It is a growing trend in households across the nation to have too much stuff, or at the least, more stuff than there is space to store it. The accumulation of “stuff” can get out of control pretty quickly if it is not dealt with in an efficient and effective manner. It is important to remember that if you don’t stay on top of managing your belongings, then your belongings will end up managing you. A cluttered and overly-stuffed house affects productivity, peoples’ moods, and anxiety levels.

Here are some tips to help you save space in your home:

1. Have two levels of bars to hang your clothes on in the closet

Fit your closet to have two bars for clothes, ideally one above the other  so you can hang shirts and tops on the upper level and pants and bottoms on the lower level. This maximizes the space in your closet and will probably clear up some boxes or piles of clothes that you have stacked elsewhere because you now have twice the room for hanging in the same amount of space.

2. Be sure you have shelves and drawers in your closet

When you are organizing your closet, make sure you have a variety of shelves for larger or bulkier items, such as sweaters or delicates that shouldn’t be hung on hangers, and drawers for smaller items that need to stay together like socks and underwear. This will keep these items from overtaking the space in your bedroom, under the beds, etc.

3. Use the space under the bed

Don’t neglect to use the space under your bed in an organized and efficient manner. Don’t just shove stuff under randomly; install a sliding drawer underneath or else place objects in a plastic bin that you can easily pull out when you want to access the items inside. If you’re not using the space under the bed, you’re losing a wealth of potential storage space.

4. Store Upwards

Do whatever you can to store vertically, not horizontally. If you only store things horizontally, you’ll run out of space much more quickly than if you go horizontally then stack vertically as well. For example, get a tower rack for the shower. Instead of having bottles and soap and loofahs on every corner of the tub, you’ll have them on shelves in just one corner of the tub. Utilize this method whenever and wherever possible.

5. Use plastic bins

Plastic bins will help you immeasurably to be able to store upwards. If you have a bunch of small things that can’t be stacked, put them in a stackable bin and start stacking. Vertical problem solved.

6. Use a filing cabinet

Few things contribute to space occupation and clutter as much as paperwork. If you need to keep certain bits of paperwork separated, many people end up with stacks of paper everywhere, each of them taking up valuable space. Get a filing cabinet and you can keep all the paperwork contained in one compact space, and still separated. Plus the top of the cabinet can then act as another shelf for other items.

7. Use hanging racks in the garage

Don’t forget the value of the ceiling, especially in the garage. Many families hang their bikes from the ceiling. They’re still easy to take off and use whenever they want, but are no longer taking up valuable floor space. Same with sporting equipment.

8. Get rid of stuff

Perhaps the easiest and most efficient way to save or otherwise clear up space in your home is simply to have less stuff. Junk removal companies can be your best friend for this. Whether it’s large furniture you don’t need and can’t sell, or waste removal that you need after clearing out all the stuff that is no longer usable, you can hire someone to haul it away for you and voila: lots of space, lots of peace of mind.