Loft

Definitely one box at a time. But to start the system going, allocate one entire day to working out how you are going to categorise and where to place things while you are sorting. After that, the enthusiasm will wane and 20-30 mins per day will be all you can face. Give yourself a day off now and again or reserve one day a week for trips to tip/charity shop.

That sounds like quite a good system. I might try it myself. I think I'll start next week!

I have never been in our loft and have no desire to go up there,

Every time I go up to look for something, I make a point of removing 2 items. It IS going down.

Haven’t a clue what’s up there
Wouldn’t disturb the kids inheritance
They will be far more ruthless than I could ever be
What you can’t remember you can’t miss

Deedaa
When we had extra insulation put into the loft it had to be cleared - so why did we put stuff back again!?

When we moved into this house 26 years ago we decided we were not putting anything in the loft. The access isn't very good and I really couldn't see myself running up and down the ladder to get stuff. Our garage is a typical 70s one and too small for most modern cars so it holds everything that would have gone in the loft. It may be a waste of the garage but at least it's accessible.

DotScot

So you get down a box from the loft, ask the 'kids' if they want their stuff (old school jotters) and they say no. So you bin most but you secretly keep a few anyway. Then, after a few years have passed, you show them to the grandkids and they absolutely love looking at them with you. And the little stories spark memories and stories about their parents, aunts and uncles that the grandchildren never tire of.
So glad I saved them.

So you get some things down from the loft, spread them out, take photos, send photos to DC who say "ooh yes please, but not yet, if you don't mind. Can you hold on to them for me?".
So you pack them all up and put them back again, but tidier this time.

I don’t keep anything in my loft, I never have. My garage is another story though.

One box at a time. Recycling, charity shop, sell, dustbin, treasures to save. I did this. Took me several weeks. I made a lot of space. Then my husband had a "tidy" in his study and filled the empty space. Three guesses where my nicely arranged Christmas, Halloween and presents boxes are...

My grown-up children will do it when I die, I expect they’ll find some little gems up there….
I know for certain there are some nice art deco lamps up there and also a couple of nice statuettes
They have been pre-warned 😉

When we moved to the family house in 1979 in which our DC grew up, we said to the delightful octogenarian couple that they didn't need to clear the loft, we would do it. The wife had grown up in that house herself and it hadn't been sold since about 1912.
Well, when we moved 27 years later, that loft still hadn't been cleared, so the whole family including the by then AC's respective spouses came and helped and we had a massive bonfire.
That was 20 years ago, and apart from rather a lot of my late DH's tools in the garage, our downsize has remained reasonably clutter-free.

Sorry Mel I pressed post before I was ready. I would start slowly maybe a couple of boxes at a time so you do not get overwhelmed. Once you have those done get rid quickly so you cannot go back and keep them. I'm sure we all keep these things because of memories and sentiment but sometimes you have to be tough. Good luck.

I've just discovered I have rats in mine. Waiting for Pest Control and then will have to clean or dispose of stuff that I really wanted to keep.

Ilovedogs22

We were dreading emptying the loft after all our four boy's moved out. Yet it was surprisingly easy! They'd told us exactly what they wished to keep (amazingly little!) thank goodness.
Their bits were ferreted-away in a few boxes & the rest was taken to charity shops.
The only curve -ball was finding a massive pile of vintage pornography hidden in a crafty corner! It wasn't Mr Ilovedogs either! DH has said that he's got rid of it. Hmmm? 🤔

Shame …old porn is worth money … well the mild vintage Playboys, etc, are., and the early ones get good money at Auction.
Actual hard core stuff? I expect there is a market somewhere but I wouldn’t know where to find that.
Mention that to DH in case he’s stashed it elsewhere? 🥹

Ask yourself: When did I last use this/ look at it?

If the answer is more than a year ago: throw it out, unless it really is precious to you.

You can also tackle the project by asking yourself, "Do I re ally want anyone else sorting through this / reading it after my death?" If the answer is a resounding "NO" throw it out now.

