It is very easy for a loft to become a disorganised dumping ground, filled to the rafters with things you don’t want in your main house but also can’t bring yourself to part with. Even though this is easy to do, it is very important to utilise the space you have available in your home in an efficient manner.  Thankfully, loft organisation is also easy. 

Within this article we are going to talk you through our comprehensive guide of loft organisation, giving you all our tips on how to keep your loft less dumping ground, more excellent storage solution. 

Understanding the Basics of Loft Organisation

Within the first section we are going to discuss the basic things you need to do before you can begin making your loft organisation. 

Decluttering: The First Step to Loft Organisation

The first step of loft organisation is to declutter the space so you can see what you are working with. There are many ways in which you can make decluttering easier and a great technique is The Four Box Method.

The Four Box Method entails you getting four boxes and marking them: Keep, Throw Away, Give Away and Storage. 

As you go through the items in your loft, you place each item into one of the boxes, depending on what you plan on doing with the item. Once you have decluttered, it is very important that everything in the Throw Away box goes in the bin. Everything in the Give Away box is taken to a charity shop as soon as possible. If you leave these boxes on the side or in the spare room, that is where they may stay for months. And the longer they stay, the more likely some items are going to be taken out of the boxes. We do not want that. 

With the Storage box, you have more time as these are items that you do want to keep, you just don’t need them year round. It is important that you do make the time to find a good self storage company quite quickly to again avoid items being removed from the box or the box itself becoming clutter. We have many self storage facilities in the UK and we offer flexible, secure and cost effective storage. Head to our website to find your local store. 

With the Keep box/es, it will make life a lot easier if you can  find somewhere to store that whilst we move onto the next steps. 

Assessing Your Space

Now that your loft is clear (or as clear as can be), you will now need to assess your loft space, seeing how much headroom you have within all the areas of it. This will make it easier for you to see if there are any areas that are less accessible than. 

Next, you will want to measure the height of each area and the floor space. This will allow you to really think about what organisational tools you can add. 

Organisational Tips and Tricks for Loft Organisation 

Now that your loft is decluttered and you have all the measurements, we can move on to getting your loft more organised with our organisational tips and tricks. 

Maximising Vertical Space

Many lofts, particularly in British homes, have trussed roofing and this can lead to a lot of wasted space as people don’t know how to use it but it is actually really easy to use. 

The roof trusses are the long beams that support your roof and they are an excellent space to store long items such as skis or fishing poles. You can also get specialised shelving that can be fitted along the roof trusses, adding a lot of storage space. 

Sectional Organisation Techniques

Once you have your shelving fitted, you can begin thinking about how best to organise your loft. You will want to look through the items in your Keep box/es and try to organise them into categories such as Christmas decorations, seasonal clothing, sport equipment and so on. 

Once you have your categories defined, you will now want to decide where each category should be placed within your loft. Once this is decided, place labels on to the shelving, allowing you and everyone who enters the loft to know where things belong. You could use a colour coded system for easy identification but you must choose something that works for you and all your household members. 

Utilising Cardboard Boxes for Efficient Loft Organisation 

Cardboard boxes could be used to store items as they are easier to label and to stack but you must use good quality, strong boxes. 

Our boxes in our Box Shop are all multi-walled, which makes them strong and perfect for storage. You must make sure to securely tape them shut and remember to label each box, as well as the shelving. 

Maintaining an Organised Loft

Once your loft is organised, you will want to keep it that way. Within this section we are going to talk you through the ways to maintain your loft organisation. 

Regular Upkeep and Reassessment

One of the best ways to maintain your loft organisation is to keep on top of it by not letting it get decluttered again. You will want to do periodic cleaning and a few times a year go back through everything and reassess each item. You may find that there are items you are now happy to give away, throw away or that would be better off in storage. 

It is also important that you keep a track of any new items that are going up there. Make sure they are placed in the right space. And really consider if this is an item that needs to go into your loft. You want to keep your loft organised so you can get to items easily when you need them. Don’t allow clutter to rebuild just because it’s easier to chuck it up in the loft than take it to your storage unit or to a charity shop.

Adapting to Changing Storage Needs

As you reassess each item, you will need to adjust your storage strategies over time. You may find that you need more shelving or that you need bigger storage boxes. You may find that certain items need moving to a more convenient location as you have found that you need them more than you thought. 

Whatever you decide needs changing, make sure to label each category and area where they are stored. And label each of your boxes. This will make life much easier when it comes to needing certain items. 

How To Keep Your Loft Organised

Loft organisation is something that takes a little time and effort but it will be worth it when you have a wonderfully organised loft space. Make sure to declutter the area so you can easily assess and measure the space. 

Once this is done, find a way in which you can utilise all the space, including the roof trusses and the vertical space. And keep everything organised, using categorisation and labels. This will make your life so much easier when you come to get something out of the loft. 

Now you must keep on top of it! You will have to keep decluttering and reassessing your organisation needs.  

It can seem like a lot of work but a well organised loft will give you so much more storage space, helping you to keep your home tidy and organised. 

If you find that you have a lot of items you would like to store outside of your loft, please consider our self storage. We have a variety of units on offer within our stores. Each is fitted with state-of-the-art security systems and comes with a flexible rental contract. Head to our website to find your local store today.