How To Organize Your Attic and Make the Most of Your Space

Your attic is an incredibly versatile space. It’s great for storage, but many people don’t use it quite like they should. You might throw items up there without thinking, confident you’ll find them easily once you need them again, only to discover you have no idea where anything is once you go rummaging through all those boxes.

Knowing how to organize your attic is a science. It takes careful planning and consideration and can be intimidating without stellar organizational skills. You might look at your messy attic and have no idea where to start, leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

We’re here to help. This article will walk you through the process, breaking everything down so you can organize your attic and maximize your storage space.

What Can You Store in Your Attic?

You can store just about anything you can fit in it!

Your attic is the perfect extra space for storing items without the expense of renting out an external storage unit. If you have something you only use seasonally, objects with sentimental value, or items that need somewhere to stay when not in use, the attic is the ideal place to keep them out of the way but within reach.

You can store the following:

• Books
• Clothes
• Tools
• Seasonal items
• And more

While the attic can house various belongings, you’ll want to think carefully about how you store them. Consider factors like humidity, temperature, and how frequently you’ll need to use something before packing anything away.

Start by Cleaning Your Attic

The first step to figuring out how to organize your attic? Clean your space. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of doing this.

Chances are you’re not excited about the cleaning part of the organization process. That said, it’s a necessary step if you want to be able to organize everything effectively. We promise it will pay dividends.

Cleaning your attic first will:

• Allow you to take stock of what you have
• Allow you to get a better idea of what your attic space looks like
• Give you more room to work

Start by getting everything out of the attic, if possible. If you can’t, designate one part of your attic as the “clutter section” and move your belongings there.

Next, take the opportunity to get rid of dust, mold, and other grime. Clearing these out will help protect your belongings from damage in the long run.

Once you’ve finished, you’ll want to start sorting through your items, putting them into three piles:

• To Keep: The items you absolutely want to hold on to, whether because they have sentimental value or because you need them regularly.
• To Donate: Items you don’t need anymore but are still in good enough condition to pass on to someone else go in this pile. These can include things like old clothing and kids’ toys.
• To Toss: Items you don’t need that are in pretty bad condition, such as clothes with holes or broken electronics.

Ensure you have trash bags ready for the “toss” pile, and carefully set aside everything in the “donate” pile.

Now that you’ve figured out what items you’re keeping, you’ll want to sort through them and organize them according to purpose. In addition, you’ll want to figure out whether you want to keep them in the attic or another location.

Check for Pests

Pests can be a huge problem. Rats, birds, cockroaches, and other animals can damage your belongings and your building’s structure.

Unfortunately, attics are also great hiding places for pests.

You can probably imagine finding bugs crawling in the corners or uncovering surprised mice while cleaning. Other signs of pests include:

• Scratching sounds coming from the walls
• Damaged wood
• Fur, feathers, or discarded insect wings

Pay close attention, and if you notice anything that could be a problem, reach out to a pest control professional for help.

Review Your Attic Structure

Now that your attic is clear, you can get a good sense of what it looks like. It has probably been a while since you’ve seen it so clean, and this will give you a chance to address issues you might not have noticed before.

Specifically, you’ll want to look at your attic’s structure. In part, this means paying attention to the quality and layout of your attic’s construction:

• Do you have a lot of open space?
• Are there little nooks and crannies you could be using better?
• Are there any places you could install hangers or drawers?

However, safety is another, more important reason to pay attention to your attic’s structure.

You want to ensure your items don’t get damaged, and you want to ensure your attic won’t collapse under the weight of whatever you’re storing. That means confirming there isn’t any structural damage or another potential problem.

Consider the following:

• Are there any leaks? Leaks could damage your belongings and compromise your home’s structural integrity if you ignore them.
• Do you notice any loose boards? Loose boards, screws, nails, or other hardware can be safety issues, so you’ll want to get those fixed immediately.
• Is there mold or mildew? Mold and mildew could damage your belongings. You can clean small spots of mold yourself, but if you have a bigger problem, you’ll want to contact an expert.

Should You Upgrade Your Attic?

