♪
I don't like living like this.
Welcome to hell house.
♪
- Oh, my God! - Air quality is horrible.
Sick to my stomach.
This is like a...
a house of cards ready to come tumbling down.
- I get these dizzy spells. - Oh, oh!
- Oh... - Whoa!
He could die in his dream home.
It's an absolute nightmare.
The only reason I'm doing this is for you,
you realize that.
Oh, that's such bull----!
As it stands right now, she's leaving-
for good- me, everything.
I need you to get rid of stuff. Please!
He doesn't want to let go of his previous life.
We keep holding on to a version of us
that no longer exists.
Then why should I damn well exist?
- Get rid of it! - I really want to keep them.
[Screaming]
I feel like I've just been kicked in the gut again.
Throw everything in the garbage.
I don't care anymore.
♪
♪ [Gentle instrumental]
♪
My name's David...
and I am a hoarder.
I've been in denial for so many years.
♪
This house is very near and dear to me.
I broke ground in 1994.
I designed it.
I built it in my spare time.
My dream was to have it completed by retirement.
That didn't happen.
♪
People would dream of building a home that
looked like this.
Now it looks like a tear down.
♪ [Suspenseful]
♪
Odette is the love of my life.
As much as she loves me, she's ready to leave.
And I don't want another marriage to end.
My name is Odette, and I'm David's wife.
The house we're living in right now
is David's dream house.
It's my nightmare.
The entire front entrance is blocked.
The courtyard is blocked.
Every inch of this house is over capacity.
♪
The only way I can get into the house is
now through a stepladder...
into the kitchen.
The kitchen is probably 15% functional-
microwave, hot plates-
that's what we're using to cook in.
Little aisles, you have to walk sideways
to go anywhere.
Living room, which is two and a half storeys in height,
beautiful fireplace- which we can't see.
Living room furniture that is buried somewhere.
♪
David can hold on to a dollar store wine glass,
an old electric blanket that no longer works.
He can hold on to absolutely anything.
♪
We have stuff that should be in the garbage.
Living in that house, I feel humiliated.
I can't live like this.
♪
I met Odette through...
my daughter, and we share the same grandchildren.
♪
I was going through a divorce,
and we became friends.
We used to meet at a coffee shop, and...
talk and talk and talk and talk and talk.
We had lots of fun as friends, and then it evolved.
Then we ended up getting married.
We married two years ago, on Valentine's Day.
She chose that date...
so I wouldn't forget it because I've got,
I have a terrible memory.
♪
Odette now feels that I love the house
more than I love her.
The house is the most important thing in his life.
It's more important than anything.
It's more important than I am.
There's no happiness within that house.
All there is, is just being miserable,
right from the get-go moving in there.
♪
When we moved in,
we started off with the furnace blowing up.
Massive 1800-liter oil spill
flooded the entire basement.
My entire record collection was destroyed.
♪
Sixty years of collecting.
It broke my heart.
♪
I often tell David the house is killing us both.
Some of the breathing problems and that,
that I've had, I think it's the air quality.
♪
My name is Edy, and I'm one of Odette's best friends.
She did come from wealth...
and she was used to having maids and
people pick up after her.
So, she's like a little princess.
She's not used to living like this.
It's not her lifestyle.
And I think that's an embarrassment.
She won't even let me in the house now.
♪
He's like a brother to me.
It's sad to see what's happening to him.
I'm Mike, and I'm one of David's best friends.
When you walk into David's home,
you'll find anything from baskets, magazines, books.
Tools are a big one with David, though.
One time I went up there and
we were gonna do some tree work.
He asked me to bring my chainsaw.
I did.
He had a chainsaw in the garage.
There were four chainsaws downstairs,
three brand new in a box,
and one brand new one outside the box.
Why does a man need five chainsaws?
It's ridiculous how many tools he has,
but he doesn't see that.
He doesn't see the absurdity of
having so much of one thing.
♪
Odette, she hates living the way we are, but she has...
discovered online auctions.
She loves to bid on stuff for the house.
♪
Odette feels very strongly that it's all my stuff.
She gets frustrated, she gets mad.
We end up arguing.
We were certainly a lot closer...
before we moved into this house.
♪
♪ [Gentle piano]
My childhood was very much influenced by my brother.
There was a very large age difference between us.
22 years.
Tony was very much my mother's favorite.
It made me feel that I wanted to prove myself to her.
It hurts, it- even when I think of it now.
Tony was successful.
He was the person that I wanted to be.
♪
I was taken advantage of by my brother's partner
many, many times when I was in my pre-teens and...
♪
I was afraid to say anything.
I was afraid to tell my parents.
I was compromised, that's it, you know-
I didn't know where to turn, and so I kept quiet.
♪
You bury these things.
They're so difficult, too.
♪
My brother's partner, he once told me:
"You'll never amount to anything in your life."
I have pushed myself...
to prove them wrong.
I started my career in advertising,
as a layout artist...
and quickly moved up the ladder to become...
the creative director for the largest retail company
now in Canada.
I'd work 80, 90-hour weeks,
and it destroyed my family, my first marriage.
I think I equate this collection-
that I call a collection-
based on the more stuff I get,
the more successful I am.
Bigger, the better,
the more important, the more impressive.
♪
The search for success took a huge toll on
my first marriage and my kids.
My two wonderful children grew up without
having me as a father.
My name is Samantha, and I am David's daughter.
My dad was a workaholic.
He was just always really busy with his work,
and it came first. My mom, like,
I remember her showing up at the GO station to
pick him up and he wouldn't be there.
Then- and she had us, two little kids, in the car.
No phone calls to let her know that
he is going to be late.
It's been like that all my life.
I get very disappointed quite often.
♪
I know my dad loves us a lot.
And, I know he wants a better relationship with us and...
I want it to happen.
But, bringing the kids up is impossible.
It's not safe.
There's four grandkids.
I don't even think my brother's children
even know who he is.
I lost my children through work,
now I'm losing my grandchildren
through hoarding.
This makes me feel...
like I'm nothing.
I'm a loser.
♪
I can't even see my kids 'cause they won't...
I'm sorry.
♪
When you retire, life shouldn't be like this.
These should be the golden years.
♪
I'm living in...
in a hell, because it's brought so much...
conflict, embarrassment, and danger.
If we ever had a fire,
the house would go up in seconds.
That house is...
it scares me.
If David doesn't get this house in order,
his kids won't be here...
his grandkids won't be here...
I won't be here.
♪ [Suspenseful]
It's probably going to be the end of Dave.
♪
David, because of his hoarding,
has alienated his, his family.
He's missed out on watching his grandkids grow up.
♪
My worst fear is he's going to have a heart attack and...
nobody's going to know, or a fire.
I just feel like something really bad is going to happen
if my dad doesn't get this house cleaned up.
♪
I'm Sarah Ahmed.
I am a psychotherapist who specializes in
problematic behaviors, including hoarding disorder.
♪
[Knocking]
- Hi, are you David? - Hello, I am David.
Hi, David, I'm Sarah. Nice to meet you.
- So nice to meet you. - Likewise.
Come on in. Do you need a hand, you okay?
- I'm good, thank you. - You made it up the ladder.
