The Gavitts' cluttered family room

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Tip 1: Tackle one room at a time.

Don't let a manicured lawn fool you. Behind closed doors, many families are living with massive clutter. The Gavitt family hopes Peter can help them reclaim their Texas home.

Janet, a busy wife and mother of four, says the clutter started to get out of control when her twin daughters were born eight years ago. Now, with a 5-year-old and a baby to care for, she says she and her husband, Charlton, just can't keep up.

When Peter first arrived at the Gavitts' home, he noticed children's toys and clothes scattered throughout the house...even in the family room. "It doesn't look like a house that the parents run," Peter tells Janet. "You and Charlton have to get back in the driving seat."

Although Janet says she tells her daughters to put their things away, there's no designated place to put them. Plus, there are simply too many things to keep track of. Janet isn't lacking organizational skills. In fact, she works for The Container Store, a retail chain that specializes in space and storage solutions. "Talk about feeling like a fraud," she says.

Janet isn't the only person feeling the effects of the clutter. The mess is also starting to take a toll on Charlton. "I can't do the things I want to do with my children because there's stuff everywhere," he says. "I can't help them with their homework because there's not a place to do it. My job as a father is being compromised by the amount of clutter that we have in our house."