars and properties. We would go into random small town antique shops. One shop owner saw her interest so much he gave her something from the shop for free. We had and still have a few old cars, one car a 72 Chevy C-10 I had purchased to flip and make money off but she begged for me to keep it and well... I did. I gave it to her, although she was too young to drive, she wanted it for college when she was a bit older. we got to do a few things on it together. An amazing young daughter, buddy, best friend, I raised her as a single widowed dad and she sadly passed away at 13 years old in 2016 in a car accident two weeks after I had given her the pickup truck. I hope one day I have money to restore her truck in her memory. Love your channel, seeing the kid in the intro reminded me so much on how I and my baby used to go everywhere.
So sorry for your loss 😢
@@sharonduggan3314 thank you sharon
Geo M, so sorry about your loss,
I have an idea how you feel, as my nephew aged 18yrs was involved in a car accident, although that's isn't as sad as you losing your precious daughter, here is a Poem specially for you and anyone else reading this :
Have you had a Kindness shown,
Pass it on,
T'was not given for thee alone,
Pass it on,
Let it Travel down the Year's,
Let it wipe another's Tear's,
Till in Heaven the Deed appears,
Pass it on.
@@annemccabe1714 Hi. So sorry you lost your nephew, any age is so hard to lose someone. A loss of life is so difficult on us humans especially when they were close to us. thank you for the beautiful poem.
I just found this video cus it was recommended but I already love this man. Idk what it is about him but his voice and attitude puts me in a good mood 😂
I thought you meant his looks 😉
When you're done - going thru and removing- please update on the top ten neatest "finds" in the home! GOOD LUCK! BEST WISHES!
Gracie Muldoon not many hoarders collect valuable items due to the lack of room. Unfortunately! Mostly trash!
That’s a great idea, I’ll pass it along to Alexander for the last video :)
Yep same here. I'm ready to see what's next.
I'm gonna second this
You don't know what I'd give to see you clear out every square inch of that property. I hope you find some good stuff!
Melissa supports you and your decision 100% which is adorable.
You should seriously invest in a face mask, for your healths sake. That dust ain’t playin. Mold, asbestos, old paint....
EEEkkkk....I'd wear gloves, too. Never know what you might touch. One lady donated the contents of her house after she died to an animal shelter where I volunteered. We opened a big plastic bag and a bunch of urinals and bed pans came clattering out....they were clean but still, somebody had probably used them. Yuck.
Droppings from rodents and insects can have very bad germs. Maybe a hazmat suit would be appropriate! Seriously, read up on Hantavirus.
The mold alone... so toxic!!
For real
Briana Mora While there are some molds that are toxic and dangerous for long term inhalation, but the majority are harmless unless the person has an allergy. I still think he should have minimum PPE for this type of project.
When I see flip shows I cringe when they just haul stuff away. If I was flipping houses I'd have a friend who had a thrift shop at least come get the stuff that is salvageable. I'd let the friend get the good stuff at least. That would make the dumpster fee less. I shudder to think of the antiques and treasures that have been thrown out. I was passing a trash pile recently and I don't normally pick stuff up, in fact I've been culling stuff the last few years but I saw a drop leaf table that matched what I already had. I saw the home owner sitting on the porch and asked him if it was up for grabs ( I live in a polite subdivision ) and I got to meet a new neighbor and he was so nice, he helped me load it. He was so glad someone was going to get use of it. At Christmas, It added five extra square feet to my table area for drinks and snacks for my parties. This was a very nice video y'all! I do feel itchy now tho. LOL
There was an amazing turnout on an item in antique roadshow you know. Women brought a little pot/vase at a car boot for £1. Used it as a plant pot for a bit and them stored it in the loft. During a clean out she came about it again and was just going to throw it out, but since the roadshow was coming to her town soon she held onto it, cause why not.
Turns out it was worth at least £25k. They sold it for £32k.
Could have easily thrown out that £32k non the wiser.
Another pot, a guy used as a goal post for the kids or something. It valued at £10k. He held onto it and sold it later for £560k. The market had changed drastically.
Makes you wonder how many people could have been far richer than current, just because they didn't see the value in an old object.
Ahhh the vintage clothing! Drooool! So many hidden treasures!
OH I kNOW!!!!
Yes can you imagine the beautiful clothes that are going to come out of there! Hopefully he will put them online! 🤗
Alex,
You have so much patience. And you are so lucky your wife says yes to these adventures.
When you see this kind of thing the relatives just want to liquidate the estate and get rid of the problem.. To be honest I'd imagine they're relieved not to be forced to deal with it... I'd guess you can see a lot of value there.. Your very brave taking on such a big project..
This was so rich in heritage. And your so polite and kind! Thank you.
The police episode might have been special too.
I just discovered you accidentally. This house looks like fun to go through. You may want to wear a mask because of the dust. That 30s dress reminded me of the 80s dresses. Enjoy seeing more.
I think it was an 80s dress. I remember those too.
