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Hoarding cleanouts in Nanaimo.

At a glance

Hoarding cleanup in Nanaimo starts at $125 and is priced by trailer load, with a full 15-yard load at $850, estimated before we start loading. We work at your pace, without judgement, and we sort as we go so keepsakes, documents and valuables come out of the pile instead of going into the trailer. The job is handled quietly, and any privacy concerns you have get planned into the pickup.

From
$125, free estimate first
Approach
Judgement-free, your pace
Discretion
Handled quietly, no spectacle

No judgement, no pressure, your pace.

Hoarding builds up for real reasons, and the last thing anyone needs is a crew making them feel bad about it. We show up calm, we follow your lead, and nothing leaves the house without a yes. Some clients want a room done at a time over several visits. Some want the whole house cleared in a push. Both are fine. We regularly coordinate with family members, support workers and counsellors when the client wants that backup, and we can keep the process as private as you like.

  • You decide what goesWe sort into keep, donate and dispose piles with you, and nothing you want stays lost in the pile.
  • Discreet by defaultNo yard signage, no announcements, and we load without drawing attention.
  • Family and support workers welcomeWe work alongside whoever is helping you through it, on whatever schedule works.
The same Nanaimo bedroom cleared and swept after the Junk Matters hoarding cleanoutA Nanaimo bedroom filled with accumulated belongings before a hoarding cleanoutBeforeAfter
Our job: Bedroom back to livable. This room was buried to window height when we arrived. One day later it was empty, swept and usable again, with the owner's keepsakes boxed and set aside.

Rooms brought back to livable.

Hoarding jobs get time, discretion and no judgement. We work room by room, watch for documents and keepsakes as we go, and hand back space people can use again.

From buried rooms back to a livable home.

The goal is not an empty house, it is a usable one. As each room clears we watch for the things worth keeping: photographs, paperwork, jewellery, anything sentimental, and they go into labelled boxes for you rather than into the trailer. Usable furniture and goods are donated to Nanaimo charities first, recyclables get pulled out, and we sweep each room before we call it done. Most single rooms clear in a few hours, and even heavily filled homes usually come back within a few days.

What it costs.

You pay for trailer space, not time. You get a free estimate before anything gets loaded, and the load price covers the lifting, hauling, disposal fees and a sweep up after. Final pricing is based on actual loaded volume, with weight, labour and applicable surcharges considered, and travel can apply the further out you are. Full details on the pricing page.

Where we do it.

Based in Nanaimo, serving the mid Island. See all service areas.

Common questions.

Straight answers, the same ones we give on the phone.

How much does hoarding cleanup cost in Nanaimo?

It is priced by how much trailer space the contents take: $125 minimum, $300 for a quarter of the 15-yard trailer, $500 for a half, $675 for three quarters and $850 for a full load. Heavily filled homes often run two or more loads. The first hour of labour is included per load, then $100 per hour, and you get an estimate before we start. If conditions inside change the scope, extra material, weight, specialty items or contamination, we raise it with you as it comes up rather than at the end. Additions can apply depending on the items, the weight, the access and the location, so send us the details and we will go through your specific situation.

Will you throw away things I want to keep?

No. Nothing leaves without your say-so. We sort with you into keep, donate and dispose piles, and anything that looks valuable or sentimental, like photos, documents or jewellery, gets pulled aside and shown to you even if it was buried deep in the pile. You stay in control of every decision.

Can you be discreet about the cleanup?

We handle hoarding cleanouts discreetly and professionally, and we load in a way that does not draw attention to what is happening. Tell us about any privacy concerns when you book and we will plan the pickup around them.

How long does a hoarding cleanout take?

A single room can often be cleared in one visit, and a whole home is usually a multi-day job. Heavily filled, contaminated or sorting-intensive properties can take longer and may need several visits. If working slowly feels better, we can split the job over multiple visits at whatever pace suits you.

Can family or a support worker be involved?

