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When you’ve moved home and all of your furniture, clothing, pots and pans seem to be cluttering up your new space it's easy to be disheartened and think you’ll never get everything unpacked and put away in the right place.

But now that your struggle with estate agents and removal companies is over we have a few tips that could help you get on top of things and make the aftermath of the last few hectic weeks of packing a bit easier and more enjoyable.

Everyone knows that moving house is the ideal time to take stock of your belongings and decide what your going to keep, where they are going to be stored or displayed and what really need replacing.

• Does your furniture fit in your new space?
• Does the style match that of your new home?
• Do you need more storage?

The first thing to do is have a good look at your new home. In your initial viewing you probably didn’t take stock of how big the cupboards were or even how many! Explore every room, including loft space, sheds and garages – you may even find a few nice surprises!

Bedroom

The first thing to do in the bedroom is make the beds & hang the curtains. Having fresh clean bed linen really make a difference and will help you to feel more relaxed and at home, the addition of curtains means you can slip straight into bed after a difficult day of unpacking & decision making.

Bathroom

Ideally, your new bathroom would have enough storage space to keep your lotions and potions hidden away and dust free (anything to make bathroom cleaning quicker!). Maybe somewhere to store towels other than in another room or an airing cupboard? What about a laundry bin that doubles as a shelving unit? Making decisions now will save you time & money later on.

Living Room

Our main living space should be calm, neat and tidy, but we all know that this is an ideal which is rarely achievable. Unless you think outside the box – or rather put things inside! Why not use a coffee table with built in storage drawers? How about a neat looking cupboard which can hide away all of your CD’s, DVD’s and books? Maybe a tall thin set of shelves to provide maximum storage and display area but using very little floor space.

Above all keep a few simple rules in mind when arranging your new home:

• Do you use it?
• Does it do the job effectively?
• Does it look good?
• Do you need it?

The golden rule is: if its broken, out of date, doesn’t fit, no use to you or anyone you know – throw it away or, these days: sell it at a car boot, online or in the free papers – make your unwanted items into cash so you can buy things you need & want for your new home!

Life is full of stuff! Everywhere you look in your home or at work there are things that you need and use but you don’t really want to see them every day.

It’s time to declutter your life! It’s a lot easier than you think too! Make it easy - just take one room or cupboard at a time.

• What do I Use? Make a list of what you use often, seldom and never – then put all of the “never” items into a drawer or box – if you haven’t gotten them out of the box in a month chances are you don’t need them at all. Why do you have them? This is usually the worst in the kitchen, be ruthless!


• Grouping possessions. It may seem like the simplest thing but where is your CD collection? Is it all in one place, are they easy to view & select? Or are there some in the kitchen, living room, bedrooms and some in the office? Are they all in their matching cases? Collect all similar items together, from CD’s to shoes, from make-up to DIY tools. You will be amazed at how much you have! Then you can work out how and where to store them.
• Use them or try them on. If you have a massive clothing collection that spills out of your wardrobe and drawers? The best thing to do is spend a few hours and try everything on. It may seem a bit drastic but those clothes that do not fit, are way out of fashion, have buttons missing, holes or marks are cluttering up your space. Make three piles: keep, charity and throw away (if your indecisive have a ‘maybe’ pile too – if you haven’t taken it out of the pile in six months then you don’t need it)
• Is it out of date? Check all of the food items in your kitchen cupboards, chances are you will have things at the back that are out of date, remember to check herbs and spices too – we all have some that we seldom use. Check all of your lotions and potions, many will be either old or only have a small quantity left in them. Mix old body lotions, shower gels etc in one tub or bottle if you don’t want to throw them out.
• Paperwork. We all have mounds of paper in our homes. Mostly old bills and bank statements. Group these together an only keep the most recent year or 2 years – shred & recycle the rest. Find one place to keep them tidy, maybe buy a filing box or cabinet – then when a new letter comes in just file it away with the others.

Once you’re done you’ll be a lot more organised, decluttering really helps to simplify your life – getting rid of those everyday niggles when you can’t find your car insurance, a certain lipstick or the right screwdriver.

Generally the bathroom is still the smallest room in the house averaging about 8ft x 6ft (2.4m x 1.8m) Therefore it is important to consider the function of your bathroom: what items you would like it to contain, the size and position or structural feature such as doors, windows and radiators and also who uses the bathroom.

