Declutter your home - starting with the attic

We all have clutter of different levels in our homes… Why? ”Because it will come in handy sometime,” is a saying that we have become familiar with and programmed to over the years, from our parents, grandparents and our ancestors before them.

How many times have we caught ourselves out saying that? Way too many times.

Would you believe if I told you the amount of people who get spring cleaning, tidying and cleaning all mixed up would astonish you, so let’s get clear once and for all what decluttering and clutter is all about.

Decluttering is your ability to let go of items, physically, mentality and emotionally.

What is clutter?

Clutter is items that no longer serve us that you haven’t used in the last 12-18 months (and there will be exceptions of course on this time frame). Knowing the meaning will help you understand - what to keep and what to let go of!

These items we no longer use, want or love, but there is a connection and memory attached to it like every single thing in our home.

And where a lot of the handy items, broken items, recycling, and your entire life ends up is in our attic space - so it’s time to dedicate just a few free days and get the attic fully decluttered and organised before we get back into the autumn routine.

But , decluttering is a continuous process that needs to become a newly-formed habit in our lives so that we can stay on top of it and keep control.

It’s about rehoming items correctly and not just throwing them into a skip, which will more than likely end up in the landfill at the end of the day.

When you think of your attic, what comes up for you? For many, their attic is an a-z of clutter or Pandora’s box!

Firstly, the main items that come out of the attic every year are the Christmas tree and decorations/crib and rarely any other item come down. But our whole lives and the lives of our children seem to gather in the attic, from baby clothing, baby equipment, toys, school books, travel memories,wedding gifts, s, to picture frames... and the list is endless.

But before you think of putting anything into your attic, ask yourself, “Will I use it again? Will I refer back to it every 12-18 months?“.

The amount of recycling and broken electrical items and cables that gather in the attic is unreal.

The only items I would recommend as a professional declutterer and organiser to be storage in your attic are the following:

• Christmas decorations and decorations for other events throughout the year
• Suitcases
• Keepsakes (a large clear storage box for any sentimental items you want to keep)
• Tax returns with 7 year retention period
• Summer and winter clothing only if you have very little storage

What clutter is, is negative stagnant energy that causes us to feel overwhelmed, stuck and blocked. But when that energy is over your head for years and decades in the attic above you, it causes health issues from headaches, and migraines, affecting sleeping patterns and that constant weight is on your shoulders.

Decluttering is your personal journey and it can’t be forced on anyone. You must be ready to let go and transform your home from chaos to calm once again.

But letting go is the vital piece of the jigsaw puzzle because the majority of people just keep moving the black bags around the house and over time will end up in the attic space.

With clutter, you need to get the bags out of the house within 12-24 hours max… why? You won’t see that transformation you have been longing for, and all you are doing is undoing all that effort, energy and hard work by not letting go of the clutter.

Where can I go with my clutter?

I would highly recommend going forward that you gain two new friends on your decluttering journey and they are the charity shops and the recycling centre.

This is no need for skips whatsoever if you keep plugging away and start getting items out of the home, once you know you are officially finished with them - keep moving stuff on and with that you are moving that energy also.

Just a little reminder to us all:

We can’t take the clutter with us when we part from this world, only the memories in our heart and mind.

There are 6 destinations for your clutter:

• Charity shop ( of your choice)
• Penny Dinners /Homeless shelters
• Charity bins (opened once a week for distribution back in to the charity shops while the clothing is going for recycling only)
• Family & Friends (Always ask permission before you land down with your clutter)
• Sell for cash (get money back on your mistake buys and helps with the guilt factor)
• Pay it forward (Community projects, families in need, clothes collections for Africa. Facebook - free-swap and donate pages in your area)
• Recycling centre

It’s time to priortise our home and our health for the remainder of 2024, because we know when we do get the bags and the boxes out of the house, how much better we feel in our space.

For more see https://whitesagedecluttering.com