When you set out to do battle with your basement, start in one corner and make piles for donation, disposal, and dispersal (things that will go to other rooms in the house). Wait until the piles are sizable before making a trip to relocate them. For things that are going to stay in the basement, put like items together — sorting your stuff into categories will make it easier to decide what should be saved.

Here, how to create and maintain order in your basement:

Keep Things Accessible

Use easy-to-install, inexpensive shelving. Metal is better than wood, which can warp when it gets wet. Put boxes or loose items on shelves and you won't have to move a mountain of stuff to extricate one small thing. Store heavier items on lower shelves.

Contain and Climate-Proof

For storage, use waterproof plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes, which won't hold up to the average cellar's mushroom-friendly climate. Besides, "cardboard boxes are just ugly," says Karen Curtis, owner of Staged 2 Sell, a Salt Lake City home-beautification company.

Label What You Can't See

For a neat, uniform look, a label maker can't be beat. But if you're more interested in speed, blank adhesive labels and a Sharpie are just as effective. Label boxes on the sides, not the top, in case they get stacked. Make labels as specific as possible; what, after all, does miscellaneous tell you?

Protect Your Home's Working Parts — and Yourself

Keep a smoke detector and a fire extinguisher in the basement, and consider a carbon monoxide alarm (all available at hardware stores). Leave space around the furnace, the fuse box, the drain, and the water heater to allow easy access. Don't obscure or weaken pipes by hanging anything on them.

Light Up Dark Corners

Floor lamps will be ruined if the basement floods, and new ceiling lights can be costly. A trouble light, with a retractable cord and a hook goes where you need it and leaves your hands free. Keep a flashlight near the basement entrance in case of blackouts.

Keep Humidity at Bay

Install a self-draining dehumidifier. You can run a hose from the appliance into a sink so you never have to empty it. A dehumidifier will also combat mildewy odors.

Employ a Warning System

A water alarm will let you know when your washing machine overflows, a pipe bursts, or it's really, really raining outside (and, unfortunately, coming inside).

Keep Containers Moisture-Free

Reusable desiccant canisters contain a chemical that attracts, condenses, and stores water vapor. Place them in your sealed storage containers, and dry them in the oven every few months or as needed before reusing.

Elevate and Cover

If you have items too big to fit in a plastic container (pieces of furniture, lamps, etc.), safeguard them from rising or dripping water by draping them with an oversize tarp and putting them up on a wooden pallet or cinder blocks. To find free or cheap pallets, check with local grocery stores or look up "pallet recyclers" in the Yellow Pages.