Getting the Attic Under Control

There are always a few rooms in the home that seems to collect items; so much so, that over time, it can often take on a life of its own. The attic is one of those rooms. If care is not taken where you get control of your attic, then you can easily find your attic looking like a horror movie reject. It's a good thing then, that getting the attic under control isn't that difficult as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

• Set aside some time. Getting the attic under control is a project that will take some serious time to accomplish. Your best bet is to set aside a complete weekend to ensure that you have enough time to finish the job properly. Since you may end up throwing some things away, this is not a job that you want to rush. Take your time, and get the job done right so you can avoid having to repeat the process a few months down the line.
• Separate everything. Clear everything out of your attic, and begin to separate them into three separate piles. These piles are going to be for those things that you want to keep, those things that you want to get rid of, and those items that you are not sure about. Be honest with yourself as you go through your things, and place those articles that you no longer have any use for into your "get rid of" pile. For those items that you are certain that you will be using again, be sure to place them into your keep pile. If you come across anything that you are honestly not certain about, then set it into your third pile.
• Get rid of what you don't want. Once you have separated your attic into these three piles, it is time to get rid of everything that you don't want any more. Those items that are still usable you can donate to Good Will, or to some other charity, or perhaps to a friend that can use them. Those items that cannot reasonably be used anymore, you can recycle or discard. Once again, go over the undecided pile, and make a final decision.
• Label everything you're keeping. Store everything that you are keeping into airtight plastic bins. Inside each of these bins, place a list of what you have stored in it, as well as taping a copy of this packing list on the outside. Label each bin with what room the items came from, or whose possessions they are. These labels and lists will help you to know what you have in the bins, and help you to find what you need much quicker.
• Organize the attic. Begin placing everything that you are keeping back into your attic. As you do this, utilize a method that makes sense to you. Some examples of the methods that you can use are things like organizing by season, room, or person who owns the items you are storing. This is another way that you can use to help find your possessions quicker later on. Once you have your attic under control again, be sure that you maintain this system. If you don't you can easily find yourself needing to repeat the entire process again in a few months.