Let’s organise the worst room in your house: the loft!
My friend said to me recently: “a loft is a bin you live under” and since then, her comment has been living rent free in my head.
If you came to my house you’d think I was tidy, clean and organised, but I was keeping a deep-dark secret – my loft.
My loft was in fact a ‘bin I was living under’, but last week I decided to put a stop to it; my husband and I sacrificed our day off to get up there and get organising.
Let me tell you, it was hard work, but nothing’s ever felt so good; now I can go up there without feeling sick.
Tips for organising your loft and attic:
- When was the last time you used it?
Be really honest with yourself about the things you’re storing in your loft; have you used it in the past year? Or two years?
Due to a fear of scarcity, we hold onto to things ‘just in case’; it gives us a sense of security, but, nine times out of ten, you wouldn’t notice if you never saw it again.
- The 20/20 rule
If it would cost you less that £20 and take less than 20 minutes to get a new one, then it’s out. Get rid.
- Invest in storage boxes
Many of us, myself included, use cardboard boxes for storage, however, they don’t hold up great in the loft as they bend and break easily.
Proper storage containers can be fire and water-proof, which will help keep your things safe if there were any accidents.
- Use Facebook Market place
Facebook Marketplace is such a good tool for getting rid of unwanted possessions quickly. We put over ten items online and they were gone before the end of the day. List them at a fair price or for free and they’ll be out of your hair in no time.
- Set aside a good amount of time and bring snacks
It’s not the quickest job in the world, but if you take the time to do it properly then (hopefully) you won’t need to do it again for a long time.
- Make sure it’s easy to access
The easier it is to get in and out of the loft, the easier it’s going to be to store things in there properly. Make sure the entrance isn’t blocked up and there is a clear pathway through the middle so you can walk from one end to the other; this will stop things piling up and being dumped.
- Give everything a place and use labels
If everything has a designated area then it ~should~ prevent you from dumping things up there and shutting the door. Labelling boxes can be really useful and creates less chaos when you’re trying to look for things you’ve stored away.
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What’s the difference between an attic and a loft?
While most people would refer to an attic or loft as the same thing, technically, a loft would include the whole floor space, whereas an attic would be squared off to create a room in the middle of the eaves.
Things you can store in the loft and attic
This depends on the climate you live in and how often you’re going to be going through the things up there. For example, I store out of season clothing in the loft, but I go through it regularly to check it’s not getting damp or damaged. I also keep packaging, spare toiletries, loo roll, bedding and suitcases in our loft, but it’s always been dry up there and there isn’t any rodents.
Below is a list of some more items you could store in your loft:
- Spare furniture
- Sports equipment
- Christmas decorations
- Suitcases
- Paint brushes, paint trays, dust sheets and decorating sheets
- Non-electrical tools like screws and screwdrivers
Things you shouldn’t store in the loft
It’s hard to control the climate of your loft, it gets very hot and very cold so there are a lot of things that won’t survive in your loft like paint and electrical items.
Below is a list of items you shouldn’t store in your loft:
- Food and wine
- Electronics
- Paint
- Wooden furniture
Will stuff go mouldy in a loft?
If your loft has a tendency to get a lot of moisture or condensation then it is very likely your possessions will go mouldy in your loft – something to think about when you’re choosing what to store up there.
Is it okay to store clothes in the attic?
Clothes can be stored in plastic boxes in the loft, but make sure to add cedar balls inside the boxes to detract any moths from feasting on your knitwear. You could also wrap them in tissue paper to give them some extra security.