Attics can be practical storage places in most homes. They are great for things we don’t have room for but are interested in keeping. But, in most cases, attics soon become sort of an organizational nightmare. First, we tend to pile everything we want to dispose of but don’t know how in the attic. An attic can very quickly become an overcrowded disaster area. It gets filled with junk, its disorganized and simply put a mess. So, now that we have lost control of that great space how to regain it? How to declutter your attic space easy and quick?

Before going through the process of decluttering

We must know why it is so important to clean and declutter your home. An attic space is a fragile and important part of the house. Keeping it well organized and clean is important. If you make your attic a disorganized junkyard you invite animal and bug infestation that can be dangerous for your living space.

You can damage insulation and create conditions for mold and mildew to form. This can also lead to poor energy efficiency. So be sure to keep your attic well organized and clean.

How to declutter

Be sure to plan your decluttering process. It can’t be done in a day, you will find boxes that have been siting there since you moved in, and it’s always very tiring. Decluttering the attic is always harder than decluttering the garage, shed or basement due to its unique entrance, size, and conditions. Attics are very warm and dusty places, hard to get into or out that don’t offer much headroom so they are not easy to spend much time in. Basically, there are three major steps in the whole process:

• Taking inventory
• Sorting stuff out
• Storing and organizing

Taking Inventory of the Attic

Many people use the attic as makeshift storage for stuff we want to move out of site quickly. With such a philosophy the attic becomes a mess of accumulated stuff very fast. When you start the cleanup it’s good to make an inventory of the stored stuff. Inventory makes it easier to take care of your belongings and store them properly. Basically, the inventor should encompass all of the boxes and bags piled up in the attic. If they are labeled the inventory shouldn’t be hard but it gets more complicated if there was no labeling system in place. Inventory is crucial if you want to declutter your attic space.

During the inventory, we can usually see the predominant groups of stuff that we can identify. First, we can group the belongings that we use often, rarely or not at all. These primary groups can help us decide on what to do with it. This helps us decide which things we can and want to keep and which we can throw away or donate. Shedding some weight in this way helps you by leaving much less clutter to work out later.

To declutter your attic space you neeed to sort out your belongings

After you have determined what you have to work with you can start sorting. The sorting process must have a purpose. The key is to make the attic a well-organized and easy to get to space. Your belongings should be easy to get to and use. Once we have decided what to throw out or donate the rest of the stuff we want to keep must be well sorted.

Usually, sorting means to make piles of stuff according to some criteria. We can sort things by how often we use them and what for. So, for example, out of season wardrobe can be one pile, home decorations another, family keepsakes the third, papers and documents the fourth. Once we have these groups in place we can start packing and storing them properly.

Storage and attic organization tips

Once your belongings are sorted into manageable groups it’s easy to store them. Storing means creating a well thought out system of packing, labeling and packing your belongings. First of all, you can make a label for the entire attic designating the content of certain areas of the attic. You can always consult the internet or professionals to find out how to do it. Next, you can plan for the shelving system. You can by new shelving if you don’t have one. Next, you should acquire proper boxes to suit your belongings. You can always get plastic boxes for certain stuff or you can get used or new cardboard boxes. 

Using bags and other loose packing supplies can lead to damage to your belongings. Once everything is packed you is advised to label them if they are not transparent. Certain things should be stored in specialized packing boxes. For example, bills, contracts, or other important papers should be stored in flame and moisture-resistant boxes. Be sure to buy the packing supplies that suit your needs based on your attic inventory.

Decluttering an attic can be a very hard and time-consuming process. It is however well worth doing. Working hard on keeping the attic tidy and well organized will always go a long way. If you declutter your attic space it will be easy to navigate, find things and also safe.