While the outside may look immaculate, inside is a hidden horror.

Hoarding is a disorder often associated with compulsive medical conditions.

The Bulletin spoke to a Jacobs Well cleaning service which gave an insight into the heartbreaking reality of hoarders.

Mums Angel Cleaning Service owner Deborah Manchee has helped “hundreds” of residents and believes one in 20 people are hoarders.

She says there’s a lot more to the picture.

“There’s so much shame attached to it and a lot of fear of judgment. There’s alienation from their family,” she said.

“A lot of the time they don’t invite people into their home.

“They usually have a really strong emotional connection to the stuff they have in the house and there are usually mental health issues attached.”

THE SAD LIVES OF BRISBANE’S 45,000 HOARDERS

GOLD COAST UNIT

This unit was piled so high with rubbish it was almost reaching the kitchen bench top.

A smoker had lived in the unit and the kitchen sink was left looking like an ashtray.

BIO Busters managed to get the kitchen back to scratch but the walls and floors would need replacing.

The strangest thing BIO Busters say they found while cleaning were tonnes of canned food that had their labels removed and covered with paper.

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A HORRID KITCHEN

A kitchen sink is typically where dishes are washed clean, but not in this house.

The sink was filled with empty cans, plastic items and old food.

After many visits, Mums Angels Cleaning disposed of the rubbish and junk and were able to make it a functioning kitchen again.

INSIDE SEQ’S WORST HOARDER HOUSES: PHOTO GALLERY

A CLUTTERED GARAGE

It’s easy for your garage to turn into a storage room but sometimes it can get too much.

The below example from Mums Angels Cleaning Service shows how much good a de-cluttering can do.

Previously the garage was filled with old possessions and furniture but it was transformed back into its former state.

WHAT PEOPLE COMMONLY HOARD

- Newspapers, magazines and rubbish.

- Clothing.

- Items from a deceased loved one.

- Items which hold sentimental value.

WHERE TO GET HELP

Mums Angels Cleaning Service - 0447 770 045

Provides help and support to de-clutter homes by setting achievable goals.

Centacare - 1300 236 822

Offers hoarding help by providing a ‘fee for service’ program and specialise in providing not only the cleaning, but a respectful and supportive process.

BIO Busters - 1300 411 858

BIO Busters are a certified biohazard cleans with harnessed experience to remove all visible and non-visible biological waste.

Gold Coast City Council - 1300 465 326

To report urgent or hazardous situations where public safety may be at risk