I did, I did.
Shall we? Okay.
- Welcome to my humble abode. - Thank you.
It was a bit of a maze to get in.
♪
This is the kitchen.
It's terrible.
Drives my wife crazy trying to make meals here.
Is this place a source of tension?
A lot of conflict for the two of you?
Terrible stress.
The kitchen is not at all functional.
It's extremely cluttered and
not a safe space to cook anything.
Well, I'll take you through...
to the dining room.
Now, when was the last time you shared a meal here?
- Oh... 2008? - With, with folks?
♪
Here's the front door that I haven't used in...
a couple of years.
Everything here I needed to protect
because of the value of it.
If something was to happen,
you can't have anyone coming in-
No. I had an incident where I had cut an artery in the leg,
and the paramedics couldn't get into the house.
♪
Odette had a heart problem and the same thing happened.
I had to help her down the ladder...
and wait in the driveway for the paramedics to
come and take her to the hospital.
♪
This is the great room, the living room.
Right. Beautiful skylights.
As you can see, you can't move, you can't see it.
I'd like to introduce you to Odette.
- Hi, Odette. - It's a pleasure to meet you.
I'm Sarah. Nice to meet you as well.
- Welcome to hell house. - Oh, thank you!
Although, that's not what we're hoping for.
I'm here to help you both through this.
I know it's a lot.
If I was to walk into somebody's house that
looked like this, I'd walk right back out again.
It's just unlivable, really.
It's walking from one end to the other and,
and ending up in the kitchen with bruised hips and legs
because you're banging against things.
I have a problem with my eyesight, so that ladder,
for me, is extremely dangerous.
I don't know where the stairs are.
I'm feeling for them.
And if he goes out, I won't go out...
because I'm afraid of falling and he's not here.
So, do you spend most of your time in the house?
- In the bedroom. - And it feels overwhelming.
Oh, it's more than overwhelming.
It's an absolute nightmare.
So, I'm here to support the two of you-
not only just in terms of items and the physical labor
and all of that, but emotionally as well.
And, we are going to figure this out together.
And we very much appreciate that help.
- We need it. - Thank you.
David, so why don't we go ahead and
take a look at the rest of the house?
- We'll go upstairs. - Okay.
Just watch your step.
They're very, very dangerous now.
I don't go upstairs.
The stairs are temporary construction stairs,
and these are not safe.
And, very narrow.
[Breathing heavily]
There's some shortness of breath with David,
and knowing that he has a history of multiple
heart issues, this is something I'm going to keep
a very close eye on.
To your left, this is my studio...
Mhm.
Which, unfortunately...
I can't move in.
There's a lot of sideways walking.
This is where I get a lot of my frustrations out,
in the creative side of things.
But I haven't been able to use this for...
around 10 years.
When I took on projects, I would put every effort
into it because I would be proud of what I was doing.
It's the exact opposite to what I am now.
I've got nothing to be proud of anymore.
Removing some of these items,
getting rid of this stuff will bring that joy back,
and that's something that's so important
and necessary. - Exactly.
Shall we take a look at the rest of the house?
This area is a little den.
[Sighing]
♪
The boxes are all Odette's. This is all stuff- Oh!
Oh, oh!
[Crashing]
I'm sorry, I get these dizzy spells. Whew!
Can we get some water?
Let's, let's get you to sit down.
♪ [Suspenseful]
♪
I get overwhelmed and I- and I passed out,
a couple of times for no...
apparent reason.
♪
Oh... Oh, thank you.
It just hits me for a second and-
Do you mind if I just take your pressure,
just lightly, just to see?
♪
Pulse is okay. How's your dizziness now?
I'm fine now.
All right, I think we need to get you outside,
get you some fresh air. Okay?
- Alrighty. - Careful when you walk out.
♪
We need to get something in you.
Yeah, here, here, here, here.
♪
Here, I'll hold your water. You can have both hands on it.
♪
- Are you okay with watermelon? - Yeah, thank you.
Eat a few of these.
- I'm good, really. - Okay.
♪
Watch your head...
So, this is the front entrance.
So, everything that's here is Odette's crafting materials
that I could not get into the house.
There's no room for it.
And most of it's ruined, I'm sure.
Has she brought that up with you?
Yeah, she's very upset about it.
Do you want a minute to sit?
No, I'm feeling fine, thank you.
Okay. So, what are we looking at over here?
A lot of carpentry equipment that I want to try and
get into the garage.
If an item is totally functional...
Are you okay?
Yeah, just a little bit of a dizzy spell again.
Why don't you go ahead, take a break?
[Sighing]
All of a sudden, my mouth has gone totally dry.
I'm worried for David's health.
The shortness of breath worsens.
Breathe in, breathe out. Nice deep breaths, okay?
I'm worried it's going to impact
his health significantly.
This could mean that we have to shut down everything.
♪ [Suspenseful]
♪
If David doesn't take care of his affairs,
it's going to cost him his health,
his marriage, and his family.
He could die in his dream home.
♪
Thank you.
Keep drinking that, I want that full bottle finished, okay?
- Okay, yes, sir. - All right.
I'll come find you if you don't.
♪
I, I can see a little bit. It looks packed from here.
Yeah, oh, yeah.
So we'll have to be careful when we go in.
Definitely.
♪
My name is Effy Terry.
I'm a professional organizer,
and an ADHD and hoarding specialist.
When was the last time you were in the house?
About a year ago.
Okay, and was it hard to navigate a year ago?
- It definitely was, yes. - How are you feeling?
Ah, a little nervous to see how my dad's been living.
Based on the outside state of the home,
I would say Samantha's apprehensions are warranted.
So this is the ladder, I take it?
- Oh my goodness. - You can go up first.
- Oh, boy. - Is this sturdy?
Not an easy task for anybody.
I'm surprised that David and Odette have been
entering the home like this for years.
Oh, my gosh. [Effort grunting]
Oh, my God!
♪
- What do you think? - It smells. It still smells.
Is this- is this how it was...
a year ago, when you were here?
It's worse.
This is crazy.
There's not even anywhere to cook, really.
- Like there's no surface. - No, no.
I don't know how they've lived here like this.
The state of the house was definitely shocking.
I didn't understand how bad it really was.
When we have things like this,
then critters can hide in there and bugs and...
Oh, exactly.
So, it's concerning because we don't know
what's hiding underneath the piles.
This is why I didn't want to bring my kids.
It is not clean, it is not hygienic.
There are a lot of combustible materials.
There are exposed wires.
People should not be cooking in this kitchen.
Oh my gosh.
It's more overpowering as we've come in.
Half the stuff's broken.
When we're looking at the actual things in the room,
is it your dad's?
To me, it looks like it's half and half.
My dad was the one that started bringing everything
in at first. But, then when she moved in, Odette...
wouldn't get rid of anything.
And now she's found auctions.
Oi...
Oh, my gosh.
The scale of what's in here is a lot.
This is like a house of cards ready to come tumbling down.
I agree- it's scary.
Oh, my gosh.
♪
Yeah, these rails, anyone could go tumbling right down.
I think it's all temporary, he put it in years ago.
I don't think he ever finished it.
Oh my gosh.
