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Make a Plan, Sort Your Stuff

Do you long to get organized? Wouldn't it be nice to go to a closet and not be faced with an avalanche of clothing each time you open the door?

The solution, of course, is simple organization.

"Americans have accumulated mountains of clothing, household tools, recreational equipment, and seasonal decor that have taken over every inch of their closets, garages, attics and basements," said Mark Hillman, vice president of home organization at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse.

The average homeowner spends some 25 minutes a day "looking for things," Hillman said. "That's the equivalent of wasting nearly a week each year just trying to find the stuff in your own home."

A variety of affordable and achievable storage solutions can trim your search time significantly.

Remember these basic tips when organizing your home:

• Tackle one room at a time
• Prioritize projects to solve the most urgent storage challenges
• Group similar items
• Consider all available options and be creative. Shelves that typically are used in garages can be painted and used inside the house too.
• Allocate space for storage according to use and needs.

What are Your Biggest Organizing Challenges?

Begin any home organization makeover by focusing on areas that are most troubling.

• Do your coat closets bulge? Pack away lightweight jackets that you won't wear for months and consider giving away spare jackets that family members have out-grown.
• Are piles of sweaters, hats and pants constantly toppling off your closet shelves? See-through boxes protect sweaters and other items from dust while keeping them organized in neat stacks upon shelves or under beds.
• Are you parking in the driveway because the garage is a mess of willy-nilly storage? Resolve this month to hang shelves, ceiling hooks or other storage options to finally get the mess off your floor.
• Free up space on your kitchen counters with under-counter appliance holders and microwave carts.
• Adding a lazy Susan to corner cabinets allows easy access to otherwise hard-to-reach spots.

What Organizing Products Should You Buy?

Shop for remedies after your plan takes shape. Take room measurements along on your shopping trip, so you can more accurately determine your storage needs. At Lowe's customers can plot storage areas with room dimensions on graph paper. The information is faxed to a manufacturer who can generate drawings and a materials list to the customer at no cost. You can also get storage expertise on-line at Lowes.com -- click on "Let's Get Organized."

Next: > How to Organize Holiday Decorations

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