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loft decluttering

Blissfully Organised – Creating an Easy-to-manage-Loft

Creating an Easy-to-manage Loft

 

loft decluttering

Welcome back after Easter!

At last it starts to feel like spring. I spent Easter in Scotland and The Lake District and there was still snow. It’s time to start planning to declutter those important storage zones in your home – the loft, the shed and the garage.

Over the last 7 years I have supported many clients to declutter and reorganise their lofts. Often this is prior to a client moving home or starting building work at home but also prior to children going away to university, divorce, bereavement or simply to make better use of the storage that they have.

Access to each loft also varies with each client. Some of my clients have a loft bedroom with eaves storage and others have a boarded storage space accessed via a fixed ladder from the first-floor landing.

Regardless of the size of the space the key to successful loft storage is to really think about: What you are currently storing in the loft and what you need to store in this space. A well organised and managed loft can provide valuable storage space to take pressure off other rooms in your home.

WHERE DO I START?

Lofts can feel overwhelming to tackle alone as they are often full of items that haven’t been used for a long time and many things with a strong sentimental attachment (unwanted gifts or items that we have inherited but do not use). Here are three simple things to ask yourself to help you decide if you really need each item.

Do I use it?
Would I save it in a fire?
Would I buy it now?

SAFETY FIRST

Before you start you may need to improve access to the loft room.
Ladder: If you are currently access your loft via a stepladder I recommend that you install a fixed pull-down ladder to ensure your safety
Never Alone: You need 2 people to move things out and back into the loft
Flooring: Never walk on the joists. If your loft is not currently fully boarded I would recommend that you have this done before the items, you want to keep are returned to the loft
Lighting: Install a light in the loft so that you can easily access the things that are stored in this space
Prepare for: dust and dead stuff (wasps, bees, spiders, mice, bats)

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?

Dust mask and gloves
Sturdy shoes
Bin bags
Packaging (to wrap valuable items)
Labels and marker pen
Cleaning materials
Storage Boxes: I prefer to select the size and type of storage boxes at the end of a decluttering session

 

LOFT AUDIT?

Some of the lofts that I am asked to declutter look very well organised with items stored and stacked in plastic boxes. Others are full to the brim with random boxes and bags. In both cases, my clients often don’t know everything that is stored in the loft. The first step is to identify what you have stored and start to group similar items together i.e. Christmas, travel, sports equipment, memories, DIY, camping, baby equipment etc. Depending on the loft space, you may need to bring the items out of the loft to do this. Then purge unwanted items.

EFFECTIVE STORAGE

Once you’ve grouped similar items together and purged unwanted items you can start to put the items you want to keep back in the loft and organise the space by theme. The items that you need to access more frequently should be stored near the access door. All boxes should be clearly labelled and don’t forget to create an electronic master list (and/or photos) of all the items that you have stored.

HELP MY LOFT NEEDS SORTING

I understand that organising a loft can feel overwhelming but the benefits of clearing out and managing this space are worth the effort. You’ll not only create more effective storage but your loft will be easier to manage.
If you need some help please contact me to book a session. I promise it’s not as scary as you think as I will be there to support you.

Top 5 Tips For Storing Items In Your Loft

1. Soft toys – can attract dust mites and mice. Store in airtight containers
2. Carpets & rugs – attractive to moths, carpet beetles and nesting birds. Clean and bag up after spraying with moth repellent
3. Old tech/photographs – susceptible to temperature changes. Store in damp proof containers away from light and heat
4. Vintage clothes – can be damaged by excessive light, dampness and moths
5. Books – to avoid silverfish store in airtight containers

Explore more

  • I first met Tracy in 2019. I live overseas and wanted to help my Mother clear a downstairs room to become a bedroom, I needed a gentle, trusted professional to complete the task after I had returned to my home. We all met and agreed upon a plan, but it was not to be as my Mother’s health deteriorated very quickly and she passed away. Although I did return to the UK a few times that year, decluttering wasn’t a priority. Then Covid put an end to my being able to return. Finally, in spring of this year, flight restrictions were lifted and I saw an opportunity to return to the UK, now faced with the task of clearing the family home. I contacted Tracy and thankfully, despite short notice, she had some free days to help me. We arranged 6 days throughout my 2 1/2 weeks to help me stay on track and motivated. Tracy helped me stay focussed and helped me believe we could achieve a fairly daunting task of going through a lifetime of memories, papers, photos and possessions. I had to be very disciplined about what was kept as whatever I chose to keep was to be shipped back to my Country. Tracy gave me time to tell a story about an item and why it made the “keeper”, or “think about it” pile, yet didn’t break stride in her work whilst listening. It was a very cathartic process. I felt like I was talking to a long time friend. She has a talent for putting you at ease, and for helping you see objects with a critical eye. Not once did I feel she was making the decision, more that she helped me verbalize my attachment, or not, and that really builds a bond of trust. After each session, I had “homework” to complete before we met again and a follow up email charting the successes of the day and the plan for the next session. As I was on my own during my stay in my family home, this could have been rather lonely, but knowing that Tracy was coming, both broke up the monotony of going through endless boxes and kept me on task such that the job was successfully completed.

    thumb Andree Stow
    May 9, 2022

  • Tracy is exceptional at what she does and is generous in what she gives. Highly recommend.

    thumb Jayne reah
    February 23, 2022

  • Tracy helped my young girls and I declutter before a house move. In particular I was impressed with how Tracy got on well with the girls (7 yrs and 3 yrs) straight away and explained the sorting process simply. This has had a lastly impact on my children, getting them to appreciate you can’t keep everything!! I too enjoyed spending focused time with Tracy looking at my wardrobe. I will definitely be implementing the learnings for my clothes purchases such as reducing my tendency to buy some items in too many colour ways! Thank you Tracy for all your help. Jo

    thumb Joanna Dew
    August 25, 2020

  • Tracy has helped me many times over the years, and I think I must have known her for 10 years now! When I first contacted her I had reservations about letting someone into my home, making judgments and telling me what I should do. But Tracy's service is NOT like that at all. She did a full home audit and we chatted about what I hoped to achieve. For years I'd been frustrated by our storage area, a large room under the house which was hard to access and full of things we hadn't seen for years. We agreed to tackle it and Tracy suggested that to start with, we took everything out. I thought she was completely mad at this point. Three hours later we had done just that, assessed what was there, got rid of some of it, sorted some and made plans for the rest. It was like a massive weight had lifted from my shoulders. After that she helped me organise rooms, and filter through boxes of stuff. More recently she helped me prepare for a big move. It's always an absolute pleasure to see Tracy and she is very thoughtful in her approach. Her service is life changing and I am very grateful that I contacted Tracy all those years ago. Contact her now, you honestly won't regret it.

    thumb Clare Suttie
    June 11, 2020

  • Tracy is amazing. We were renovating our house and finally was able to plan some extra storage. Tracy helped us to plan out new fitted wardrobes and then came back a few months later to help me get into a system with my laundry ( one of the things as a family I find hard to keep under control! ). She is kind, non judgemental, motivational & inspirational! I would say most people could do with a bit of Blissfully Organised in their lives!

    thumb Laura Dannan
    December 14, 2020