The bathroom should be a place that is relaxing, uncluttered, organised and has tons of storage for all of your toiletries, towels, spare loo rolls and even cleaning equipment. It should be easy to move around, easy to clean and low maintenance. You should be able to switch off, unwind and feel comfortable and surround yourself in nice smells and textures but also be functional for those moments when you have very little time to get ready.

You don't need to be an interior design expert or have training in Feng Shui to get it right - here are our tips:

• Who uses it: Is your bathroom just for adults or is it for children too? If you have children then a small glass sink may not be the way to go, also just having a shower when you have small children is not a great idea. Think about who uses the space and for what purpose. Do you have another separate loo? If so your bathroom can be your relaxing spa. Do you have small children? If so you’ll need a practical space that’s easy to move around.
• Items: Apart from the loo and basin, what other hardware would you like? A bath or shower, or even both! How about a bidet? Would you like enclosed or open storage, wall mounted or floor standing? Do you want your linen basket to be in there? Decide on your ideal items and research types available. As a rule of thumb a white suite is always the safest bet for longevity of style as it has the widest appeal and matches any colour scheme you introduce.
• Size: Draw a scale model of your bathroom on paper or on computer; mark the position of doors, windows, radiators and the existing plumbing. Now create same scale templates of the hardware you have decided upon and move them around until you get a layout that you are happy with. Next make full size templates out of scrap or old newspaper and try them for real in your bathroom – it’s the only way to make a fully informed decision. Remember that strategically placed mirrors can make a small bathroom look brighter and larger.
• Storage: What do you keep in your bathroom? Base your storage on what you have with the capacity for 30% more space, that way you should never run out of room!

Whatever you decide upon, with a bathroom its always advisable to buy the best you can afford. You use your bathroom every day so it has a lot of wear and tear. Better to spend a little more now than have to replace an item sooner than you'd bargained for and pay twice!

Colour can be one of the most difficult things to get right. Either you’re confident with colour or you’re not, there is no in between, where do you start when redecorating? Here is our easy guide to choosing the right colour for each room and to match you and your lifestyle:

BROWN Brown is the colour of: calm, depth, security, practicality, natural organisms, nature, richness, stability, tradition, boorishness, dirt, dullness, filth, heaviness, poverty, roughness, earth, down-to-earth, stimulates appetite, wholesomeness, steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, dependability.
Good for: living rooms, bedrooms
Bad for: kitchens
TOP TIP: Brown can be a dull, lifeless colour so why not liven it up a bit by adding a splash or aqua, orange or even hot pink!

WHITE White is the colour of: light, goodness, reverence, purity, truth, snow, peace, innocence, virginity, cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, sterility, emptiness, winter, coldness, holiness, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, fright, unimaginative, air, fire, death, hope, silence, safety, weddings, perfection.
Good for: woodwork, bathrooms, kitchens
Bad for: baby’s rooms as provides no stimulation
TOP TIP: If you like the idea of white but think it's too harsh why not try adding a hint of colour to it which will soften the effect whilst keeping the purity of the idea.

PINK Pink is the colour of: femininity, grace, spring, gratitude, appreciation, admiration, innocence, sympathy, femininity, health, romance, love, homosexuality, bisexuality.
Good for: children’s rooms
Bad for: main living areas, hallways
TOP TIP: Pink can be very girlie and twee. To counteract this why not introduce hints of dark charcoal or black to make it more grown up.

RED Red is the colour of: joy, passion, romance, strength, courage, energy, fire, love, sexuality, excitement, spiciness, speed, heat, willpower, leadership, embarrassment, masculinity, power, danger, gaudiness, blood, war, rage, anger, revolution, radicalism, socialism, communism, anger, aggression, stop, respect, Christmas
Good for: dining rooms, kitchens.
Bad for: bedrooms, bathrooms, children’s rooms
TOP TIP: Red is a colour that projects forward, use it on the end wall of a long room to make it appear closer.

ORANGE Orange is the colour of: Hinduism, Buddhism, energy, balance, success, encouragement, stimulation, heat, fire, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, caution, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, vibrancy, warmth, cheerfulness, arrogance, attraction, gaudiness, over-emotion, warning, danger, energetic, desire, health, strength, endurance, thought to aid digestion.
Good for: kitchens, dining rooms
Bad for: bedrooms
TOP TIP: Like red, orange is an advancing colour and is best used sparingly on accessories or a feature wall.

