Attics and basements. They’re often the most dreaded and overlooked areas in our homes, as repositories for unused, seasonal, and hand-me-down items. Is it a case of “out of sight, out of mind?” Or is it because we have trouble parting with (and figuring out what to do with) all that “stuff”?
Actually, it’s both.
When we’re editing/decluttering our homes, it’s tempting to ignore the attic and basement because we don’t see them daily, and, frankly, decluttering them can be overwhelming. That’s why making a plan to address these areas is an important first step.
Let’s consider the attic first. Depending on your access (designated stairs or a drop-down ladder), the attic can be a great place to store easily transported items, including:
To declutter your attic, start by focusing on the attic’s purpose, removing any items that no longer meet the criteria (following our suggestions, above, or your own). Create a functional storage system for the remaining items, ensuring you’ll be able to access your belongings easily when you need them.
Like the attic, the basement is often a catch-all for unused items. Unlike the attic, though, the basement is a great place to store larger, more cumbersome items, including:
As with the attic, the basement can easily be decluttered if you consider the basement’s purpose and which items should be stored there.
With a system in place, you can edit — and make good use of — your attic and basement year-round.
As always, the CMFTO team is here to help should you need assistance in editing, organizing, and/or figuring out what to do with all those items you no longer want or need.
All my best,
Claudia