Absolutely, and it often helps. We regularly work alongside family members, support workers and mental health professionals. We can schedule around their availability, take direction from whoever the client nominates, and keep everyone on the same page as the house comes back.

What can you take away?

Furniture, mattresses and box springs, appliances including fridges and freezers, electronics and TVs, hot tubs, pianos, yard waste and brush, renovation and demolition debris, scrap metal, carpet, garage, shed and storage-unit contents, and general household junk. We also demolish sheds, decks and fences and haul the debris away. If it can be handled and transported safely, it can go on the trailer, though some specialty and restricted items need separate handling and a few we cannot take at all. When in doubt, text a photo and ask.

How soon can you pick up?

Same-day or next-day service may be available depending on our schedule, your location and the size and scope of the job, so call or text and ask what we have open. Being based in Nanaimo rather than an hour down the highway helps. We are open 7 days a week, 6am to 8pm, and short-notice jobs are welcome.

How does the pickup actually work?

Four steps. First the free estimate: call, text or send photos of the pile and we will come back to you with a number. Second, we arrive when we said we would. Third, the crew walks the job with you, goes over the estimate, and only then does every bit of the lifting and hauling from wherever the junk sits. Fourth, everything is sorted for donation, recycling or disposal, and the space gets swept before we leave. Final pricing is based on actual loaded volume, with weight, labour and applicable surcharges considered.

Do I need to move anything outside or sort it first?

No. We take it from wherever it is sitting: upstairs rooms, basements, crawlspaces, the garage or the back of the yard. Nothing needs to be bagged, sorted or dragged to the curb beforehand, and you do not need to be able to lift. If piling it up makes you feel organised then go ahead, though the price follows the volume either way.

What happens to everything after you take it?

We prioritise reuse, donation and recycling wherever items are suitable, accepted and practical, and the landfill is the last stop rather than the first. Usable furniture, appliances and household goods can go to local charities, metal to the scrap yard, electronics to the proper depot, mattresses to a facility that strips them for materials, and clean green waste to composting. What each charity or facility will accept is their call rather than ours. Anything that genuinely cannot be reused or recycled is disposed of properly, and that sorting is part of the job.

Are there additional disposal or specialty charges?

Some items and materials carry an additional charge, because of disposal fees, weight, handling requirements or special recycling. These can include mattresses and box springs, tires, propane tanks, unusually heavy or dense materials, appliances that need special handling, and hazardous or contaminated material. Dense loads are worth flagging separately: soil, concrete, dense construction debris, scrap metal, tile, and boxes of books, files or tools can reach the trailer's weight limit before it is full by volume, which can mean a weight surcharge or a second load. Any surcharge that applies is identified before the job begins wherever the items and conditions are known.

Is there an hourly charge on top of the load price?

The first hour of labour is included in the load price. Beyond that, additional labour is $100 per hour, per load. That comes up on jobs spread over several floors, long carries from the truck, or items that need heavy sorting or taking apart before they will move. Anything like that is talked through at the estimate where the conditions are known, and raised with you on the day if it only becomes clear once we are working. Depending on the items, their weight, the access and where you are, additional charges can apply. Tell us what you have and we will walk through your situation first.

Are you insured and covered by WorkSafeBC?

Yes. Junk Matters is fully insured, registered and in good standing with WorkSafeBC, and a member of both the Recycling Council of British Columbia and the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. We are rated 5.0 across 130+ Google reviews, and the crew works in your home and around your property to that standard.

What about hazardous or contaminated material?

That is a separate specialised service rather than an ordinary volume-priced load, because it can involve PPE, containment, decontamination, careful sorting and added exposure risk. Hazardous and contaminated cleanouts carry a hazard-labour charge on top of the normal load price, not instead of it: a four-hour minimum at $150 per hour for mild, $200 for moderate and $250 for severe, with the usual load, disposal and weight charges still applying. We cannot take liquid paint and fuels, asbestos or commercial chemical waste as part of a standard load. Extra charges can apply for weight, specialty items, access or travel, so ask us about your specific situation and we will lay it out before anything is booked.