After a house search that spanned four states, John, a contractor originally from the Main Line, and his wife Susan Fogwell, fell in love with a small brick split-level they found near where John grew up. But the house wasn't empty when they bought it. Not even close. "Brick House 319" was stuffed to the gills with belongings that the previous owner, "Hoarder Bill," had amassed over his lifetime, including around 800 storage bins packed like sardines into the backyard.
The blog follows the purchase and renovation of Brick House 319: beginning with how the couple found the seemingly-vacant property, "literally shrouded in shrubbery," and how their relationship with both the house and its owner, "Hoarder Bill," developed and strengthened over time. This is not a tale of caution: it is a tale of compassion. "When we purchased Brick House 319," writes Sue, "it was in the contract that John and I would move all of Bill's belongings to his storage units at our expense." Sue continues:
Bill acknowledges the fact that he is a hoarder. He actually said on several occasions that it got excessively out of control. Bill's a smart guy. He's one of those guys that given the opportunity should have gone to MIT or Cal Tech. Bill has hoarding friends and has no problem saying the word "hoarder." So, again, if the word is offensive to you, there are other blogs to read. · Brick House 319
· We Found & Bought a Hoarder's House [Huff Post]
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