What happens when a luxurious Toronto condo is abandoned by its previous owner, who would have been a great candidate for Hoarders? A very satisfying cleanup.
According to Toronto-based real estate brokerage Strata, Bisha Hotel & Residences asked its realtors to help restore one of its units to its former glory after a dispute over maintenance fees allowed them to retake ownership. The condo seemed to have been previously inhabited by someone suffering from hoarding tendencies.
The lengthy process ended up requiring one of Strata's realtors, Cyrus Ghazvini, to clean the whole unit twice.
The unit before the cleanup process took place.Photos via Strata.ca
"The first time was to get rid of the surface grime and clear out the garbage this guy was collecting," Ghazvini said. "After that, we spent a whole day lugging the owners' personal belongings into storage."
The place reportedly smelled like "rotting food and stale cigarettes," according to Ghazvini's account, which seemed to emanate from the piles of UberEats orders and food stains scattered throughout the unit.
The realtor also revealed a little about the owner's life as described by the owner's former neighbours, saying he had "largely kept to himself but was constantly ordering food to the unit."
Residents surrounding the unit claimed the man, whose whereabouts remain unknown, seemed to never leave his home regardless of circumstances.
After the condo was cleaned by "military-grade professional cleaners," Ghazvini hired painters to apply a fresh coat of paint to beautify the space and "neutralize any odours left behind," as well as required the help of a staging company to redecorate the space.
After pictures of the unit.Photos via Strata.ca
"The transformation was shocking," the realtor gushed. "It went from a hoarder's den to a luxury residence, as it was always meant to be."
The Mayo Clinic describes a hoarding disorder as "a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions." People who suffer from the disorder are distressed at the thought of getting rid of items regardless of their value, and cramped living conditions can occur as a result.
The cleaned-up kitchen area.Photos via Strata.ca
If you love a good before and after picture, this remarkable transformation may have you looking into hiring some "military-grade" cleaners of your own to figure out what's going on behind your oven this week.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or mental health concerns, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also contact the Crisis Services Canada helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, or consult these additional resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.