Have you been avoiding cleaning out your attic because it’s not the “right time”? Well, you can actually tackle this task in just one weekend, especially if you’re in a time crunch and looking to sell your home soon. These tips and tricks will make decluttering and ditching unwanted items easy and help you better understand how to protect the items you want to keep.
Ditch What You Don’t Want
1. Take the Green Approach
Outdated or broken electronics and electronic accessories such as computers, phones, CDs, and VHS tapes can be responsibly recycled through mail-in services or at in-store drop-off locations such as Best Buy.
2. Give Back to a Charitable Cause
Feel productive and generous by donating the items that you no longer want or need after your attic cleanout. Drop off unwanted clothing to a Goodwill Donation Bin. Organizations such as the Salvation Army Thrift Stores or Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept furniture, kitchenware, and other common household items. You can also donate books to your local library, schools, or specific charitable organizations such as Better World Books.
3. Make a Quick Buck
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! You can easily sell your unwanted clothes, furniture, electronics, and other forgotten items on secondhand selling sites and apps such as Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or Letgo that are free to sign up for or download. There are also several brick–and–mortar options for “secondhand” such as Plato’s Closet, local thrift stores, vintage shops, consignment stores, and antique shops. Decluttering can also enhance the appeal of your home, and therefore increase the property’s overall value.
Protect What You Want to Keep
4. Time to Relocate
Some things just do not belong in an attic. Given that attics are not temperature-regulated, drastic heat or cold could ruin items like books, artwork, and furniture. Additionally, attics oftentimes fall victim to bug or rodent infestations. And don’t forget about water which can cause damage, mold, and mildew! Therefore, if feasible, consider moving keepsakes and other items of value to another storage location in your home such as a closet. To make sure you are prepared if disaster strikes digitize valuable memories through sites such as Southtree. They have packages and services to digitize photos, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, and more right to your computer or to an external storage device to ensure those memories will always remain intact.
5. Proper Storage is Key
In the end, some things must go back into the attic for storage. To protect these items from the elements, use clear, airtight, and durable plastic bins to keep the menaces out while also making it easier to find what you are looking for next time! For larger items such as suitcases, furniture, or clothing racks, cover the items completely with a plastic tarp.
Cleaning out a large space in your home can be a daunting task, but if taken piece by piece, you can get it done while saving the earth, giving back, or making some extra spending money. In the end, you will have an organized attic where you know your belongings are stored safely and you can walk away with a feeling of accomplishment. So what are you waiting for? Time to start cleaning!