YELLOW Yellow is the colour of: energy, spring, joy, cowardliness, tartness, freshness, illness, caution, sunlight, joy, happiness, earth, optimism, idealism, wealth (gold), summer, hope, air, liberalism, cowardice, illness, caution, decay, sickness, jealously, hazards, dishonesty, avarice, weakness, greed, femininity, intellect, gladness, sociability, summer, friendship, deceit, hazard signs.
Good for: kitchens, north-facing rooms
Bad for: bedrooms, baby’s rooms
TOP TIP: yellow is a brightening but unsettling colour do not use in rooms that you relax in.

GREEN Green is the colour of: nature, bad spirits, spring, fertility, youth, environment, wealth, good luck, vigour, generosity, go, grass, aggression, inexperience, envy, misfortune, coldness, jealousy, illness, greed, life eternal, air, sincerity, hope, renewal, natural abundance, growth, health, balance, harmony, stability.
Good for: bedrooms, living rooms
Bad for: offices, kitchens
TOP TIP: Green is a very laid back, restful colour so be careful when using it in workspaces.

BLUE Blue is the colour of: masculine, corporate, sadness, superiority, freshness, calmness, water, cleanliness, winter, seas, skies, peace, unity, harmony, tranquility, confidence, conservatism, ice, loyalty, dependability, technology, depression, coldness, idealism, obscenity, tackiness, air, wisdom, strength, steadfastness, light, friendliness, peace, truthfulness.
Good for: bedrooms, bathrooms
Bad for: kitchens, dining rooms
TOP TIP: Blue can be a cold, unwelcoming colour when it has hints of green choose a blue with a hint of red to warm up your colour scheme.

PURPLE Purple is the colour of: luxury, power, mystery, religion, maturity, and richness, sensuality, spirituality, creativity, wealth, royalty, nobility, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, enlightenment, arrogance, flamboyance, gaudiness, mourning, profanity, exaggeration, confusion, pride, riches, romanticism, delicacy, power, ambition, extravagance, dignity, independence, mystery, magic.
Good for: children's rooms, bedrooms
Bad for: kitchens, main living areas
TOP TIP: Purple is a very strong colour, you either love it or hate it, use sparingly or use lighter hues.

BLACK Black is the colour of: modernity, power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, style, evil, death, fear, anonymity, anger, sadness, remorse, mourning, unhappiness, mysterious, sex, seriousness, conventionality, rebellion, sorrow, the unknown, strength.
Good for: accessories, trims
Bad for: using as a base colour – use in moderation
TOP TIP: Black can bring strength the other wishy-washy colours. Use as an accent only

Remember that when choosing colour find your textiles (curtains, cushions, rugs) first as you can always match a paint colour to them much easier than trying to do it the other way round!

How to make your room appear larger:

• Keep all surfaces the same colour – including furniture, even large items will seem to shrink as they blend in.
• Keep your floor light in colour and only use one type of flooring as it visually expands the space.
• Similarly the ceiling should be light as it will appear higher – this is particularly good in shorter rooms. Whatever colour you choose should be lightest in tone at the top of the room graduating to darker at floor level.
• Is it best to uses “cool” colours like greens and blues as they recede and trick the eye into thinking they are further away.
• Limit your furniture or choose smaller, compact pieces – Does your sofa really need those big chunky arms? Do you really need that many side tables? Shouldn’t you have just one large storage shelf for all your bits and bobs?
• Use built in storage in alcoves or under stairs.
• If you have a flat-screen TV that can hang on the wall – do it !– it will free up precious floor space.

How to make your room cosier or smaller:

• Darker shades on the ceiling will make it seem lower.
• It is best to use warm shades such as yellows, oranges and reds as they visually project forward and appear closer.
• Use shades of the same colour to create focal point behind a sofa, sideboard, fireplace etc to draw your eye in.
• Ground your room and create zones as this will give purpose to areas and break up a large space – arrange sofas around a large rug with a coffee table, hang a large photo or painting over an occasional table, group potted plants together.
• Create levels – a room will feel much large if all of the furniture is below waist level – use standard lamps, tall leafy foliage plants and large artwork to break up the space.

How to make a long thin hall appear shorter and wider:

• Paint the end wall a dark shade and it will seem closer.
• Repeat wall hangings such as paintings, photos or mirrors in the centre of the longest wall in a row to focus your eye on the centre of the space – only do this on one side as you risk making the room narrow.
• If you have wood or wood effect floors make sure the strips run side to side which will make the room seem wider and more in proportion.

