When you’re embarking on a renovation project, it’s a good idea to clear as much space as possible before the chaos ensues. Think about what you want and need in your new room, and thoroughly declutter the area. Follow these tips for clearing, organizing and storing to ensure your building work creates as little upheaval as possible.

Be systematic. Start sifting through your cupboards and bookshelves. If you need to pack up a room or two, now is a great time to assess what’s lurking in the back of your cabinets.

Pack frequently used items into transparent storage boxes. Label them clearly and move them to another room. They’ll be out of the way of dust and builders, but still easily accessible.

Items used less often can be packed in cardboard boxes and stored out of the way. Pack them carefully and label each box with the general contents. It’s a great idea to take photos of the box and label in its new location, so you can easily find things during the renovation or when you’re unpacking after the work is complete.

Organize 1: Hannah Brown, original photo on Houzz

Consider your needs. If you’re planning an interior remodel to change the way you use your space, think about why you want to change the layout. Do you need a safe play area for young children, or maybe a small office space to facilitate working from home?

Provide your designer or architect with as much information as possible about how you want to use your space, so he or she can make it really work for you. A good professional will listen and provide a solution tailored to your requirements. In this dining area, for example, the designer has incorporated neat wine storage beneath the bench seating.

Look at the space objectively. Once you have an idea of how you want your renovated space to look, you can plan your decluttering strategy. Take a few photos of your room and look at them with a friend or relative whose opinion you trust. Talk about what you need to take out to achieve your desired look. This will help motivate you as you declutter, getting rid of everything that doesn’t contribute toward your goal.

Also, think about whether you want to take on the mammoth task of decluttering yourself, or whether it’s worth calling in a professional organizer to help you declutter at the outset.

Organize 2: ZeroEnergy Design, original photo on Houzz

Use storage that moves. Plastic storage boxes on wheels will come in very handy, as you’ll probably be moving things around to give your builders access around the house.

If you’re planning a bedroom refurbishment, you’ll need to be selective about which clothes and toiletries you pack away and which you want to keep on hand for the duration of the improvements. A portable covered clothes rail and some lightweight drawers on wheels can store a capsule wardrobe and keep your clothes dust-free.

Think about daily routines. Most home remodeling projects involve some disruption, so plan ahead for changes to your daily routine. If you’re having your kitchen renovated, you could think about setting up a mini cook station elsewhere in the house. This could be something as simple as a table and microwave.

Related: Search for Console Tables

Alternatively, you could arrange to stay somewhere else for a while. Pets might also need a place to go; ask a friend to help out or research reputable pet sitters in your area.

Organize 3: Kelly Hoppen London, original photo on Houzz

Store valuables securely. While it’s important that you trust your builders, there will be periods during the renovation when your home will be left unlocked. It might possibly be without windows, doors and even walls at some point. In addition, a stream of tradespeople will be coming and going. So take precautions and keep valuables in a safe in your home, or in a deposit box off-site.

Make some room. Almost any renovation project will require you to be living in fewer rooms than usual, and these areas will probably need to be multifunctional. If you’re not going to keep all your room furniture when the work is finished, it’s a good idea to pass pieces on or sell them before the work starts. Decluttering prior to the renovation means you’ll have fewer items to move, pack, store and unpack once the work is finished.

If you’re planning to use a garage or loft for storage during the project, check in advance that large items will fit through doors and openings. Also, make sure you’ve cleared out sufficient space for the furniture to fit. Alternatively, you could rent a secure storage locker while the renovation is taking place.

Organize 4: The Posh Shed Company, original photo on Houzz

Don’t forget the outside. If your project involves some external work, do that outside decluttering you’ve been putting off. Clear away all those items you’ve left outside to deal with in the future, as the future has now arrived! Rent a dumpster or a van and get rid of your accumulated junk. If it’s not junk, add to your project budget by selling your unwanted possessions.

Gather everyday essentials. With all the disruption of a home improvement project, it’s crucial that you don’t lose essentials such as your keys, phone, chargers, project paperwork and tape measure. Consider setting up a special workstation to keep these necessities on hand.

