Conquer Clutter

Be ruthless as you go about purging your belongings. If you haven't used it in three months box it up and store it away; if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it.

You don't have to whittle that drastically, but take a hard look at what you have and ask yourself what you can live without. "You really only need two pieces of furniture per wall: a bed and a nightstand, or a dresser and a chair," While you're doing this sometimes-painful pruning, remind yourself that every square foot you free up is prime real estate.