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Clearing your attic: a step-by-step plan
For most people the attic is the classic 'someday' zone: things drift up there unnoticed until there's no room left to walk. This guide gives a clear step-by-step plan to clear your attic — in manageable blocks, with clear choices about what to keep, and an eye for what's better not stored up there.
Making spaceExternal storage
Decluttering & Organising
June 23, 2026
Bram Jansen
6 min
Clearing your attic: a step-by-step plan
For most people the attic is the classic 'someday' zone: things drift up there unnoticed until there's no room left to walk. This guide gives a clear step-by-step plan to clear your attic — in manageable blocks, with clear choices about what to keep, and an eye for what's better not stored up there.
Making space
External storage
Decluttering & Organising
June 23, 2026Bram Jansen
CLEARING YOUR ATTIC: HOW TO TACKLE IT
Short answer: start with a goal, work in blocks of one to two hours and sort by category rather than at random. Decide per item: keep, give away, sell or bin. A handy rule of thumb: if you haven't used something in the past year, chances are it can go. That makes even a packed attic manageable.
1. PICK A STARTING SPOT
Take one defined spot of about two square metres at a time — not the whole attic at once. Start with the spot that's most in your way or that frees up the most when cleared. No preference? Begin on the left as you enter and work clockwise, so you keep a clear route.
2. SORT BY CATEGORY
Work by category — clothing, Christmas items, books, tools — rather than at random; it keeps you on track. Make four bins or zones: keep, give away, sell and bin, plus a separate maybe-box. Decide per item and set a timer per sub-task, so you don't get stuck on old photos and magazines.
3. CLEAN AND ORGANISE
Once a zone is empty, clean it thoroughly straight away: dust, vacuum the corners and wipe the floor. Then put back what stays in fixed zones — rarely used items at the back, frequently used ones within reach. That keeps the space you've just reclaimed genuinely usable.
4. REMOVE THE EXCESS RIGHT AWAY
Don't let anything linger: take discarded items out of the house immediately. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to 'be allowed to stay after all'. Put the bin pile straight in the car and schedule bulky-waste collection or a trip to the recycling centre. Gone quickly is gone for good.
WHAT NOT TO KEEP IN THE ATTIC
An attic swings widely in heat and humidity, which is ruinous for certain items. Don't keep photos, important documents, books, art, wooden furniture, delicate textiles, food or candles up there — they can warp, grow mould or attract pests. Such things belong in a dry spot or in climate-controlled storage.
🎯 Set a goal: more space, more overview or a new function
⏱️ Plan in blocks of 1-2 hours — not all at once
📦 Get ready: boxes, bin bags, labels and cleaning supplies
🦺 Work safely: good light, ventilation and a dust mask
By Bram Jansen — Lead Storage Advisor at Inbox Storage. Updated: June 2026.
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KEEP, DISCARD OR STORE?
After sorting comes the real question: what do you do with it all? Keep only what you use and love, give away or sell with a clear deadline, and recycle what's broken. And for things you do want to keep but have no room for at home, storage is the answer — your attic stays clear without throwing anything away.
THE MAYBE-BOX
If you can't decide on an item, put it in a separate maybe-box and set a date in your calendar. If you don't miss it after a month or a year, you can let it go with peace of mind. That stops you getting stuck on decisions you can't make yet.
ORGANISE WHAT STAYS
Use sturdy plastic bins instead of cardboard — cardboard draws moisture and sags. Choose transparent bins or label them specifically ('Christmas', 'winter clothing'), put heavy boxes at the bottom and use the height with shelving. That way you find everything quickly and keep the floor clear.
KEEP SEASONAL ITEMS TOGETHER
Group what belongs together: Christmas, holiday and camping gear each in their own labelled bins. Put them away clean and dry — a damp tent or cushion in the attic quickly grows mould. Vacuum bags save space for blankets and winter coats and protect against dust.
KEEP IT TIDY
The hardest part comes after clearing: stop the attic becoming a dumping ground again. Walk through your storage briefly each season, put everything back in its fixed spot and be strict at the front end — what doesn't go up there, you won't have to clear later.
WIN SPACE WITHOUT THROWING AWAY
Got a lot you want to keep but no room for it? Or are you converting the attic and everything has to come out temporarily? Then we pick up your belongings at your door and keep them climate-controlled in our secure hub in Gouda — dry and safe, exactly for the fragile items that don't belong in a warm, humid attic. From one month and cancellable monthly.
✅ Keep: what you use and what makes you happy
🎁 Give away or sell: always with a clear deadline
♻️ Recycle: hand in broken items, electronics and paint separately
📦 Store: what you keep but have no room for right now
A cleared attic gives space in your home and your head — keep it that way.
Calculate your storage price in 60 seconds at Inbox Storage.
More space, without throwing away
What you keep but have no room for, we pick up at your door and store dry and climate-controlled.
- Throughout NL and Belgium
- Picked up & returned to your door
- Climate-controlled, secure storage
- From 1 month onwards