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By Anne-Marie Greenberg, Realtor
Decluttering Your Attic Before a Move: A Comprehensive Guide
Decluttering your attic before a move is a crucial step in ensuring a smooth and organized transition to your new home. I’m here to guide you through this process with a detailed checklist to make sure you don’t miss a beat.
Step One: Sort Everything
Even if you think you know everything in the attic, sorting is still an important step. By putting like items together, you’ll have a better idea of how much of the same stuff you have. Plus, you’ll be able to organize piles of items that need to be donated or thrown out and a separate space for the things you want to keep.
Step Two: Get Rid of Anything You Can
In many cases, people realize when they move that most of the items in storage are really of no use and just taking up space. After that, you can begin paring down the items that might not be as obvious to remove. This is about decluttering and eliminating items!
Step Three: Donate Items
Remember, the trash isn’t the only option. If you have been storing clothes that you are never going to wear again, consider donating them to a charity or local thrift store. Upcycle so others can get a use out of them and you aren’t just throwing them in the dumpster or keeping them around in case you change your mind.
Step Four: Consider New Storage Solutions You don’t have to get rid of everything in your attic. You don’t have to get rid of anything at all if you don’t need to. Sometimes, a little organization is all it takes. Consider storage boxes and plastic totes to help you organize your attic and make things easier to move. Plus, if you organize in storage boxes now, you won’t have to pack and unpack all of the items once you arrive at your new home.
Bonus Tip: Create a Labeling System for Ease of Moving
Consider using colored tape or sticky notes to mark boxes or items that you are cleaning out of your attic space before moving. You can color-code items by room using colored duct tape and on move in day have each room labeled with the color tape!
Why is it so important to clean out the attic before moving day?
Attics are often out-of-sight and out-of-mind for many people. Outgrown clothes are stored there year after year, boxes of papers and memory items, seasonal decor pieces, and even furniture. Decluttering and deciding on what to keep can be a long process. Do not wait until the last minute!!! Moving items to just put back in the attic is expensive!
The journey of decluttering your attic in preparation for a move is both a practical task and a reflective journey. It’s an opportunity to sift through memories, uncover hidden treasures, and make thoughtful decisions about what to carry into your next chapter. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ve transformed a daunting task into an organized, manageable process, ensuring that your move is not only efficient but also meaningful.
