Shocked woman buys hoarder house, but it’s not full of junk
By Emily Power
A first home buyer who bought a condemned hoarder’s house has shared her shock at what she discovered inside.
Sydney Lima has documented every step of the mind-boggling cleanout on her social media account for her thousands of fans.
Syd Lima showing off a vintage outfit found in the hoarder house she bought in Jersey City, in the US.Credit: @sydlima TikTok
Far from vermin, junk and dirt, what she and her partner unearthed in the property in Jersey City, New Jersey, lived in by an elderly man who grew up in it and packed it full of possessions, is a treasure trove.
In the sale, they become responsible for everything within – and all of it was pristine, although jam-packed.
Classic clothing, hundreds of vintage T-shirts, records, old Penthouse magazines, Matchbox collectible model cars still in packages and books were among the haul they discovered during the clearout.
Before their purchase, nobody was allowed into the property to inspect it because it was deemed unsafe, Lima explained on her TikTok account.
Vintage magazines and acrylic side tables which Syd and her boyfriend found in the house and decided to use.Credit: @sydlima TikTok
Among the surprising items – a freezeframe of life from another era – was an old suitcase packed for a trip to Los Angeles, with airline tags, a hat, handbag and women’s outfits.
On the two-year anniversary of the purchase, in June this year, Lima loaded a “sentimental” six-minute TikTok video to reminisce about the process.
“I would literally do anything to go back and do it all over again because it was the most fun, coolest, interesting experience of my entire life so far,” she says.
The property during the cleanout. Credit: @sydlima TikTok
“It was a true treasure hunt.”
Lima and her boyfriend came upon the property after a day of inspecting apartments that were expensive and yet didn’t have basics, like wardrobes.
“We passed a single-storey family home that was priced so low, we were confused…there has to be something going on here,” she says. “Why is it priced so low? “Nobody wanted to take it on.
“We were expecting your stereotypical hoarder, like junk, we really were expecting to just trash everything and then get to the renovating process, but as soon as we walked in and started to go through the stuff we were like, ‘Holy crap, this stuff is so good.’
The couple proudly display books and magazines from the hoarder property in their fresh space. Credit: @sydlima TikTok
“The treasures and how well preserved and organised everything was inside was so incredible. We were like, ‘We’d better take this slow.’ ”
The property was subject to a legal process. The seller was not cognitively able to participate in the clean-up and did not have any next of kin to represent him, Lima says. They dealt instead with a third party and court liaison, while respecting the heritage the man had collected.
The couple renovated the house and have been enjoying life in it ever since.
They were reverential of the belongings which represented the man’s life, and his parents’ before him, and found good homes for many items.
However, they bought and are using a lot of pieces in their new home, including vintage Playboy magazines for decoration, inside acrylic side tables, along with books, records, arts, vases and a glass-front cabinet, doubling as a bar stand.