As the cold-weather months begin, it’s time to think about rotating out summer gear to make space for everything you will need for fall and set up a revolving seasonal storage system.

We spoke with professional organizer Annie Irvin from The Occasional Wife, an event and organizing service. She had some simple tips for getting started. For her, it’s all about bins.

“I always recommend getting clear plastic bins and putting big labels on them. Keep in mind, if you’re not in temperature-controlled storage, that label can come off, so being able to see what’s in the container is important.”

She suggests sorting items by category and by family member.

“That way, each person has all their things for different occasions stored in their own separate bins. Then they just have to pull one bin out.”

She suggests setting up a deep shelf system so your bins can be pulled easily. You can build your own or buy one at an organization or hardware store.

Annie added that there’s a psychic benefit to clearing out items.

“Having everything in your closet is a hindrance. You can’t see what you have and you forget what you own, then you end up acquiring more things and that’s how people become over-cluttered,” she says. “I’ve seen people literally relax before my eyes after we’ve cleared out a space. It’s like they can breathe again.”

If you haven’t set up your belongings for the rotation process before, here’s a quick guide to help get you sorted:

• Store Summer Gear at the End of the Season
• Beach gear – surf boards, beach towels, sun umbrellas, bathing suits, folding chairs, tote bags
• BBQ grills
• Camping gear – tents, picnic baskets, lanterns, cooking supplies
• Clothing – shorts, sundresses, tank tops, sandals, sun hats
• Entertaining and holiday items –plasticware, Fourth of July and Easter décor
• Gardening gear – tools, lawn mowers, hedgers
• Patio and lawn furniture
• Sports equipment – baseball bats and gloves, bicycles, volleyballs and nets, etc.
• Swimming pool accessories – floats, pool noodles
• Water gear – boats, canoes, Jet Skis, scuba diving equipment

Pull Fall and Winter Gear at the Start of the Season

Clothing – Heavy coats, gloves, hats, boots

Guest items – bedding, extra towels, amenities

Holiday items – entertaining dishware and cooking utensils, decorations, and gift wrap

Snow plows, shovels, ice salts

Sports equipment – ice skates, snowboards, skis and hockey gear

By rotating your items seasonally, you’ll create more space in your home to enjoy all the festivities of the season and have just what you need at hand.