Me too. Was thinking 80s. I was a lil girl had a blue one kinda like it
I believe the dress was much older because the "A" line cut and quality and detail in the embroidered collar. My girls wore similar when they were little (in the 80's) but I know that "everything old is new again" is true when it comes to fashion. Tie die, platform shoes, eye glass styles.. On and on.
I love that little hidden door and staircase to the attic. Most attics these days only have ladders to them. It's cool to see a staircase to it.
I've done that route myself many years ago and didn't fill up before. I was literally praying to find a gas station soon as I was alone with 4 little ones in the car with me. Made it in the nick of time - I am sure I was running on fumes.
You could have had some real fun in that situation with the ambulance.
Lay down in the back and when somebody pulls up and looks, pop up and say, "The aliens took us, but kept the ambulance driver. They didnt want me cuz I'm sick. Hey, this doesn't look like 1962. What year is it?"
Lol
I am subscribing in hopes that this becomes a series. I will watch faithfully!
It is an outstanding UA-cam series. I binge-watched the whole thing after I saw the episode where he was honest with the homeless guy and even helped him get back home to his kids and family in Ontario. Made me cry.
Just watched the video where you said goodbye to the house and made it ready for the new owners. Then I felt like I needed to watch it again from the beginning. This was not only the start of the Potters house, it was also where I found your channel. Just makes me remember why I love this channel.
That shower has me laughing. I have three sister and we grew up in a house with one bathroom. My Dad, in a desperate bid for sanity, installed a basement stall shower. I don't know what he did but holy crap it was like taking a shower with a pressure washer. 😂😂😂 I should have known a firefighter would make a high pressure shower. Still the best shower I've ever taken.
Putting the shower in the basement gave it an extra "head" of water pressure, like 3 meters of extra gravity compared to the rest of the place. Your poor dad with three daughters when he wanted to go to the bathroom. Yeah, I can understand that. It was worth the effort to put a new shower in. Your dad probably had to get a pump system to get the wastewater shifted out too. Your dad being a fireman, well, what he knows about water pressure would fill a chapter in a book. Hats off to your dad, he must have put himself on the line to help a lot of people. I hope his plan worked and he got to go to the bathroom when he wanted.
Treasure House, I'm sure that everything had a memory for her that's why it was hard to part with . I wish that others would be as respectful and considerate like you when cleaning up someone's history. Wonderful finds to uncover ,looking forward to seeing more.
Yes you absolutly right - its dangereus to go inside without a mask, because you can meybe finde some mause waste there and you get werry ill.
Who the hell are the people giving this a thumbs down? But why doesn't he have face masks around if he's done this before? The best thing seems to be the cold, keeping it like King Tut's Tomb. A hoarder house with no bugs or rotting old food is very rare.
Masks come out in pt 2 :)
and no storage of urine or 💩
Trolls/ kids. But hey it’s still a view. Lol
No disrespect to the owner at all, but watching this made me feel like I could not breath from all the dust you can see on camera. Good motivation to clean my house!
You could always add a reserve gas tank to the ambulance and you would be good for extended trips like that. This is a fascinating series too.
My dude, hard-hat with mounted GoPro.. get one. also air filter masks.
I was just about to post the same thing. It's nice to have the control of holding the camera, but it's not a good idea when going through stuff like that. He definitely needs a GoPro.
My thoughts exactly, I am worried about his health, especially in the future.
Old house...maybe lots of health hazards...asbestos!
@@LVThN_von_Ach I worry about that same thing, put on a mask a rebreather what ever they are called ,?? And however you spell the thing . I was so mad at him lol
Next episode he has a hasemat suit and a mask
Start by getting a box of garbage bags and going through each bag of clothes. Old people hide money everywhere. Sell the vintage clothes, donate everything else that can get cleaned and used.
Go through every piece of paper too. There can be memorabilia that has significance to the family or cool ads or documents. Found some old stock certificates in my dad's stuff.
Bring some dust masks with you next time
Yeah, there was even that neatly folded newspaper, there's gotta be a collector for that somewhere
And look for old programs for small venues. You would be surprised how quickly they sell. Not worth a ton. But they are valuable
They hide money in books and mattresses too!
In the UK some charity shop can get money for recycling unusable clothes it worth asking about
@@charlottestevens9352 in the US too. Goodwill and Salvation Army sells t-shirts as rags.
Thank you for being so kind and respectful towards the owners hoarding issues. I've been dealing with multiple hoarding family members estates and it is so hard. Since I found your channel, I've been documenting my journey. Thank you for the inspiration!!
**Get's pulled over**
"Do these lights function"
"NO.. yes."
"Cool lemme see'em"
hahaha
Wow I want that shower! Lol what a way to wake up! Lmho! Looks and sounds like that mold gotcha pretty good. You need to wear a respirator to walk through that house! Gee.
Hasn't even got to the house yet, and this is already entertaining XD
Also, you know you're in Canada when there's snow on the ground and the guy says "Good thing we picked a warm weekend!"
