What our clients say about our services

It is hard to understate my gratitude and the enormity of the impact Martijn van Lith’s service has made not just for my parents but our entire family.

For my parents it has been a game-changer; now having a realistic chance to remain living independently with services in place as opposed to facing institutional care. In their case, when collecting becomes hoarding and then turns into squalor that is beyond resurrection.

My mother had always been a collector.  In her old age and my father developing serious health problems collecting evolved into frank hoarding and chaos.  Their normal cleaners stopped coming during Covid restrictions and never returned. My parents became more and more insular and ashamed as things got away from them. In the end nobody was allowed into their flat, not even I – as their only child and main support.  I did not become aware of the overwhelming level of chaos and dysfunction within their home until my mother was hospitalised after a fall.  Their large flat was in a state beyond normal cleaning services as it was so out of control that one would not know where to start.

I contacted Martijn van Lith’s service. Martijn was very professional, understanding and reassuring.  Martijn obviously had a very good grasp of the issues at hand; not only of the pragmatic tasks but also the emotional and mental health aspects involved in hoarding.  Martijn listened and talked to me and to my parents in a very respectful, calming and containing way.  My mother was mortified and extremely anxious at the prospect of team coming into their home to clean and tidy up, let alone without their presence.  It was fortuitous she was in hospital.

Martijn van Lith’s service was very responsive and contactable. Martijn was able to schedule the deep clean and decluttering service while my mother was in hospital.

Martijn and his amazing handpicked, highly trained team worked for 4 days getting things in order. Before starting Martijn had been very careful  to establish what type of items my mother valued and what was incidental refuse to be discarded.

Martijn and his team did an amazing, thoughtful and wholistic job. They cleaned, washed and sorted everything into transparent, labelled boxes. The carpet was steam-cleaned. The taps and dishwasher were fixed.  I was provided with resources and organised a new mattress for the bed.

My mother (who had been ambivalent at best beforehand) was very pleased with the result. A week after moving back in she spontaneously commented that they had done a very good job. She particularly appreciated that had not thrown her things out – only sorted them.  My mother is happy again to let people into their place.  My mother is in a space now to accept external assistance, which makes me very happy.  We’re going there tomorrow for my father’s birthday. That has not happened in years.

I can’t begin to express what a weight has been lifted from my soul .  I’ve been trying to help my parents to stay independent, living in a safe environment. This task has felt to me like trying to climb Mount Everest. For years I could only see a very high, insurmountable peak in the far distance. With the help of Martijn and his lovely team I feel I’ve gotten to the base camp.   Now I can see the way forward to get to the goal having gained an overview what are the tasks, options, ideas what support services are required – and optimism. Optimism that there is a realistic chance of getting there and that the path is not as arduous as expected and may even be fun.

I took the time to write this to express my most heartfelt gratitude for finding this amazing specialist service. Also, to publish it in order to offer hope and perspective to people who are finding themselves in a similar situation.