There's a Christmas tree in here.
- Some ornaments. - I know.
Every year he's been saying: "I'm going to get the house
cleaned up so we can have Christmas."
Every single year. And I'm like, just, you know,
knowing that it's not happening.
♪
So, more boxes piled up here.
Oh, oh my goodness.
There's a mouse here.
- Alive? Oh, God. - No, it's dead.
When we find a mouse...
that's one, there are many more.
Sick to my stomach, honestly.
Mice chew through cables, they chew through wires,
that's a real fire hazard.
If that room goes up in flames,
it would be a catastrophe.
This is not a safe place to live.
No one should live like this.
How is it possible to get this all out of here?
It is a big job, and I have my concerns about
how we are going to get this done in four days.
It's all going to hinge on your dad and Odette
making the difficult decisions.
Shall we go downstairs and meet with
your father and Odette?
I would like to do that.
♪
Welcome, everybody.
I'm so glad we're all here in the same space.
We're going to come up with a plan all together.
You two are in complete control.
You make all the decisions.
We will guide you through the process,
but it's in your hands.
Sarah is here to help you because it will be stressful.
Samantha, I know that you just did
a walk through with Effy. How are you feeling?
A little shocked and sad, and...
it's hard to see.
Like, I don't know how it's even livable in there.
I don't like living like this.
It's upsetting, obviously.
I know exactly what she's saying.
It's disgusting.
You can't have a clean home like this.
You can't, especially with pets you can't.
As much as I care, deep down, I'm always so angry,
and I'm so mad...
And, it's embarrassing.
You just wanna walk away, and go:
"That's it, I've had it."
I just want to make everybody aware that
I'm doing this for Odette, I- also,
for Samantha, I want to spend time with my grandkids.
As lovely as it is for you to do it for your bride and
your children and grandchildren,
change is always sustainable when it's done for yourself.
I'd like you to think about,
what are your goals for the home?
And that can be sort of your compass in
getting through this next few days.
- Christmas. - Yes, we want Christmas here.
♪
David's dream home has become a nightmare home.
No one should live in a house like this.
My dad and Odette have become isolated
from a lot of the family.
♪
I just want to see him more.
♪
Good morning, everyone. Nice to see you all here.
- How's everyone doing? - Very well.
- Great. - We're good.
Mike, how are you feeling seeing your best friend
going through what he's going through?
It's tough 'cause I enjoy Dave, I enjoy his company,
but it's...
it's been hard to come up here and see it.
Unfortunately, Odette is not here.
David, do you want to tell us what's going on?
Well... [Sighing]
She's...
very, become very nervous and embarrassed about
what we're going through right now and,
she shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed.
It's my fault, it's not her fault.
Samantha, how are you feeling about what's going on?
I don't believe it's all my dad's fault.
He's taking the blame.
This house is the way it is because of both of them.
Well, it's a big job that we're doing, right,
which brings up a lot of complicated emotions.
But with Odette not being here this morning,
Effy is going to walk us through the new plan.
We have Extreme Clean Group.
They're a wonderful group.
I've worked with them before.
For now, we can set up tarps, we can get ready outside,
but until we have your permission and
Odette's permission, we're, we're at a standstill.
If Odette is not there, we're stuck because we're
only able to work with David and his items.
We can't work with Odette or any
mutual items that David and Odette own together.
David, I'm going to need you to check in with Odette.
Maybe I can come in as well,
to get her permission to move things along.
- What do you think? - Well, I'll do what I can.
I'm here for Dave, the daughter's here.
And hopefully, Odette will get in the spirit of it
because if she doesn't, life will be miserable out here.
♪ [Suspenseful]
Odette?
♪
Odette?
Can Sarah come in and talk to you?
[Odette] No, I will talk to no one.
I'm having a really rough time
getting through all this----.
But it's still all about David.
- Now, hang on a second! - You care about David.
You could care less whether I lived or----ing died.
Can you do me a favor? Sarah is-
I said I will not talk to anyone.
Tell her how you're feeling. I'm worried about your-
I am not-
Because it doesn't make any sense to me.
Well, nothing ever does, does it?
-- idiot.
David, this is it, this is the end.
- What? - I'm leaving.
♪
A lot of these items are Odette's items,
so hinge on Odette's permission to unblock that
front entrance- the key to us being able to go
in the house to bring out everything.
♪
[Odette] My mind is made up. I'm leaving.
- Out of my life, right? - Yeah.
The only reason I'm doing this is for you,
you realize that.
- Oh, that's such bull----. - [David sighing]
Don't bull---- me!
Don't bull---- me, and don't bull---- yourself.
Then why am I doing it?
You're doing it because you love this house,
and it comes first.
♪
Go.
Shut the door, please.
Shut the door.
♪
- Everything okay? - No.
No, she doesn't want to talk with you, and...
she says she's out of here, she's leaving me.
It's complicated and, you know,
there's a reason why she's saying what she's saying...
And I would love to understand that better.
I don't know, maybe I could try my luck with her?
Just knock on the door and... - Yeah.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
Just, if you want to have a seat.
Odette, it's Sarah.
I'm not coming in, I just, I'm standing outside here.
I just...
I'm not ready to talk right now.
Okay. Odette, I also just wanted to clarify,
specifically the items that are in front of the door,
do I have your permission to
move your items that are there?
Okay. Anywhere David says.
And is it okay if I check in with you maybe in
a little bit to see how you're doing?
- Okay. - Okay.
Talk to you soon. Get some rest.
♪
David and Odette have given us permission
to start taking things out of the house.
Our first goal is the doorway.
So, if you look behind you,
you're going to see some tarps.
Nothing is to go in the keep, donate or garbage,
without the permission of David and/or Odette.
We want to get stuff out as fast as possible.
Let's do this.
♪
David, what do you think about this old,
waterlogged Christmas tree?
It's not, it's actually a wreath and it's Odette's, so...
I'm going to take- Yeah...
You don't think that we're going to be dealing with
a lot of mold here?
I don't know. But it is hers,
and I don't want to make a decision for her.
See, again, that's all Odette's.
David, this is pretty water damaged.
Do you still want it to go in Odette's pile
for her to decide?
I'm very afraid of letting go of Odette's stuff.
I don't know what's going on with Odette and myself
at this point in time.
As it stands right now, she's leaving-
for good- me, everything.
Okay.
Without a doubt, anything, whether it's garbage,
damaged, molded, Odette's is going to go to her pile.
You know what, you know how they say we have to put on
our own oxygen mask first before we can help others?
So, that's what you're doing here.
Watch out for black mold.
♪
Odette?
♪
Come on over.
Odette asks for a private space where she can connect
with me, just to talk to me about what's going on.
And this is a great sign, that she's looking for help,
she's asking for us to help her,
and she's opening up and inviting us in.
Today is not the day we're deciding
whether we're gonna get divorced or not.
I think that's a bigger conversation.
Today is the day where you can
make changes for your life. Period.
I have lived in this house with him- it's disgusting,
and I've hated it. - I'll tell you one thing-
I've only stayed because of him.
A lot of people want to make changes,
but they don't have the right tools to.
