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Clutter Image Rating

National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) Clutter–Hoarding Scale

National Hoarding Scale 1-5
Click on image to enlarge for easier reading and printing.
PURPOSE OF THE SCALE

The purpose of the NSGCD Clutter–Hoarding Scale
* is to guide professional organizers and related professionals in their initial, pre-session (phone or onsite) contact or first session assessment work. This scale is primarily based on the interior of a home, except where the outside structure affects the overall safety of the interior, as indicated. It does not include sheds and unattached garages or outbuildings.

The NSGCD Clutter-Hoarding Scale is an assessment measurement tool developed by the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) to give professional organizers and related professionals definitive parameters. These parameters relate to health and safety issues and present a potential range in which professionals may choose to work.

PARAMETERS OF THE LEVELS

The NSGCD has established five levels to indicate the degree of household clutter
and hoarding (low: Level 1; high: Level 5) from a professional organizer’s and related professional’s perspective. Within each level there are four specific categories that define the severity of clutter and hoarding potential:
  • Structure and zoning
  • Pets and rodents
  • Household functions
  • Sanitation and cleanliness
One problem found in any of these four categories may indicate the need for further investigation regarding the whole level.
  • Level I. Household is considered standard. No special knowledge in working with the chronically disorganized is necessary.
  • Level II. Household requires professional organizers or related professionals to have additional knowledge and understanding of chronic disorganization.
  • Level III. Household may require services in addition to those of a professional organizer and related professional. Professional organizers and related professionals should have significant training in chronic disorganization and have developed a network of resources, especially mental health providers.
  • Level IV. Household needs the help of a professional organizer and a coordinated team of service providers. Psychological/medical issues or financial hardships are generally involved. Resources will be necessary to bring a household to a functional level. These services may include pest control, crime-scene cleaners, financial counselors, and licensed contractors and handypersons.
  • Level V. Household will require intervention from a wide range of agencies. Professional organizers should not venture directly into working solo with this type of household. The Level V household may be under the care of a conservator or be an inherited estate of a mentally ill individual. Assistance is needed from many sources. A team needs to be assembled, which may include social services and psychological/mental health representatives, conservators or trustees, building and zoning, fire and safety, landlord, legal aid and/or legal representatives. A written strategy needs to be outlined and contractual agreements made before proceeding.
*This scale was publicly released in October 2003. Individuals or agencies quoting Levels as listed on this chart should list the NSGCD as the creating organization. Developers of this Clutter-Hoarding scale are NSGCD members Sheila Delson, Cindy Glovinsky, Terry Prince, and Heidi Schultz.

We offer compassionate, personalized & professional hoarding clutter cleanup management services. 
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Serving these cities in Orange County and Los Angeles County CA: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim Hills, Buena Park, Mission Viejo, Orange, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Yorba Linda, Brea, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Coto de Caza, Beverly Hills, Venice, Thousand Oaks, Avalon, Burbank, Culver City, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Glendale, Lakewood, Norwalk, Los Angeles, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, Pasadena, Rolling Hills, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, San Marino, Torrance, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Fullerton, Irvine, Westminster, Newport Beach, ​Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Cerritos, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Rancho Palos Verdes

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  • Home
  • Services
  • Before-After
    • Level 5 before & After
  • How We Work
  • All Yelp Reviews
  • FAQ
    • Need-to-Know FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • About Us
    • Speaking Events
  • Client Testimonials
  • Estate Clearing Services
    • Hoarding Recovery and Estate Clearing
    • When a Hoarder Passes Away
    • Here to Help Your Family With the Toughest Estate Clearing Challenges
    • When Estate Remediation Compounds Grief
    • The Unexpected Stage of Grief—Why You May Need Professional Help to Clear a Deceased’s Estate
    • Why You Need Professional Help When Cleaning a Loved One’s Home
    • The Uncomfortable Secret—What to Do If Your Deceased Loved One Was a Hoarder
    • Clutter Clearing Help
  • Health and Safety
    • NSGCD Hoarding Scale
    • Fire Code
    • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
    • Preparing for Bedbug Remediation
  • Blog
  • Job Openings
  • More Info on Hoarding
    • Hoarding In the News
    • Hoarding Addiction
    • Best Compulsive Hoarding Solutions
    • Where to Start
    • Cleaning Clutter for Hoarders
    • Know About Cleaning a Hoarder’s House
    • Find Hoarding Cleanup Help: An Investment for the Future
    • Finding Hoarding Cleanup Help
    • Transitioning an Elderly Hoarder to Assisted Living
    • When Your Lost Loved One Was A Hoarder
    • A Different Approach to Hoarding Remediation
    • The Bad Tenant Aftermath
    • Compassionate Help for Those Affected By Hoarding
    • A Landlord’s Nightmare—Find the Help You Need to Recover Your Rental Property from Bad Tenants
    • Healing From Hoarding—Compassionate Help for Your Family
    • When a Spring Purging’s More in Order than a Simple Sprucing
    • When Promising Investment Properties Go Bad
    • Deceased Estate Cleanout–Cleaning Clutter with Compassion
    • Real Estate Cleanout—Helping the House Become a Home Again