"Experts", particularly, claim this -
> In our experience, "hoarders" will fill all available space
And they might quote some outsized examples, but they don't stop to substantiate the logic, and the implication that 1) there is this specific "disorder" called "hoarding", so if you have it, you have it ; and 2) if you are a "hoarder", you will in fact fill all available space.
The reality is, as usual, more nuanced than that, and I question this particular implication.
Did they examine just how much space and other resources a given person needs to comfortably operate according to their intentions ?
Did they actually stage a controlled experiment, where they provide the resources necessary - not just the bare minimum to cram the things, and not the temporary space purely for a quick purge, but abundant space to properly store and reorganize - and facilitate the processes ?
In statistics, it is well known that absent a controlled experiment, conclusions are always weaker - and all these theories by "experts" on "hoarding" are remarkably weak on controlled experiments - understandably, perhaps, as some of these might be ethically, clinically and legally questionable, or outright disallowed, but still - given how much time has passed, and all the budgets involved, I don't see how this particular one would be impossible to do.
Well, I'm doing it on myself, and so far it looks encouraging.
Certain "hard minimum" amount of space got allocated to, say, seasonal items, bicycles, garden equipment, and that's a large chunk right there.
Certain space needed for the workshop.
Extra space needed for access, for moving things around.
Temporary extra space for sorting, organizing.
And so on.
Making space fit the person, rather than making the person fit the space - this is the way to go.
Yes, when resources don't allow the person to have all the space they need - it's a constraint, a hardship, a tragedy - but it's not a "mental illness".. unless you call being poor a "mental illness"; nor is the lack of willingness to let go of personal things or intentions.