And I feel like he's at place right where he quite
literally has, like, the physical and the emotional
tools to with the support of the full crew.
And you know, Odette, you said:
"I feel like there's nothing I can do."
And I want to challenge you on that,
because I'll tell you what you can do.
Your stuff that's here, we can make changes with that.
And you know what that means?
That means you and I sit together, and we say:
-"Keep, trash." - That's true.
You and I, we're going to work through this
entire thing together to figure out
what happens to your stuff and belongings.
- Yeah. - Do I have your word?
- Yes, you have my word. - Okay.
♪
Holy Christmas. I can walk in here.
- How does this feel, David? - This is feeling great.
- You do the honors. - Okay.
Hello there. Welcome home, Dad.
I've got an entranceway, my God! Wonderful.
It's going to be safe for you.
Safe for Odette.
Safe for everyone that comes in this home.
That's wonderful.
Guys, we have a front door.
[Applauding]
Thank you.
I've been embarrassed by this front entrance for...
for two years now.
At least I don't have to be ashamed.
How about we push the shame away and we focus on you and
getting things done and building the future and
the dream life that you want?
Momentum. Momentum builds momentum.
♪
Let me give my first contribution.
♪
- Blue ball. - Garbage.
- Probably go.
♪
- Hey, Odette. - Hi, sweetie.
♪
Holy cow!
Go ahead. Two years later.
Yes. Holy----, I don't remember- holy crap.
- You're so sweet. - [Laughing]
- Okay, where am I going? - Right here.
Where it says, "Odette".
Okay, like, these can all go, I think.
No decisions were made until you made the decision.
Oh, I'm just making them now.
Garbage. I'll never miss any of this.
- Okay, garbage? - Get rid of it.
That's garbage, this is garbage.
You said baskets are all garbage?
Yeah, except for this one.
- See? It's a lot of her stuff. - Garbage.
If she's leaving, then she needs to take
all her stuff with her. - Yeah.
If she doesn't take it, then you throw it out.
Oh, yeah, that's, that's... certainly-
You're gonna have to make that ultimatum:
If you're leaving, then fine... she takes her----.
What kills me is I paid for most of that----ing stuff.
You gave a lot to her.
That's the problem.
And she gives nothing back, Dad.
I'm sorry.
It really does make me angry that
she can be treating my dad this way.
I feel like she often turns her back on him.
It's more about her, not him...
in the relationship, which makes me really sad...
Just throw it all away, love.
- Even this thing, too? - That's David.
If he's going to buy a new one-
Ask him if we can get rid of the dresser. Okay, and-
Yeah, I don't know if he wants to use it or not
because it's an entire bedroom suite.
Okay. Got it.
Is she getting rid of that?
She wanted me to make sure it was okay-
- To get rid of that? Yes. - Um...
Dad, yes. ...Yeah, thanks.
- That's garbage? - Garbage.
Yeah.
I just came over really dizzy again. Oh, thanks.
Come over and sit in the chair.
♪
How you feeling?
Ah, tight in the chest, in all honesty.
You're tight in the chest right now? Yeah?
- No pains in the arm, though. - No?
Garbage.
- What drawers? - These.
So, these can all go in the garbage?
Wait a minute! That doesn't belong to-
Hold on- Can I speak to David?
- You said those were David's. - Where is he?
Just a moment. Should we-
Do you want to go over to David?
I want to know if he's going to-
One second, Odette, Odette.
Before we go over, just a moment.
- Let's take a deep breath. - Don't kill him?
♪
Let's take a deep breath.
♪
Hey, David.
You're trashing my bedroom suite?
I'm doing what?
You're trashing the bedroom suite.
I'm not trashing it, I said it was up to you.
Just a moment, just a moment, just a moment.
There's a dresser over there, right?
Are you buying a new bedroom suite for upstairs?
No, I wanted to use that one.
I need it for my clothes, but it's yours.
There's a lot of items that are overlapping, okay?
So, what we are going to do is we're gonna play
a little bit of a trust game.
It's on my side, so I'm going to
go ahead and make a decision.
So, you want me to keep the bedroom suite
for upstairs, right?
- Yeah, I can paint it. - Okay.
- There we go. - Or I can paint it.
- Amazing. - Or you can paint it.
All right, shall we? Settled.
- [Sighing] - So, we're keeping it.
If David and Odette do not figure out a way to work
collaboratively together over the next few days,
this house is not going to be cleaned, and that worries me.
♪
Mark Snider, Snider's Sydenham
Auction and Appraisal Services.
- I'm Dave. - I'm Mike, nice meeting you.
So, you've got some stuff to show me, have you?
Yes, I do. I'm not sure what I want to part with,
to be honest with you. - Right.
That's why I'm here,
I'm going to do a little twisting, Dave.
We come across these, these scenarios fairly often.
This is a pretty severe case.
The Bronco, it's got 86,000Ks on it.
The porcupines up here ate the brake lines.
Some cosmetic work to do as well.
This one I do want it.
- I'll get rid of it. - Right.
Don't want to give it away, obviously,
I've been following the prices and,
I know that one just sold for $187,000.
- Well, it wasn't this one. - No, it wasn't.
It was same year! Same model.
Was it sold by auction or privately?
Yeah, it was sold, it was sold by auction.
99.9% of what we sell is sold unreserved,
to the highest bidder.
Something's better than nothing.
Then it's not here and just not rusting and wasting away.
Right, if you can get a few bucks for it and get it
out of your hair, one less thing to worry about.
Yeah.
He's kind of going, "Well, you can sell my stuff,
but I want to get, like, top dollar.
If I don't, you can't sell them."
It's going to sit there and rust by the time you
get more than 20 bucks for it, Dave,
it's been there for ten years.
He puts a lot of value to things that
isn't quite worth that.
Did you buy the tractor new, David?
- Yeah, brand new. - That would sell just great.
I want to keep the tractor until
I'm finished the landscaping.
♪
The dump trailer there, that's something that
certainly, that would sell well.
Again, I'm going to need that while I'm doing the
landscaping to bring in gravel, etcetera, to,
to redo the driveways.
You won't do it, Dave. You'll get,
you'll get a load of gravel, dump it,
and it'll sit there as a pile.
If you sold the tractor...
and this, it might help negate some of the costs.
No, I know. I know what you're saying.
Conservatively...
total landscaping, I've had a quote for 28,000.
So, the tractor and the trailer would get you
pretty close to that probably.
- Will it? - Yeah.
Oka, well, it's certainly worth thinking about.
Alright.
Dave's being stubborn. I'm disappointed.
The auctioneer came by...
and said I can probably get about 30,000
for the landscaping equipment,
which I felt was a little on the low side.
I'd let everything go.
But I'm going to need that to...
finish the landscaping.
If we could get the money to pay to have it done,
why wouldn't we?
Then you don't have to do it.
Because you can't, you can't do it.
♪
Come, come.
David focusing on those projects has given him
a false sense of self-worth.
And I'm worried that this is going to continue on,
and the process of hoarding is not going to
ever stop for him.
♪
Where is that going? That's a keeper.
- That's not a keeper. - I want it, I want it.
- And you're not getting it! - That was a gift.
[Sighing] Okay...
