$500 and Under: Embrace organization

By Elizabeth Gehrman, Globe Correspondent

“Sort your stuff and get storage bins,” says Hirsch. “Any room can benefit from that, whether it’s your office or the kids’ bedroom or the entryway.” Shop for supplies at places like the Container Store, IKEA, and Target. In the kitchen, consider lid racks, pullout trash bins, and back-of-the-door spice racks, and add a freestanding cart or island to fill with small appliances and cookbooks. For children’s rooms, shelves with canvas bins conveniently stash toys, while organizing the closet by clothes’ colors or sizes can help with the morning rush. And even the dingiest basement can be brightened up with a fresh coat of white waterproof paint, a shelving rack, and some bright, coordinating colored boxes from the storage section of your local big-box store — use one for extra electrical supplies such as extension cords and adapters, one for paint brushes, one for tape and twine, and so forth. Finish the revamp with one folding table for screwdrivers, hammers, pliers, and power tools, and another for gardening supplies, from potting soil to extra planters.

Cost to organize one room: $450