If you’re already fixing problems with your attic, you might consider finishing or upgrading it. This can be beneficial—for the right individuals.

Attic upgrades give you more space and add value to your home. However, they can be pretty expensive, so you must ensure it’s worth the expense.

If you’re thinking about getting an upgrade, consider the following:

• Do you want to use your attic for more than storage?
• Do you feel like you don’t have enough storage space?
• Are you already making some major updates and won’t mind the additional cost of renovating your attic?

How you answer these questions can help you determine whether renovations are a sound investment for your property and budget.

Consider Flooring Updates

One of the biggest structural concerns is flooring. You don’t want to risk your attic collapsing and everything falling on top of you—your flooring is a big factor.

If you don’t have finished flooring, it probably can’t support many heavy items. While you might not want to go through the hassle of refinishing your entire attic, you still need solid flooring to protect your belongings—and yourself. Moreover, unfinished flooring often leads to other problems, such as leaking ceilings, necessitating repairs that could cost more than a finished attic floor.

Plywood is generally the simplest and cheapest solution. You can lay this sturdy material over unfinished attic floors to provide a solid support for your boxes. Choose a relatively thick option for maximum safety.

Plywood works great on a budget, but there’s nothing saying you can’t do more with your flooring if you want to. Consider your options: If you think you’d benefit from a fully finished floor, then go ahead and contact a professional.

Create a Floor Plan

Once you’ve addressed the structural concerns, it’s time to get to the fun part of figuring out how to organize your attic: creating a floor plan.

Your floor plan should take into account the following:

• What items will go where. Go over what you want to store and group like items together. From there, look at your attic and figure out where to store everything for maximum efficiency.
• Whether you want to install hangers, drawers, or shelving. You can install all sorts of things to help make organization easier. Consider whether you’ll want to use additional storage features like hangers or shelving and include them in your floor plan.
• Walking space. Your attic works fantastically for storage, but that won’t mean much if you can’t navigate it. Make sure you’re planning out aisles to get to all your belongings without moving things around.

Jot down your ideas and map them out before putting items back in. This way, you won’t have to wing it once you begin bringing everything up.

Install the Right Lighting

You’ve got your floor plan, your attic is clean, and you’re ready to put everything away. Still, you might want to consider a couple of other things before you start carting boxes upstairs.

Attic lighting can be a game changer. Without proper lighting, you might end up stumbling around in the dark, which could be frustrating and put you at risk of injury.

If your attic has windows, you could get away with natural lighting. If it doesn’t, you’ll want to think about lighting possibilities. Recessed lighting, spotlights, or motion-activated lights are all good options; think about what would work for you and choose the best option for your situation.

Choose the Right Storage Solution

Now that everything is in order, it’s time to begin packing. You’ll want to choose the right storage solution to protect your items and make your life easier.

From our experience, plastic bins are usually the ideal choice. Plastic bins are amazingly sturdy, so you can better protect your belongings. Plus, they’re see-through, so you can easily tell what items are in what bins.

Pack loose items into your storage bins. You’ll want to have a label maker handy. While you can still see through plastic bins, having a label can be a helpful way to more quickly identify what items are where.

Plastic storage bins aren’t the only things you can use, of course. You can use hangers, drawers, vacuum-sealed bags, and more; just carefully consider your needs and what would work best.

Once you’ve packed everything, consult your floor plan and move everything up to the attic. Once that’s complete, you’re done! Now, you’ll enjoy a fantastic storage space—without the clutter.

Make Sure Your Attic Isn’t Cramped

While your attic can store many items, that doesn’t mean you should cram it full of things you don’t need just for the sake of it. Knowing how to organize your attic is one thing; knowing when to get rid of items is another.

Donating belongings you no longer need can be a great way to get rid of them while benefiting others in your community—and at Easy Donation Pickup, we’re here to help. Just pack up your acceptable items; we can collect them while you’re home or pick them up later. Make sure everything’s labeled clearly, and we’ll leave the tax receipts after getting everything.

Make your attic less cramped with a donation! Call (855) 628-8387 or email support@easydonationpickup.com to learn more.