We need to start making decisions a little bit faster
'cause we're, we're running out of tarp space.
You have delegated Samantha and Mike?
Yes.
You guys each make each other's decisions.
- That's okay as well? - Sure.
- Is that good? - Yeah.
One item at a time isn't going to cut it
for the schedule we're on.
We've already missed the entire morning.
- The speakers. - The speakers I'd like to keep.
David, you never turn them on.
- I really want to keep them. - [Screaming]
That's right.
♪
People would dream of building a home that
looked like this.
Now it looks like a teardown.
♪
Oh, my God!
This is like a house of cards ready to come tumbling down.
It's scary.
♪
I'm always so angry.
The only reason I'm doing this is for you.
- You realize that. - Oh, that's such bull----!
You're doing it because you love this house.
She's leaving- for good- me, everything.
♪
You're tight in the chest right now?
His health could jeopardize the entire process.
♪
My dad's hoarding has brought out some more depression.
He's already had that problem in the past,
but it's made it worse.
It's his dream house, but...
it's not a dream right now.
♪
I have to address this again. Odette isn't here.
David, do you want to tell us what's going on?
Last night we had a bit of an emergency with...
our dog. And, he's very ill.
She just wants to spend some time with him.
Okay, so we'll go ahead, we'll give her some space.
Yesterday was a huge day...
and I know, David, this was a lot for you.
Today's going to be another tough one.
David, I would like to revisit your permissions.
Samantha, yesterday you had given her
full permission to make decisions.
Mike was assisting her.
Do you give Mike full permission?
- Yes, on all decisions. - Okay, let's do this.
There are two roadblocks at this point to being able to
get the job done: David's attachment to his past and
his items that represent who he was.
Secondly, I feel the dysfunction between
David and Odette, that will slow us down as well.
♪
So, this needs to be emptied out and
the guys can take it out.
Yeah, move it outside.
[Object hitting the ground]
Chuck it.
Including the green box, then throw it in the bin.
Oh my goodness, this is heavy.
♪
Oh my goodness. Ah!
There's like a mouse here.
Mice carry disease.
It's dangerous to have dead animals rotting in your house.
I'm not trying to do that!
No, like this stuff, that's garbage.
♪
My biggest hope is that I could visit them more often
and, I would absolutely love it if he would have a house
to live in that's not so crowded with things.
- A bell! -"Ring for love."
- [Bell jangling] - That is disgusting.
Nice to see that there.
It's my wife's memorial card.
Robin is my wife, or was my wife.
She passed away five years ago.
She and Dave were close.
Sam lived with us for a while, so...
♪
Hm, you okay?
[Crying] She was the sweetest thing ever.
My dad listened to Robin all the time.
She'd give him heck for not getting rid of things and...
clean up his act kind of thing.
I'm going to put this in important stuff.
Okay.
♪
- Oh! - There she is!
- Aw, hi, precious. - Oh...
- There you go, baby. - Aw, poor angel.
- Now, I have Shazzy. - Hi, angel.
- I'm going to put this up. - How is he?
- He's breathing funny. - Are you okay, sweetie?
I'm just worried.
The dog has definitely slowed down the process.
But he seems a little perked up.
She'll perk up as well, Odette.
We'll see what happens. [Laughing]
Don't you be doing stuff, Edy.
Well, I have to go through it.
Not keeping it, are you?
Damn right, that's her party dress.
♪
- Here? - This is kitchen stuff.
Let's start here, this----.
Have you ever used that asparagus cooker?
It's brand new, I just bought it.
Oh, so you've never used it.
The chair, do you want to donate it?
Ah, I just bought that, too.
- You want it? - You betcha.
- Do you want these shoes? - Yes, they're brand new.
Everything is brand new to you.
Five minute warning until the donation truck comes.
Five minutes. David?
That's a big industrial sewing machine.
That's for canvas, for sails.
When was the last time you sailed?
About 25 years ago.
Do you really think you'll use this?
- I might. - [Laughing]
- Might doesn't cut it, Dave. - I might cry.
He is not budging on this sewing machine.
It's almost like a game for him.
He's just sticking to his guns.
Let's make a deal, two for one.
I've got two Singer sewing machines upstairs.
- Okay... okay. - Both new.
Donate them, and I'll let that go.
I'll take those and donate them,
but I'm not done on this conversation.
I am!
Dad, we're wasting time here.
Maybe this is a new craft!
I don't even think he really wants it,
but I think he wants to win this, this battle.
All right, so we'll just put it over here and
Samantha will have a chat with you later.
Yes.
♪
Ah, David.
Oh, come on!
It cost me a fortune, and David should know better.
Just pitch it.
Yeah, this is all her domain. Having a bit of a...
conundrum in making decisions for her, I'm guessing.
- They're David's. - Okay.
They're not mine.
I don't know whether she wants the carved pig or not.
Probably, because she...
[Mike groans]
Well, she collects pigs, I don't know!
Yeah, but you got no fricking room in your house, David.
- It's all her stuff. - I don't care.
Okay, there's no thing to hold the money in.
- Hang on. - We need you here, David.
Can you do me a favor and ask Grandma Odey
if she wants to keep these?
David keeps passing the buck to Odette,
and Odette does the same.
It's not as simple as letting go of items because
it's very much tied into his marriage.
I do not want to... [Sighing]
...set Odette off.
She's got anger in her, and it didn't take much for her
to say, 'That's it, I'm leaving for good, I'm gone."
I know this is tough, I know it's a
difficult conversation I'm having with you.
- I'm tired of conflict. - I know.
- I'm tired of... - I know.
...of always being in flux.
You know what I mean...
Don't you?
Am I happy?
No, I'm not happy, I'm bloody miserable.
- I have been since... - I want you happy.
...I don't know how many years.
How are you going to start making those changes
if you're waiting to not piss off somebody?
Yeah, but it adds fuel to the fire and that's...
Yeah, so the fire is the problem, not the fuel.
And when you start addressing things like that,
I guarantee you, the quality of your relationship
is going to progress.
It's going to get ugly before it gets better.
That's what I'm afraid of.
That's how things work in life.
- Is that right? - I agree.
Okay, I'm going to get a chair, I'll be back.
- Okay, thank you. - Okay?
Come give Grandpa a hug.
[David] Mike? [Austin] Give me a hug.
[Sighing]
- Thanks, kiddo. - It's alright, don't worry.
♪
- So, what I want to say... - It's okay.
...is that I'm uncomfortable making decisions for you.
When I'm being pushed by Mike-
See, okay- I haven't made a decision on any of
your stuff, not because out of respect,
I just didn't want to be bothered.
[Laughing] I have enough of my own stuff.
Well, I'm doing mine out of respect.
So, here's the reality.
There's a huge aspect of fear that's there for you, David.
Well, that's because he knows what I'll do to him.
That's no way to live in a relationship.
Do we have each other's permission to start
making executive decisions? I know it terrifies you.
And also, that's how we start making progress and change.
That's how we grow.
Yeah, David can make decisions for my stuff.
- I don't care. - Alright.
♪
- I've gotta make decisions. - Do you need help?
- Ah, sure. - You're keeping this?
- I think for plants. - This for a plant?
