Bus Driver is right -- People are the key! Toddlerhood is the best time to start teaching self-responsibility as well as family participation. Teach them to pick up and put away toys that are not actually being played with -- if Susie has dolls out, they go back on the shelf before the puzzle comes out. Boxes for some of those shelves will be helpful -- a toddler can understand putting all the trucks into a 'garage box' whereas neatly lining up the trucks on the shelf is probably too advanced. A 10-minute nighty-check to be sure all toys are put away is a good habit to get into, especially if any un-put-away toys disappear overnight. I never mentioned more than once that X should be put away. I used a duffel bag instead of a garage box, and toys had to be earned back with age-appropriate chores. If you haven't already been doing this, the move is an excellent time to start nice habits for a nice home. Consistent age-appropriate rules, along with much praise for accomplishments will do wonders to corral potential mess. Oh, and the rules go for grown-ups, too. Put the magazine in the rack before answering the phone. If the TV is on [which hopefully is for no more than an hour a day], then all other entertainments should be off. If Junior wants to watch Sesame St while Suzie wants to read -- separate them! A special quiet reading area can be a blessing. I'm sure you've already gotten "food rules" in place, but remember that mummy and daddy are setting the example. If DH is going to have snacks on the sofa while watching TV, don't expect Junior to go along with keeping snacks in the kitchen. And if Junior has to remove muddy boots before getting a drink from the fridge, same goes for all regardless of age or species :) If daddy finishes reading the paper and then neatly folds up and puts it away, Sammy will find it easier to put away the Dr. Seuss books that aren't being looked at. A family is a group of people who support and love each other, in spite of each being an individual.

When I was younger, I moved frequently. Every move was an "opportunity" to go thru all my belongings and discard things I no longer used. I can't tell you how many food containers and butter tubs I chucked! A renovation is like a move. You do have to handle everything you own, even if it's just "the upstairs". It gives you a chance to see everything, decide if you love it/use it and to find a permanent place for it. Have fun!

Claire, I am a work in progress with a real ability to lapse if I don't exercise constant vigilance. My house had descended into a more chaotic condition than it had been for several years between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I almost spent $70 on replacement earphones which turned up when I attacked the pile of magazines which had somehow accumulated on a chair :) As I go through my stuff, I do find it helpful to try to keep in mind the psychological reasons that I find it hard to get rid of things -- obviously different types of objects evoke different emotions in terms of why it is so hard to let go. But as I get rid of stuff, the fear lessens as I realize that instead of diminishing my life, getting rid of the stuff enhances it for so many reasons. This morning I did my spices -- boy did it feel good to pour down the old spices, replace with the fresher duplicates and make my whole spice/cooking area much more accessible.

Check out under-the-bed storage for your shoes -- keep shoe smells away from your clothes. Alternately, consider a vertical drawer -- preferably with level shelves -- for most of your shoes and purses and other accessories. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/77/cb/28/77cb287ba48b1523307c9d87cf7acda1--shoe-shelves-shoe-storage.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fc/e4/c4/fce4c4e15fc74bb77dcd43eeba786464--wardrobe-design-shoe-cabinet.jpg If you don't have a lot of shoes and/or boots, something like this could be useful. https://www.interdesignusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1000_Square_JPG-04481-Environment-870x870.jpeg If you have a pair of sweaty running shoes that you don't want near your bed, you could put a shoe holder on the back of your bathroom door. If closet space is limited, you may want to invest in or build storage space for your clothes and/or shoes. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cf/9a/55/cf9a55ce3042e5f438cfb7273c68b367--shoe-storage-cabinet-entryway-shoe-storage.jpg https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjYyWDEwMDc=/$T2eC16Z,!wsE9suwyRubBRQpC99!2Q~~48_20.JPG If you don't have a chest of drawers or high boy for all your folded clothes, choose shelves but don't waste money on baskets -- they shrink the room you have -- except, possibly, for a really high top shelf and/or a bottom shelf where seeing what you're reaching for and/or pulling out one item could become a chore. If you are interested in a DIY project: There are a lot of older (analog) tv cabinets in used furniture stores, thrift stores, Habitat for Humanity Restore Stores and some of them are quality pieces of furniture with doors that, by replacing the plywood on the back (where holes for wiring are usually located) and adding a couple of shelves could be made into an excellent cabinet for storing folded clothes. Good luck w/your project.