Former Lecturer Clears House After 30 YEARS Of Hoarding Left Rooms 5ft-Deep In Rubbish

Books, lecture notes and exam papers – this is 30 years’ worth of junk, hoarded by a former lecturer who couldn’t throw anything away.

Elizabeth Eaton has finally sought help with her obsessive behaviour after three decades of holding on to every item.

The 59-year-old roped in cleaning specialists to clear more than three skips worth of rubbish from her three-bed semi after she struggled to move around her cluttered rooms.

Her hoarding had become so bad that her belongings had started to spill out of the letterbox of her London home, making her realise she needed professional help.

Some rooms were buried up to five feet deep in clutter and her three-piece suit in the living room was completely submerged under mounds of rubbish.

She said: “At that point I realised I really needed help sorting it out.

Allyson Pritchard and Zoe Steel helped clear the house (SWNS)

"I remember my friend was helping me sort through some items as more stuff was coming through the letterbox. As soon as we were getting rid of things more was coming in.

"I knew I had to have professional help as it was overwhelming.”

As well as collecting items, she also took a liking to re-homing guinea pigs – and the 11 she kept enjoyed generous-sized pens, leaving them with more room to move around than her.

After fearing, she would never get her home cleared, she roped in the help of experts Allyson Pritchard and Zoe Steel, who cleared three decades worth of rubbish in just ten days.

Elizabeth said: “I spoke to one person but they didn’t like rodents which was a bit of a problem considering I’ve got guinea pigs.

"Then I remembered seeing Allyson Pritchard and Zoe Steel from TV show The Hoarder Next Door and I thought I’d contact them.

"I could see from the television series that they are sympathetic and helpful while also being efficient and effective."

Elizabeth Eaton, 59, is a former university lecturer (SWNS)

"I’ve never looked back,” she said. “They’ve been absolutely fantastic. They don’t judge you in any way, they come in and talk to you and get to know you.”

"You know you can trust them, they are discreet and so kind. I couldn’t have done it without them.

"They’ve helped me get my life back. I’m so much more confident and I am not embarrassed to invite people to my home which I could never have done before.”

Explaining the secret behind their success Zoe said: “It is about building up trust with people and I think that is why they warm to us. It is our passion. We feel it is important to have empathy and have the human touch.

"Our clients know that we will never judge them, and we will always be there to support and protect them. We work with people at a pace that suits them and in a way that makes them feel comfortable.”

(Credit: SWNS)