♪
That's my brush. I want to keep it,
it's for my drafting board.
My mind's just like a storm right now.
Like, figuring out if they should keep that, keep that.
It's just I don't find they need that stuff.
Like, you could live without it, like...
- What do you think, kiddo? - A lot of stuff-
- How are you doing? - Good.
Where's your hat?
I know how he feels, and he misses Grandpa.
He's maybe seen them...
twice this year, in a year,
which is really rough on Aus 'cause
his dad's not around very often for him and
he wants his grandfather.
He really wants his grandfather.
♪
- Can I sit here with you? - Yeah, it's okay.
- What's going on? - It's just stressful.
I know, it's a lot. What's stressful?
Okay, so, I'm gonna- can Grandpa
come over here for a second also?
- Yeah! - Okay.
So, you know how you have like so much stuff
in your house, right?
And I don't want it to, like...
crowd up your house still too because like
that's still a lot of stuff.
Austin, what's so upsetting about it, my dear?
I don't know, I just...
want to come up here a bit more often and
spend more time with you.
Are you worried about...
again, not being able to come up here to visit with us?
I mean, I love coming up here, but it's mainly you,
like, being able to live in a nice house.
It's just overwhelming, like...
I didn't think it would be like this hard.
But then here I am... about to cry on camera.
♪
Seeing David not being able to let go of items
was really scary for Austin.
He feels as though if his grandfather
doesn't let go of these items,
there's going to be no space for him
in his grandfather's life.
- It's just been hard, I guess. - Yeah.
My dream is, and always has been,
to spend more time with you.
And your grandpa's working very hard on that.
- I know. - You know we love you.
- I know. - You know?
And we'll always be there for you.
Mhm.
My greatest hope for my grandparents would be...
to have a nice living space and to live there good.
Have a happy life, I guess.
Don't feel sad, love.
You've done so much to help me...
and Grandma Odey.
You have done so much to help us.
- Mhm. - And I'm very proud of you.
And your grandpa, look, he continues to
work through all of this, and the more he does,
the more space for you guys to come hang out. Okay?
- You okay now? - Yeah.
I worry about you when you're not smiling.
- There we go! - You're always smiling.
- Look at that. - There we go.
- He's always got a smile. - He's so sweet.
I'm not good with teeth smiles 'cause I'm trying to
get used to brushing my teeth now.
- [Laughing] - Thank you.
- No problem. - Okay, Kiddo?
Mhm. We are going to do this.
We are going to clear this house.
We are going to do it and, with your help.
Austin's been pretty upset, which I think might have
helped my dad realize how upsetting it is for
everybody else, and that there are people out there
that want to spend the time with him,
but are unable to because of how the house is.
- Well, we can throw that out. - That can go.
David and Mike, we only have half an hour to get
as many donations as we can on the tarp
because the place closes at four.
- Okay. - Why don't we donate that?
She just bought it. It's a pet carrier.
Let me take it over.
It's okay, let's focus, if we can, on David's stuff.
I'm donating the porcelain.
Okay, so let's make this your donation box.
I'll get rid of the onion skin.
I can donate. Somebody can appreciate it.
♪
Giving it to the dump, it bothers me,
if an item is totally functional.
- Dad? - Yeah?
No, no, no, no.
- I want to talk to you. - No.
You better get over there, Dave.
No...
We gotta finish talking about this.
No, we don't.
Look at me, first of all, in the eyes.
Ah!
It would mean everything to this one...
♪
- Ah... - You know what she would say.
I know what she would say.
♪
She's looking at you right now.
- [Laughing] - Please? Seriously!
Quit being emotional, come on.
Well! Look at...
You don't need it. I know you don't need it.
- Dad... - Okay, treat it gently.
Okay, we'll donate it, nicely.
- We're gonna donate it. - Donate it.
David has parted with the sewing machine.
That one item represented a block for David...
And, this is a really good sign that things are
going to get moving again.
Can you not look at it this way?
You still have me.
Yeah, temporarily, I guess. [Chuckling]
No, give me a kiss.
♪
- Okay, guys, good work. - My sewing machine...
Oh, David...
It's on the truck, it got donated.
I was so happy to see that donation truck pull away.
It meant that we had more space,
and it also made David and Odette happy.
And the speakers are still here.
[Mock crying]
When we go back, I want you to look at that "keep" pile,
because all of that has to come back in the house.
So, let's try to get this done.
- Okay. - I'm just...
♪
So, all this is staying, we can't get rid of anything?
No, it's all good.
And this is staying?
Yep, I don't have the strength to carry stuff
through the house.
But when I first walked in, like,
there was no room for-
like we had to go sideways through the house.
How did you wheel that thing through?
I don't know. You know what?
I'm going to give you a smack in a minute.
- [Laughing] - No one's smacking anyone.
She's too cute to smack.
The sense I'm getting is there was a lot of
keep, keep, keep and not giving away.
Because this is my "keep" pile!
I understand, and you know what?
If I asked David a "keep" pile,
you and I know the entire house would be keep, right?
Mike, do you think there's anything here that
shouldn't be in the keep pile?
Just remember who you're dealing with here.
- Hold on, hold on! - I can run faster than you.
- Ah, you can! - I can!
- David and Samantha? - Yeah?
I need you to come to the donation truck with me,
if that's okay, for a moment. - Oh, okay.
♪
We went to three different donation places,
and they took only 5% of what was in the truck.
It's our last option always to discard items to landfill.
- But at this point... - That's all you can do-
- We have no, no choice. - We have no choice.
Are you okay, David? I can sense you're-
Ah not really, not really.
No, I think I need to take a break.
All right, let's go, let's go get you to a break.
♪
- Have a seat. - How's it going so far?
- Not good. - Not good?
No.
Seeing that truck come back with a majority of its items,
is a huge blow to him.
I'm not sure if he can push through.
I feel like I've just been kicked in the gut again.
I'm just fed up. 'F' it.
Throw everything in the garbage.
I don't care anymore.
♪
Today has been a series of starts and stops and
a roller coaster of emotions.
David, when he saw that donation truck come back,
he was devastated.
♪
David is holding on to this false hope that there is
so much value in all of these donated items.
♪
I've just lost that...
get up and go in me, like I do every time.
You have made an immense amount of progress,
both of you.
This truck coming back is one tiny obstacle.
Do we stop or do we not stop?
It's both of your decision.
Why are you asking me? I've got my stuff.
This is all I have.
The rest of the stuff in the house is David's.
Everything upstairs in the front bedroom, for instance,
is all the stuff you bought for the house online.
You both live here together.
I don't give a rat's ass if we both live here together.
I have the right to own something.
I'm not hoarding.
I just want to keep the little bit of stuff I have!
Because that's all I own in this life!
Clearly, both of you are unhappy with what's going on.
- Take a little bit of time. - Okay.
Odette completely blames David
for his hoarding behaviors.
However, what's concerning, is that there is a huge
lack of awareness on her own behaviors.
She's so focused on David.
Ah, now I'm getting dizzy again.
Okay, please sit down, please.
Sit... Sit down.
- Oh! - Whoa!
♪
Calm down.
♪
I am concerned with my dad, and his health.
