Tips to Organize Your Attic in 2018

As a new year is here, many people are eyeing the possibility of getting more organized in 2018. One of the top places to tackle for many homeowners are much-neglected attic spaces. The task may appear daunting at first, especially if you have years of accumulation to sort through. These tips can help you handle your attempts to organize your attic in 2018 like a pro.

Sort Through Your Items Well
While sorting, create three or four different piles:

Keep
Trash
Donate
Give to Family or Friends (have specific recipients in mind for this pile – otherwise, donate)

It may seem harsh, especially when dealing with items associated with strong memories. However, if you’re storing them in your attic for years at a time, the items aren’t offering you much value. Keep that in mind when deciding which items to keep or discard.

Also remember that they may have more immediate value to other friends or family members and consider offering these items as gifts to them.

Pitch the items you intend to trash. Donate and give away others quickly. For those you choose to keep, don’t forget to create a detailed inventory so you know what you have stored in this out-of-the-way place in your home.

Use Plastic Boxes and Consider Hanging Items, Too
Hanging items in your attic conserves valuable floor space and leaves you more room to stack boxes. Using plastic bins and boxes provides a sturdier framework for the items you’re storing in your attic and better protection from the elements than cardboard.

Find a Use for Items You’re Storing in the Attic
The thing about items stored in the attic is that they are serving no real purpose. With the possible exception of seasonal items, like holiday decorations, ski equipment, or winter clothing; most of these items are simply out of sight and out of mind. Consider repurposing them into something that is useful that may provide you with the benefit of the memories, without becoming clutter in your home.

Label Everything
The key to good organization is to know exactly what you have and where you have it. Label every box so that you know what is in it and can quickly locate items you’re looking for when the time to retrieve those items arrives.

Once you have eliminated unwanted, unused, and unloved items from your attic, it is important to protect the items that remain by installing an attic fan to provide outstanding ventilation, moisture removal, and to help circulate the air in your attic to keep it and the items stored there cooler.