Big three-story rowhomes with history in every room
Much of North Philadelphia was built for the workers and managers of factories that once lined the rail corridors and Lehigh Avenue. The result is some of the city's most handsome housing: three-story brick rowhomes with bay windows, tall ceilings, cornices and deep back buildings. Many are still family homes, some have been divided into apartments, and some have stood empty for a while, waiting on an heir, a buyer or a repair.
Vacancy brings its own biohazards. Roof leaks invite pigeons into upper rooms. Rodents move into kitchens and basements. People may have sheltered inside and left sharps or waste behind. Before a contractor or inspector can work safely, those materials need to come out. We clear room by room from the top floor down, remove droppings with a wet method, collect sharps in rigid containers, and leave clean, disinfected rooms ready for the next trade. If water came through the roof, we also point out stained or soft areas so your contractor can check them for mold before closing up walls.
Cleanup calls we answer most in North Philadelphia
Helping families with hoarded homes and estates
Hoarding often develops slowly in a large house, especially when an older owner lives alone with more rooms than they use. By the time family members step in, paths may be narrow, floors may be hidden, and spoiled food or animal waste may lie underneath it all. We never judge the person or the home. We work at a pace the family can handle and keep what matters.
For an estate, we can sort through papers, photos and heirlooms with relatives on site, then clear the rest. For a living owner, we can plan the work in stages and agree in advance on what stays. Either way, contaminated items go out as biohazard waste, and the cleared rooms are cleaned and disinfected. If the house is headed for sale, the family is left with a home a buyer can actually walk through. Large items like old appliances and furniture leave through the front door wrapped, so the block sees a tidy job rather than a pile at the curb.
Calls we answer from Temple to the edge of Fairmount Park
North Philadelphia stretches from Temple University's campus north past the Broad Street Line stops at Lehigh and Allegheny, and west to Strawberry Mansion on the edge of East Fairmount Park. It is home to churches, schools, corner stores and long-time residents who have watched the neighborhood change around them. Calls come from all of them.
Some are about a death in the home, others about a crime scene, a sewage backup in an old basement, or a storefront vestibule that needs cleaning before opening. We park close, keep our work contained, and treat every resident and neighbor with the courtesy you would expect on your own block. When the cause is a crime, we explain how VCAP may help eligible families, and when it is a sudden event at home, we tell you what your homeowner's insurance is likely to review. Whatever the call, the first step is the same: a calm conversation about what happened and what you need.
