Spring is finally here, hurrah! Which traditionally means it will soon be time to start getting rid of all the things you no longer want to keep, in order to make room to store the things you do, and where better to kick things off than with the loft.

That’s right, your loft has probably seen its fair share of inaction over the past twelve months or so, gathering dust and old belongings since the last time you were up there. It’s not a very nice thought at all. With the bank holiday fast approaching, why not use this time to sort everything you no longer need and give the entire place a much-needed Spring Clean. After all, once that loft of yours is nice and tidy, you might discover a more pragmatic use instead of simply hoarding your old rubbish.

So with that being said, here’s a few hints and tips to help make clearing out your loft a whole lot easier:

Be ruthless

When it comes to sorting old belongings, deciding what to keep and what to throw away, sentiment can sometimes get the better of us. In the end, you’ve got to ask yourself: “Do you really, really need it anymore?”

Chances are, if you have stored it in the loft - a place you seldom visit - then you probably don’t use it much. Be ruthless. Get rid of anything that you don’t use or need anymore.

Don’t worry about letting things go to waste

Sometimes it’s difficult to throw things away if we think they’re going to end up unused. “Somebody might have a use for this someday,” we often tell ourselves… but someday never comes.

Be mindful that your local tip will be able to re-use many of the old things you find in your loft, from electronics to furniture, even if they are a little damaged. While charity shops can give your old belongings a good home whilst making money for a very worthy cause. So there’s no need to worry about letting anything go to waste.

Be careful

Clearing out your loft isn’t exactly the most dangerous task in the world - not unless you’re going to need a machete to hack your way through - but as with any physical chore, there’s always the risk of injury.

Make sure you have a properly installed loft ladder. This is by far the safest way of getting up into your loft and coming back down again, whether your carrying items or not. Regular ladders and stepladders aren’t stable enough and could lead to trip or fall.

Don’t overload yourself when carrying old belongings down from the loft, and always have a second person to lend a hand if you feel you can’t manage something by yourself.