He seems to be getting up and getting dizzy quite often.
The anxiety, the tight chest, the fighting.
He's not looking after himself.
♪
Team, we'll be back tomorrow.
Okay, let's tarp.
♪
Today, we're going to clear the catwalk.
We're going to clear the drafting room,
and the guest bedroom at the front.
I can't stress enough to you how important it is to
get Odette here so we can get going.
We need her on site to make decisions.
Right now, though, she's very tired.
Yesterday was a bad day, but I feel positive today.
I think I can, I can...
weather through this.
♪
Are you okay to come out?
It's warm, they've set up tents.
[Odette] Okay.
♪
We didn't see you in the morning meeting.
No.
I just wanted to check in with you,
because yesterday was difficult for David,
it was difficult for you. You were upset.
I was a little...
upset when it comes to hoarding.
You know, maybe when I was working,
I used to hoard clothes.
Do you feel like you hoard items for the house?
No, I think the idea is I think maybe I've got
a lot of appliances right now.
The point is, I don't own much.
I don't own the stuff David owns.
He has the basement filled, the garage filled.
You and David coming together to work collaboratively
to make decisions on behalf of each other-
That won't be an issue.
♪
I have now made this table the David and Odette table.
Dun-dun-dah!
David and Odette can make decisions together,
so that there's no, "he said, she said,"
and no blame after the fact.
The objective is to keep your favorite things,
the things that bring you value,
now and going forward.
No explanations because it just takes too long?
Yes, no explanations.
No, "I'm going to do this with it".
Just keep or discard.
He needs to decide quicker or it's not going to get done.
- Keep or discard? - Discard.
- Keep or discard? - Keep, that's for the...
your truck.
- Keep or discard? - Keep.
- Discard. - Discard pile right there.
- Oh, this is working. - Keep or discard?
This is old software. It's obsolete, outdated.
Okay. Ah...
These, I can use, I still use-
David! Get rid of it! Everything's downloaded now!
I know, but you have to buy them.
- These I still use. - You will use this?
Yeah! This is all the stuff that I use in my design stuff.
- All of this? - Yeah.
Do you want Word Perfect?
No, I don't even use Word Perfect.
David, David, all of these are obsolete.
- Get rid of it, David. - No.
[Sighing]
You guys don't understand the process.
This is what, what I use to create,
and I intend to continue doing so.
David, come have a seat.
It's almost like he doesn't want to let go of his
previous life, because the only time he was ever
sure of himself and he had confidence, was in his job.
I just want you to think about it.
This is exactly the same position we're in,
holding on to a version of us that no longer exists.
Let me reiterate then, if that part of me,
of my life, that part of me specifically doesn't exist,
then why should I damn well exist?
Because that was my life for around 50 years.
Was.
That's a bigger question: Why should you exist?
Exactly.
Is that for your grandchildren,
for your children?
And this is what I mean by we're trying to
bring about the change in behavior.
♪
I don't want you doing this kind of stuff.
I want you spending time with me.
I still want to practice...
my creative side, which I haven't been able to do.
♪
I'm just going to put them here, so they don't fall over.
I'm just going to put them right here.
That's my only concern.
I can't believe it! And you know,
I'm having a hard time realizing that
things got that bad.
I pictured hoarder with David,
but not to the extreme that he really is.
I thought he was able to purge,
but he's really bad.
Let's go over and chat with Odette.
Oh, don't chat with me, you'll be sorry.
♪ [Suspenseful]
I don't think you should chat with me right now.
But it's your stuff so,
I just need direction where it should go.
I'd like to tell you where to put it,
to tell you the truth, right now.
I don't think you should be talking to me right now.
- Oh, I'm sorry. - I think you should let me-
I think you should just leave me for a while.
Okay.
Because I'm not a happy camper.
If there's stuff left tomorrow,
I'll throw it away myself.
- I need some space. - Yeah, absolutely.
You please take your space.
I can't live like this.
♪ [Suspenseful]
♪
- You okay? - Mhm.
I had to leave David. He's going so slowly.
He goes through everything.
He's getting very upset when he finds things.
We can't live like this.
- It's just impossible. - [Inaudible conversation]
That blue chair is all stained.
I know it's new. Green, I mean green!
Oh, the green one?
They're missing the legs, it's all stained.
It's gross.
I'm sorry, I can't, I can't do that.
Okay, I don't know, you're going to end up
being back in the same spot.
Look, love, I know you're trying to work in my
best interest, but there's certain things
I cannot make decisions on.
♪
Can we get rid of the broken one?
Money doesn't grow on trees.
I can't afford to buy this type of thing.
- You've got two carts still. - She is going to go ballistic.
She's going to go ballistic for everything anyway, Dad.
- Yeah, I know but- - I just can't do this anymore.
[Crying] I need you to get rid of stuff, please!
It's getting a little nerve racking.
He's just back to his old ways.
She wouldn't have bought this if she didn't need it.
Odette's a compulsive buyer. I'll take the heat for it.
- Not you. - Well, I don't care.
- Is that garbage? - That's garbage, thanks.
His daughter...
wants nothing but the best, so, sad to see the
relationship get to where it is because of junk.
♪
I don't see my dad.
And, with him getting to the age he is...
it scares me.
- [Crying] - Yeah.
And just with the health concerns,
that he's doing too much for himself and...
I just want to see him happy.
But what about you, Samantha?
All my life, it's just kind of always just having that
hope that he'll change, and I'm hoping that this will...
[Crying]
It's no fun being raised as a neglected child,
and then to see that exact same pattern
in your own children.
You know, Samantha, when I think about you,
I know there's so much bubbling under,
and I wonder if you may feel like
you not being able to take care of this means...
you'll never get a shot at building a relationship
with your dad.
Yeah, I feel that way.
I just want to spend time with my dad...
before his years are up.
Just worries me and I've been trying for so long.
♪
Sorry.
[Sniffling]
So... Yeah,
I just want this to work out so we can come visit him.
I want you to get out of your own way.
Look at things in the bigger context.
Let's just say we stop right now, and you say:
"Ah, I change my mind, I'm keeping everything".
Where does this stuff go?
♪
It's all going to go back in the house.
I'm just being brutally honest with you right now.
It's been a roller coaster of emotions.
It's tiring, it's mentally exhausting,
it's physically exhausting.
And, we just want to get the job done and leave these
people in a better place than what we found them.
♪
I'm bringing everyone together because I want to
address something very, very important.
If you look around, there's so much stuff here.
We cannot hold on to everything because
it's not realistic.
It's a trade: him versus things.
I want to spend time with my kids.
I want to make up for the time that I've lost
with my grandkids.
You can't spend time with your grandkids,
and do this, and that.
You can't do all of it, and this comes back to
the idea of unfinished projects.
It only gets in your way.
But I can go through this very quickly, and say:
"Keep, keep, keep, keep."
But David, if it was that easy and quick,
then why didn't it happen over the last two days?
Because you chose the closest thing to my heart,
and that's my arts.
- I thought I was. - You are!
But you put me through living like this.
I went down a ladder for two years.
I know and I feel terrible about it.
Not terrible enough, obviously.
- Oh, come on. - No, seriously, David.
