Buying an apartment or a house to live in is quite a challenge. Being able to find a perfect place in a great location, looking out for some undisclosed problems, and having to check all of the documentation takes a lot of time, money, and effort. But no matter the struggle, the minute you step into your dream home, it all seems to be worth it. It’s just that for some, this moment comes later rather than sooner. Reddit user @u/throwaway5638134 decided to share her story of buying a house, adding some unexpected twists and asking strangers online for their opinions on the matter. The woman asked others whether she was unreasonable for keeping a wedding dress that she found after buying a hoarder’s house and getting a request from the owner’s granddaughter to get the dress back.
More Info: Reddit
Buying your own place to live is a very exciting yet challenging moment in one’s life
Image credits: Jason Faulkner (not an actual photo)
A 26-year-old woman started her story by stating that in 2018, she bought a big house with 6 bedrooms. The main issue about the house was that it was a hoarder’s house that was filled with various belongings of the previous owner. After the original owner’s death, their relatives sold the house and everything that was in it because, according to the original poster, they couldn’t handle “the stench and literal mountain of junk and waste.” Most people who have heard of hoarding associate it with an excessive collection of various items that may or may not be needed in the future. However, hoarding, which is first recognized as a disorder, hides much deeper problems and very often affects those around the person who suffers from it.
This woman decided to share her journey of getting a hoarded house that she bought into shape and the situation she got involved in after finding some valuables in it
Image credits: u/throwaway5638134
It’s important to remember that hoarding is not similar to collecting, as the latter means that the things collected are arranged and kept in an organized matter, keeping the spaces tidy. Hoarded places are filled with various things that oftentimes look like piles of trash, creating chaos from one corner of the room to the other. Even after cleaning a hoarded place, it takes some time and money to fix it as because of this clutter, the place gets damaged over time. Because of this reason, it took 4 years for the woman, who shared her story online, to finally be done with cleaning and fixing the house.
After an extensive decluttering, the woman found a beautiful wedding dress that she decided to keep for her special day
Image credits: Sian Burkitt (not an actual photo)
The woman also found some personal photos and artwork that she thought would be a good idea to give back to the previous owner’s relatives, so because of this reason, she had some of these people on her Facebook friends list
Image credits: u/throwaway5638134
Despite this being hard and nasty work, the new owner took her time and made an effort to check everything the previous owner had before just tossing it all out. It seems that it paid off as she found some photos and precious memories that she gave back to the relatives who sold the house. But these heartwarming memories weren’t the only thing the woman was lucky to find. Besides this, she also discovered “a stunning ’40s-style, lace-covered wedding dress” and some jewelry. She revealed that despite some minor damages that were quickly repaired, the woman decided to keep the dress and will maybe even wear it on her special day.
The new owner of the house and now the dress was very happy with her findings, so she posted it on Facebook and soon was contacted by the granddaughter of the previous house owner who demanded that she give the dress back
Image credits: u/throwaway5638134
The new owner was so happy with her findings that she shared it on Facebook, forgetting that she still had a granddaughter of the previous house owner on her friends’ list. It didn’t take long for her to see the picture and ask for the dress and heirlooms back. The woman stood her ground and refused because, according to their agreement, the minute she bought the house, she also acquired everything that was in it. However, now the new owner is hesitant about whether she did the right thing by keeping the dress.
The original poster shared that she refused to give the dress back but now is second-guessing her decision. People online were quick to support her idea to keep the finding as it now legally belongs to her
Image credits: chumlee10 (not an actual photo)
A lot of people online expressed their support, stating that she has every right to keep the dress and everything else, as per agreement. Some of the commentators were quick to say that the woman took a significant risk buying a house in such condition and that whatever valuable she found serves as a reward for her hard work. They also tried to explain the granddaughter’s behavior in this situation, as she was already given something back that she didn’t expect. So maybe, she thought that the dress could be another thing that is a memory of her grandmother. What is your take on this situation? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
The OP also shared her thoughts on the situation and experiences on having to deal with a hoarder’s house in the comment section
Tell her if she was that bothered about her grandmother’s things then she should have cleaned the place out herself. Instead the family took the easy way out. Well, tough luck, the house was sold to you lock, stock and barrel and so you don’t have to part with anything found in the mess they were unwilling to clear. You graciously gave them sentimental items so give no more and DO NOT feel guilty they only have themselves to blame. Enjoy your house and items I say.