How to create visual flow into your outdoor space:

• Try to use the same type of flooring inside and out – this will create a visual flow.
• Use plants in similar pots both inside and out.
• If possible paint a wall or fence or even a bench or pots in the same colour as your inside space.
• Create a visual entryway in your garden directly in front of the doorway from your home or position a focal point, a fountain, sculpture, specimen plant in full view.

When choosing furniture it’s usually for one of three reasons: either you are replacing something that is old, worn or broken, you need more storage / surfaces or you simply just feel like a change.

Whichever your reason it’s always best to plan ahead, weigh up all the options and then search for the best price.

PLANNING AHEAD

Firstly you need to consider where the item will be situated in your home:

• If it’s for a bathroom for example having a wipe-clean none absorbent surface is important?
• In a hallway then maybe a unit with rounded corners that is not very deep would be a good idea? Most furniture can be multi use – a small telephone table is great in a hallway or living room but equally suits being a bedside table or could be storage in your bathroom.
• Will it fit in your room? Measure out the “footprint” of the item onto a sheet of newspaper or cardboard and position it where you want it to go. Maybe stack books up at each end to simulate the height of the item and make sure it doesn’t obstruct doors, windows, plug sockets or your view of the TV! Check and double check sizes as there’s nothing more disappointing then buying the perfect piece and finding out that it just won’t fit or that it is way too small.
• Consider your colour scheme and existing finishes: If it needs to complement or match existing items then it may be worth asking for colour swatches or buying items from the same range. Remember it’s always best to match paint colours to your hard and soft furnishings as you can always get the perfect matching colour mixed at your local diy store.

WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?

You should always consider what you need the item for. For example you may think you only want a simple table, but would a table with an extra shelf near the floor or underneath the top be better, maybe one with a drawer would enable you to tidy away your remote controls or TV listing magazines?

Whatever your needs here are some simple rules:

• COFFEE TABLES – size is most important, make sure you can walk all of the way around it and if you’re sitting on your sofa your legs are not cramped. Does it have additional storage?
• SIDE / END / TELEPHONE / BEDSIDE TABLES – Again size is the most important here. Maybe you could use a small set of shelves instead? Maybe use an upholstered storage pouffe as an alternative?
• CHESTS OF DRAWERS – Make sure you have enough room to extend each drawer, if you want to use these for media storage find out the interior measurements of the drawers to see if your CD’s or DVD’s will fit. Find out what kind of runners the drawers have – plastic is fine for most purposes but wood is better if you wish to store heavy items.
• SHELVES – Firstly what are they for, displaying or storage? Do they have open or closed backs? How tall are they – will you need to attach them to the wall to prevent tipping? If so are wall fixings included? How deep are the shelves? Are the shelves fully adjustable? Can you purchase additional shelves if necessary?
• TV / ENTERTAINMENT UNITS - Will your TV fit on top? How large are the shelf sections, will they fit your audio-visual equipment? Are they adjustable? Are there gaps at the back for plugs to fit through? How heavy is it?
• SIDEBOARDS / CUPBOARDS – Make sure the items you want to keep in these will fit – if you want to use as a drinks cabinet make sure the shelves are adjustable or tall enough for this. Make sure there is enough room to extend the drawers and open the doors. How deep is the unit?
• DISPLAY CABINETS – The most important thing in display units is that the height will fit in your room. Will the door open fully? Are the shelves adjustable & what are they made from? Does is have an integrated light? Is the glass tempered (safety glass)

TIME TO GO SHOPPING?

Well now you know where you want it to go, how big it needs to be and what features it needs you can start shopping! There are many websites which can help you if you want to do an online search – Amazon and Ebay being the most popular and great to use as a starting point – a simple Google search can be quite helpful too. Otherwise try your local shopping centres or retail parks – if you find an item you like try searching for cheaper prices online too – you could save a bundle.

Just remember the same item may be available from many retailers for differing prices and many have mid-season sales so you could pick up a real bargain. Just remember all of your hard work getting to this point – try not to compromise too much on what you have already decided will be your “perfect” item. Don’t be in a rush, take your time and make sure it’s right, and don’t just buy something because its cheap if it doesn’t have the drawer you need or its 10cm too wide or the wrong colour, it won’t look right and you will regret it in the long run.

Especially during the credit crunch it's easy to think we are stuck with what we have in our homes when we can easily change our rooms for little or no money. Why go out and buy all new items when you could move your furniture and ornaments around and create a totally new fresh look?