I’m a demon for decluttering. Then a few months later, I think ooh that handbag or whatever will be good for a trip out - only to realise it went to charity/recycling ages ago. But still prefer not to have too much stuff around.

My father was in the army. I spent a childhood moving house almost annually. I prided my self that I could get everything I possessed in one small box. That attitude has never really left me.

Yes, I have just left a house which was comfortably filled, but I still had empty drawers and empty cupboards. We are moving slowly into our new home, but when the main load arrives, everything I unpack will be srted through to see what else I no longer need. I find to do this after the move rather than before as it is less pressured. I anticipate that despite moving to a smaller house, I will end up with empty cupboards and drawers.

Sorted out two lifts with major effort last year. Got rid of 31 drums from one to my son who owns them so now we have a his and hers attic. His full of China collected from charity shops and glass jars and mine camping stuff , music stuff and wool ( a sable - stash beyond life expectation) but mine is nettdy way and the list by the door in a polythene cover so at least I now know what it is . Still loads to go .

I gave my children an ultimatum, take it or it’s binned, it was binned.

We were dreading emptying the loft after all our four boy's moved out. Yet it was surprisingly easy! They'd told us exactly what they wished to keep (amazingly little!) thank goodness.
Their bits were ferreted-away in a few boxes & the rest was taken to charity shops.
The only curve -ball was finding a massive pile of vintage pornography hidden in a crafty corner! It wasn't Mr Ilovedogs either! DH has said that he's got rid of it. Hmmm? 🤔

My son has removed some of his childhood toys from my loft as well as some of his sister's toys and his children havethem now. Unfortunately the loft is till full of stuff and I can't go up there safely. I need to declutter the house first to make space then get my son or a friend to bring down some boxes for me to sort. A lot of the stuff belonged to my ex husband who left it there when he moved out. He left plenty in the house too so I should start with that I guess, but it feels so overwhelming and I always have much more interesting things to do! Hopefully I'll manage it eventually. Many of my friends are in the same situation, trying to get rid of stuff.

Ditto … moved 25 plus years ago, masses of ‘ stuff’ to sort put in the loft Added bits over the years, but not much got removed. Then a couple of years ago Squirrels nested up there … got rid, but I’m too old and unsteady to get up the loft ladder, and a bit apprehensive about what I’ll find after the infestation, when I did go up to get Christmas decs back in the day I noticed the paperwork in (Tesco) bags , the bags were in bits! That was then! So,in order to sort I need time and someone to help get up there for me! My sons live far away and abroad, so no help there. They have said take pics of things like their school work I diligently kept, then chuck… unless the squirrels got them! I have enough going on in my daily life and I live alone …so I sympathise. Employing someone to do all that seems wrong…and likely to be expensive! I had my overgrown medium sized garden and yard just cleared and pressure washed recently. Looks a lot better , but will grow again. 2 men took around 3 hours … £400! Can’t afford it! Good Luck I know how you feel!

My loft is large and chocoblock, as are two spare rooms, my intention is to do one cupboard every week, or one loft box, hopefully this time next year ( if I’m spared) things will be clearer, if I’m not spared the children have a lot to do

My late father-in-law had hoarded decades of 'stuff' in their huge loft. When they were getting very old, my mother-in-law kept asking him to sort it out, otherwise my husband and I would have to do it when they had died. He would shrug and say 'well I'll be dead, so I won't know anything about it'. And yes, they both died and we had the burden of clearing out all this stuff that meant nothing to us, but had meant something to them. Now I make sure I keep decluttering as I go on, as I wouldn't want to put that burden on anyone else. I agree with others re putting things into three piles: for me it's - charity shop/bin/keep. It really helps concentrate the mind.

Vintagegirl

I try and enforce policy of not adding to stuff in attic so if someone is put up there, something else must come down. Same for clothes/shoes, not so easy!

Is your attic the first place to look for a missing person 😂