Is it wise to bring her to the house while in The middle of cleaning?? What if she sees the garbage pile outside.. All her knick knacks are being boxed up, and her princess house crystals,boxes and boxes full.. Books up the @$$ that she hasn't read.. overwhelming big pile of messes in every room...
I would have an estate sale of her good stuff and furniture. For my MIL POA had one. He hired a woman to get everything set up. She took 30% of the proceeds and $300 to get the house cleaned for sale. My SIL and I cleaned out the trash. DH cleaned out magazines she hoarded. He did 20va bundle and the took up a carspace. I cleaned out the frig, expired stuff and her pantry of outdated food and spices. Straightened up the cabinets.
Every single thing she sees, she will want. Hoarders have no sense of something that's truly usable and valuable and junk.
My mom kept 50+ years worth of Publisher's Clearing House envelopes, thinking that when she won, she'd have to prove who she was.
That's the tip of the iceberg.
She'll be mad when she does go back and see an empty house--so maybe don't ever take her back.
Since his mom is in AL maybe you could decorate her room with a few favorite pieces and give her some books, quilts, etc.
The goal is to empty - I donated books to our library book sale, personal care items to senior center, holiday items to church for upcoming holiday sales, and lots to Goodwill and other charities. I'm sure a lot could be sold if there was time to research items' values and advertise. But time is money, and overall selling hasn't paid off much with all the legwork.
I have had a lot of help, 2 x 30 yard dumpsters (in addition to 5+ we have had in the past), a huge estate sale, and it still looks like a completely overpacked house - just no longer a junk heap. I wish your friend and you the best.
It would in fact be dreadfully distressing to her.
Please do a little online research on Hoarding, which is now a diagnosis in the DSM-5.
There are also some excellent books out there on this complicated syndrome.
Best of luck to you.
The friend should be hiring a company that specializes in cleaning up hoards and paying for it out of their Mother's funds.