By Hannah Young, Houzz

This fairy-tale phase of a home remodel is the tail end of any major project. The Honeymoon has come and gone. The Midproject Crisis has thankfully passed. The Renewal of Vows has given you the strength you need to continue on, and now we’re finally, and gratefully, just about out of phases. It’s time to wrap up this series on the ups and downs of remodeling by detailing the final few steps that are taken to complete a home remodel. What I call the Happily Ever After phase.

Ever After 1: Sophie Metz Design, original photo on Houzz

Whether you have experienced it, known someone who has gone through it or have only read about it, you’re probably familiar with what it’s like to be in love. Emotions run the gamut of excitement, happiness, giddiness and contentedness (as well as a wide range of others). The person in love is likely to be gushing about her beau or his sweetheart to anyone who will listen. It’s a time when even the most cynical of people looks at the world through rose-tinted glasses.

Moving back into a house after remodeling can be a bit like being in love. Are you not excited to use all your new appliances or plumbing fixtures? (Hello, new bathtub!) Is there not a smidge of giddiness as you think about coming home to your pristine new bathroom, kitchen or living room? Don’t deny it — you’re probably even babbling to the barista at Starbucks about your new space.

During this Happily Ever After stage, finally, the work is done! At last, there are no more nail guns and saws and vacuums making noise in your house. After months of destruction and disarray, it’s time to move back in and enjoy your home, sweet home, for the rest of your days (or at least until you sell it or remodel again). And though most of this phase is just you at last having the chance to enjoy the fruit of your general contractor’s labor, there are a few odds and ends that your contractor will be taking care of to make sure your Happily Ever After really lasts forever.

Ever After 2: chadbourne + doss architects, original photo on Houzz

• Cleaning. This probably will happen before you move back into your home (or at least it should). Since day one of demolition, dust and debris have been thrown into the air and, much to your contractor’s chagrin, have crept into other places in the house that weren’t touched in the remodel. Now’s the time to do an all-inclusive clean. No, the cleaners won’t do your laundry for you, but they’ll do just about everything else, from polishing the floors to dusting the ceiling fans. The end-of-project clean is like a cleansing spa day for your home.

• Final walk-through. The last walk-through ensures that you are completely satisfied with everything — and I mean everything — in your home. This is where you will have the chance to sit down and bring up all the odds and ends that you feel need to be addressed. This can be anything from “this faucet isn’t on straight” to “there’s a scratch on the new fridge” to “my shower isn’t draining correctly.”

  Contractors may vary on when they hold a final walk-through, but in my experience, it’s scheduled after the homeowners move back in and have a chance to use the new space. Your contractor should’ve caught just about everything during his or her own informal walk-throughs throughout the remodel, but sometimes there are items that just don’t come to the surface until a house is lived in.

Ever After 3: Collins & DuPont Design Group, original photo on Houzz

• Warranty begins. Most builders and remodelers have a warranty for their projects. The length and amount of coverage can vary, of course, but what remains constant is the promise to stand behind their work for any unforeseen circumstances that arise and need addressing. (Side note: If you’re looking at contractors right now, ask them about their warranty. This can be very telling of how they conduct their business. The more that contractors are willing to warrant their work — or the longer the warranty — the more effort they will put into getting the job done right the first time.)

  For some contractors, the warranty formally begins after the final walk-through is hosted and the last payment is received. After that, some will stand behind any light fixtures that fizzle, appliances that break, tiles that come loose — you name it. In an ideal world, everything would work right the first time, and it would work right forever. In our world, however, there are bad manufacturing batches and recalls and oversights that may need to be taken care of. Fear not. If you have selected the right remodeler, these issues will be handled.

Related: How Builders Deal With Problems Beyond the Warranty

Ever After 4: Mark Hickman Homes, original photo on Houzz

What else is involved in the Happily Ever After? Absolutely nothing. Take a deep breath in, let it out, look around your new place and smile, knowing that it’s all yours, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do you part. You get the picture.

By Hannah Kasper, Houzz