Lol.
@@mountainview7971 lol
At least there’s no wind 🌬
I would ditch the addition or at the very least reconstruct it, as for the trees, leave any tree that's above 2 meters tall and cut everything else. That's tree growth people won't get to have during their life time.
Once again I’m reminded how nice, positive and kind Canadians are. So agreeable. Amiable. Peaceable. Love the accent too. If it wasn’t so cold, I’d live in Canada. Just can’t do the frigid temperatures.
Ya, those below zero where they cancel school cause the kids noses will freeze off inless than two minutes are brutal.
I guess you never met my in-laws then!
Unless people want to come together for church service! Then the Canadian Gestapo comes and arrests the pastor & church members.
I just found you. This is my first episode. I am So excited to see what's in this house! Subscribed.
Thanks for joining us on this journey!
Same!
I look forward to seeing more! You are such a handsome and personable young man! Really kind and agreeable. Even your critique of the hotel room seemed kind compared to what could have and would have been said by a lot of city snobs. Your attitude will take you far in life. Good luck son. I am 70 yrs old. Still know a good man when I see one.
Thanks Maureen :)
Agree. Exactly my thoughts.
Maureen, your comment is so sweet and sincere, it just gave me a huge smile! You seem like a wonderful lady!!!
I loved this video Alex. That is going to be so much fun going through things but lots of work as well. I saw some clothes that were so vintage and awesome like my parents use to wear and I am 70 so that tells you how long ago that was. I can't wait to see the next video. Thanks!
Such a personable like able guy gets along with everyone!
I know he’s lazer focused on the types of antiques he’s looking for, which is understandable, but my collector spider senses are going crazy that he isn’t looking for what I want and think is there! Glassware, mid century furniture and decor. Dig Deep!
I know pickers go into properties looking for specific things... what will resale, what is there that I like. He overlooked many things and was sloppy about his digging... kinda understandable, when you look for certain things you can toss some gold to the side. It’s not Archeaology, but it should be!!
This would be a dream. I love 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s glassware and kitchen items. Plus old toys.
Totally agree, I LOVE old mason jars an similar stuff
Mary Lee I think That’s why he bought the house. So he had time to go through, absolutely everything. He knows there is a lot more hidden.
Mandi Bee ł
What a great guy that man is for coming to help you with gas!!! There ARE good people left in this world! AND you got to meet a cool cop!!! :) That house was pretty full! My goodness!!! I am sure there are tons of treasures in the middle of that mess! Thanks for sharing! You should be wearing a dust mask!!! You will make your money back for sure. First you have all the cool old stuff in the house...and once the house is cleared out, and you clean it out, you can flip it and make that money back! Genius!
We usually come out ok and I hope Alexander listens to everyone and wears a mask and gloves!
Rachel you are a positive person and I agree about the mask. I have to wonder where were the relatives when those folks were living on top of all that rubbish. jeez. Obviously needs a big dumpster and a clearing crew to get access in there.
@@guineverependragon9804 yeah and a excavator lol
@@MelArchbold I use and recommend the high-quality 3M NIOSH mask (model 3M6500QL ..the quick release is really great to have).
He stated he knew the guy that arrived ahead of him in town. Part of the team, you might say.
That shower looks like it could skin you! Yikes! Don’t forget to metal detect the yard when the snow melts and it warms up. Please wear a dust mask!
Great idea! Metal detection could really find some value on a property like this one!
Ohh yeah, I bet there's a tin or two of money in the yard!!!!
@@connieh2999 Maybe that's where those silver dollars went to, right?
Watching this again, now that so much has come to pass. Who would have thought it would be such a big adventure!
I’m a textile historian and collector. This makes my Heart Hurt, to see it bypassed!!
You do a great job and you are kind and chat with your family in the nicest way during this difficult time. Good job! Congratulations on buying the house. I’m subscribing!
He finally got some gloves on...needs a mask.
Omg you have waaaaaaay more patience than I could ever hope for. This fills me with dread just watching! I hope you cash out bigtime as you will have earned every penny! Best of luck
Hello 👋 dear , how are you doing?
re-watching this series and while Alex is talking so casually about looking to fill the ambulance I can't help but laugh and think you have no idea what your getting into and all the treasures!
I like the old man who all he said was “yeah yeah right “
I'm literally dying of laughter! The shower head water pressure! Take ticks off a goat! Your nervous laughter as you started to go through things just cracked me up! Great find! Enjoyed it very much!!!!
Thank you so much for following our story :)
“Good thing it’s a warm day “
There’s 4 feet of snow outside.
Me: 🥶
It is all relative!
Agreed, you can see his breath through out the video. That's not a warm day lol
I just watched part 2 then one, the whole time my face was screwed up in a "gross" or "that smells" face! Now everything I'm looking at looks dirty! I'm sure my throat will start itching soon! Bless you if you got through that without getting sick!