When you use a loft or basement to store your belongings, it can be easy to forget what items are there as they slowly gather dust. Although these spaces might be out of sight, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still make an effort to sort through your belongings in there from time to time. Decluttering these spaces can make it much easier to find what you need when you need it, but also could help to create a safe environment in your home. Below are some quick tips to help you organise your loft more efficiently.
- An Annual Spring Clean
Like you would with other areas of your home, make the effort to do an annual spring clean and get rid of anything you no longer want or need. When it comes to your loft, this could be old Christmas decorations you no longer use, broken furniture items, old toys your kids grew out of, or electrical items you haven’t touched in years, as a few examples. It’s good to clear out this space as you might find some things you could sell for some extra cash, but more importantly, it will make this area much easier to navigate when you do go rummaging through your stored items,
- Use Shelves and Storage Boxes
Some attics won’t have the height for tall shelving units, but you can get smaller ones that might be beneficial for keeping this area tidy. In addition to this, using storage boxes that are labelled can also make it a lot easier to find the items you are searching for when you do make a trip into your loft. Plastic or metal boxes might be better, as they will last longer and will be harder for pests to get in and nest, unlike cardboard.
- Make it Easier to Access Your Loft
Another issue to consider is how easy it is to get into your loft, and how safe you feel doing so. You might use a step ladder that you have in the garage to lift yourself in and out of the loft hatch, but this might not be the most stable option. Folding loft ladders could be a worthwhile investment, as they stay out of the way, but can feel much sturdier when you are going up and down from the hatch. This is particularly useful if you are passing down heavier items or putting things into storage.
- Create an Inventory
If you are tired of losing track of what you have in boxes in your loft, a good option to resolve this issue is to create an inventory. This might be an additional step that some people aren’t bothered about, but it could be a great way to save you time and avoid accidentally purchasing things twice. You could also make a note of which boxes or parts of your loft these items are stored in to make it easier to find them when you need them.
If you would like to keep your loft organised more efficiently in the future, use these quick tips and see how they can improve this for you.