Has one or more of your rooms been stuck in a rut, why not empty the room and move things around for a virtually free makeover? Most of us have colour co-ordinated ornaments, throws etc that we've put in the back of a cupboard, in the loft or are using in another room. If you’re feeling adventurous do more that one room at once. Most of our ideas will cost you nothing at all and others are very cheap to implement. So why not have a go, it's cheap, it's easy and it's great fun too!

EMBRACE YOUR COLLECTIONS

Create spots in your home to feature your collections or special ornaments. Sometimes when you have similar items like teapots, rocks and fossils or teddy's, for example sometimes it's best to keep them in once place to really show off your treasures. Go around your house and gather them all up and find a suitable place to make them a feature for you and other to marvel at and enjoy.

SYMMETRY CAN BE BORING

Although we all love to be symmetrical and create order amongst our possessions sometimes it can flatten a space, even moving all of your ornaments or candles to one side of the mantelpiece can really make a difference and add some movement to your room. Take broadsheet newspapers with their regimented columns of text in comparison to tabloids with random images and headlines - aren't they more exciting to look at? Why not hang paintings in a random pattern OR keep your artwork in line (at eye level of course) and move your furniture around the room or just change the angles. You'll be surprised what a little time it takes and what an impact it can have.

ARTY FARTY

Update your pictures and prints by changing the frames or even painting them. You can make such a difference by adding coloured borders to help small images look good in a bigger frame or even collage multiple smaller images together in a large frame either in a uniform or a freeform way. Hang them in groups of varying sized frames for a "shabby chic" look. If you don't have any pictures or prints why not use clippings from magazines or newspapers - you can find lots of beautiful images, especially from high-end perfume or clothing adverts. Or try painting plain wood or MDF boards in different tones to compliment your colour scheme and hang close together. You can even use old LP covers for a stylish alternative to traditional art. You don't even need to hang your new artwork up, lean them in groups against a wall or on a shelf or mantelpiece, display them on an artists easel - the only limit is your imagination.

DONT BE STUCK IN A CORNER

If you have any empty corners your eye is instantly drawn to them, and they look a lot larger than they actually are. Why not add a feature plant, lamp or hang a picture or some wall art to visually fill them up.

ADD SOME LIFE

Brighten and liven up any space by bringing the outside in. If your lucky enough to have a garden cut some flowers or nice foliage, leafy twigs or maybe grasses or twigs and arrange simply in a vase, bowl or even a large drinking glass or jug. It really doesn't need to be expensive to add an explosion of colour or texture and add an extra bit of oomph to your rooms.

ISLANDS APART

When using rugs try to tie them into another piece of furniture. Rugs shouldn't just float on your floor like a desert island, tuck them up to your sofas or fireplaces, ground them with a coffee table, ottoman or pouffe. Make sure they are big enough proportionally to your room aswell, too large and you should have bought a carpet, too small and it'll look like a stepping stone and may as well not be there at all.

LIGHTEN UP

Lighting is one of the most important aspects to any room, you can create a cosy romantic room by just dimming your main light or using lamps instead. There are three main types of lighting: Functional, Accent and Task. Functional lighting is usually the main room light situated in your ceiling, adding a dimmer to this can help you change the mood of your room instantly and at very little cost too. Accent lighting can be anything from table and floor lamps or picture lights to small spotlights in your potted plants, they should show off and light up the rooms best features. Task lighting is the day to day lighting such as reading lamps or under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, this can be concealed if you wish or made into a feature by purchasing contemporary lamps which resemble sculpture or ornaments when not lit.

GO WITH THE FLOW

Are your kids / husband / pets always getting in the way when you’re watching TV? Do you trip over a potted plant, a heap of shoes or bump into "that" table every time you go to the kitchen? Do you have to move the ironing board or washing basket every time you need to go in a certain cupboard? Creating alternative routes around your home, for example behind the sofa not in front if it can really make a difference. Change the way the traffic flows in your house and your daily life flows more easily.

DEFINE, DEFINE, DEFINE

Have you always wanted to read in natural light? Move an armchair near a window and add a table for your mid-morning cuppa. It's all about simplifying your life. Would you keep your jumpers more accessible than your sandals in summer? See what we mean? Work out how you use your house, and then work out how to use it better. Make a list of things you've always wanted, a stool near your wardrobe for when you put your shoes on, a shelf near the door for important bits and bobs your have to take out every day. It’s up to you - define your space for YOU.

Even if you choose to only do one room it'll mentally brighten and rejuvenate your home making it a fresher and nicer place to live. And let's face it, what have you got to lose, most of our ideas are free and all you need spend is a little time.