How to Make Your Disorganized House a Home

Designate a space such as a basement or spare room for piling all the clutter into for sorting.

Make a sweep of every room. Throw out rubbish, place items that have a home in the correct place, and take items that belong in another room -- such as your child's toys -- to the correct room. Take items that don't have a home or that are no longer wanted to the designated clutter-sorting room.

Take three boxes to the clutter room and label them "sell," "donate" and "unsure." Sort through the clutter, placing each item in the appropriate box. Take the box of items to be donated to your local charity shop, organize a garage sale or head to a car boot sale with the box labelled "sell." Place the "unsure" box to one side for now. It's easier to sort this last box when the rest of your home is thoroughly organized, as you will know how much spare room you have for the items it contains.

Sort through closets and drawers and remove any clothing that no longer fits or is never used. These items can then be taken out of the house to a charity shop. If you have lots of clothing without a home, add shelving or storage solutions such as closets and chests of drawers. This way, clothing can be put away neatly out of sight, rather than thrown on the back of a chair. Under-bed storage boxes are an efficient way to store winter clothes during the summer and summer clothes during the winter.

Hang coats on the back of closet doors so they are neatly out of the way and easily accessible. Place a shoe rack in the hallway or front porch to stack shoes neatly rather than heaped on top of each other as you come in through the front door.

Store kids' toys in boxes, and stack these neatly along one wall of the child's bedroom or on shelves. If your kids like to bring lots of toys into the living room to play with, add a storage solution such as a blanket chest or storage ottoman.

Work systematically through kitchen and pantry cupboards. Discard anything that's past its use-by date, give the space a good clean and add storage tins and boxes to place everything back neatly. Label the boxes appropriately, such as "kids' baking," "herbs and spices," "holiday baking" and "kids' treats."

Use a bookcase to store books neatly. If you run out of room, add shelves or another bookcase if you have the space. Place a magazine rack by the side of the sofa to store magazines neatly instead of being strewn across the coffee table.