Austin, sweetheart, are you okay?
Are you feeling frustrated? Overwhelmed?
I hate to see him like this.
- Who loves you, David? - Okay, so-
Isn't he the most important thing in the world?
So, can I do this? Can I just walk away?
No.
I don't want to be here because
I'm going to get very emotional.
If I can walk away from this, whatever you want
to get rid of, it's Odette's decision.
David, this is your home, both your home-
- I can't do it. - Odette cannot make decisions.
You're avoiding the issue.
No, I'm not. I'm saying I'll give you carte blanche.
But you have to decide that for yourself.
♪
Okay so, you and I will stick together and say,
yay, nay, but I need you with me.
Okay.
And making split decisions right away.
We can get a conveyor belt of people,
just pulling the boxes. - Sure, okay.
And I'd like to try that.
- All right. - Let's get started.
- You okay, sweetie? - Yeah.
Come on, we got a day and a half.
- We're going to push through. - Can we start?
I'm all for the plan, but if it bogs down and
you start going back into...
the storytelling and the hemming and hawing
about stuff, I'm going to say goodbye.
It makes me sick to look at this stuff.
- If we stop working... - Okay.
- I'll call you next year. - Okay.
It's hard because I feel like I'm threatening him,
you know, with an ultimatum of, if we don't play,
I'm going home...
but it seems to be the only thing that
makes him work sometimes.
Mike is key to this process.
If Mike walks off, I think we're in real trouble.
Put those in the garbage.
Out of sight, out of mind, okay.
Good job. You're doing good.
Here, I know it's hard, I really...
I don't know what it's like to be you.
It's probably hard right now.
Are you happy?
Yes, I'm actually really happy.
You're doing great, I like this.
Yay!
I have 150 laserdiscs and four machines.
- Okay. - Goodbye.
- Yay! - That 'a boy, David.
These are going right in the garbage.
Okay.
Help me. Yes, no?
- No, no. - Yes, no?
- No! - I like that one.
I don't like it, no! No!
Oh, no, no! They're all dated!
- Well, I'm dated! - No, you're not.
- I'm 94 years old. - [Laughing]
♪
Mine, get rid of it, all of it.
This is all garbage, you can just take-
everything here is garbage.
We've got an assembly line going.
Things are rolling pretty good.
You know what, I'm going to get rid of that.
Garbage.
And if they stop, then I'm gone, so...
♪
Good morning, everyone.
We've had three incredible days, lots of obstacles,
lots of difficult conversations.
David and Odette, how are you both doing?
I think the whole neighborhood
heard me last night.
I picked up some stuff around the property
to throw in the dumpster. Over the next two hours...
here I am, 73 years old, dumpster diving.
No, not again. We've just spent four real tough days
taking things and putting them in there.
And there he is, up to his old tricks again. It's like,
Dave, we just got you on the right path, so...
You know what I felt like, my honest feeling
in that dumpster with my flashlight...
was I'm a hoarder.
No ifs or buts about it. I can now say that.
I now know that I am.
It's been really quite stressful.
I'm a wife of a hoarder.
I'm not the hoarder.
Believe me, living with one is more than enough,
It's been really hard for me.
I'd love to actually applaud the both of you.
You have been amazing at letting stuff go.
These are habits that you guys can build on, right,
and help each other when David's struggling, Odette.
So, the plan for today is we are going to get in there,
the Extreme Clean Group will clean.
We're going to take everything and
move it back into the house.
We're going to hand you back your home.
♪
This is, this is a major piece that
I'm a bit worried where it's going to go.
Okay, that goes in the dining room.
Throw it out.
It's the final push,
and there's still so much to be done.
David and Odette are still making some final decisions.
I need to get everybody focused and mobilized,
so we can really get this done
before they get in the house.
♪
Oh, it was a struggle.
From day one, it's been a struggle.
Hopefully, this is the start of a whole new
way of life for them.
♪
I'm really proud of my grandparents.
Now that everything's cleaned out,
they can be happy again.
♪
- Wow. - Oh.
♪
[Gasping] Oh, it smells so clean!
- This is amazing. - Whoa!
This is absolutely amazing.
It looks like a home.
[Crying]
This is amazing.
The smiles on their faces, and the tears and...
I could see the love for each other,
the two of them. I feel like I haven't seen that
for a while from either one of them.
That's nice.
So, you're going to stay with me now?
- Yes. - Forever?
Yes.
It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
Extremely happy for Odette and David.
It looked like you could actually sit down, kick back,
have a cold one and watch the football game.
It was nice, nice to see.
Let's go take a look at the kitchen.
All the fights we've had in this kitchen
because you keep tripping over-
- Well, you kept banging me! - Oh, wow.
Oh, look at this! [Gasping] Holy cow!
♪
Hey, guys.
I can't believe you can walk in here.
- How are you feeling? - I feel great.
There's space.
Everything was that you had to walk sideways.
And how does it feel to know that
you never have to use that entrance?
- It feels great. - It's incredible.
A weight has been lifted off me.
I feel like I can breathe and not have to worry
as much about my dad.
There's an incredible amount of progress that's been made.
However, there's a lot that still needs to be done.
There's still a lot of boxes that
we weren't able to get through.
You guys can take it one box at a time.
This is going to work perfectly.
It's a road map to get you over the finish line.
It's chunking off the chore into small segments.
That's exactly right.
Our friends at Extreme Clean Group
took out 13 tons of stuff.
- 13 tons? - What?
- 13 tons. - That's incredible.
I'm so proud of these two individuals...
working through things together where they had
never done that before.
And I'm really hopeful that going forward,
they're forging this great new path to be able to
not re-hoard the home.
- Oh, wow! - [Gasping]
♪
Oh, my God. [Gasping]
- Whoa! - It's amazing.
You've never seen this room, have you?
It's gorgeous.
[Crying] It's so nice!
♪
- This is really cool. - Yeah.
Are you ready to stay up here on weekends?
- I'm excited for Christmas. - Yeah, me too.
Oh, that would make me...
That would make Odey so happy.
Happier than anything in the entire world.
You guys have been wanting that for years.
We're gonna have everybody here.
- It would be wonderful. - Yeah, whole family.
Sorry, love.
♪
[Sniffling]
- I get the armpit. - Come over here, Sienna.
[Laughing & indistinct speaking]
Grandma Odey... [Indistinct speaking]
Decluttering this home was a huge healing process for this
entire family, and I'm so happy to see how the family
has come together and were able to
enjoy this moment together.
This is just the beginning of a long journey that's ahead
and, it's up to the two of you to continue doing that work.
And one of the things that we want to discuss is aftercare.
That is a yes.
Odette, are you interested in after care?
I am. I want to be on board with David.
We have a chance now.
We really didn't have a chance before.
I get my husband back.
We will always be very grateful.
Yes, we will.
- Thank you. - Always.
I want to give you both a big, big hug.
Aw. [Laughing]
You were absolutely wonderful. You have been such a help.
Thank you so much, guys, both of you.
I really was just living out my days.
I should go off and die tomorrow, what the hell.
I couldn't care less.
Now I've got something, a hope.
And I keep talking about dreams. And...
my dreams are going to come true.
♪