You know that Spring has finally sprung in the Fraser Valley when the soccer fields are filled with cheering parents, birds are chirping and breathtaking cherry blossoms line the lush landscape.

While the outdoors may indicate a new season is upon us, one’s indoor living space may still feel like it’s stuck with a case of the winter blues.

Are toys taking up every square-foot of your living space? Are your dresser drawers bursting at the bolts with items you haven’t worn for years? Perhaps your pantry is filled with expired canned goods that need to be discarded? Are you avoiding downsizing out of fear that you have too much stuff and no place to put it?

For most of us, it’s not realistic to maintain a home in perfect order every moment of each day.  It can also be challenging to bid farewell to those mementos that we no longer use, but that still remind us of someone or some place special.

Fortunately, there are ways to clamp down on the clutter for a harmonious household. Also, one’s possessions shouldn’t keep them prisoner to a home they’re ready to move from.

Before beginning the annual tradition of spring cleaning, now’s the time to clear away unnecessary ‘stuff’ and get a head start on the busy entertaining season of grillin’ and chillin’. And for those who are planning to put their home on the market this summer and downsize, this helpful process will making moving to a smaller home more manageable.

Susan Borax and Heather Knittel of Good Riddance Professional Organizing Solutions have provided the following 5 tips on to rid your home of clutter for Spring.

1. Focus on One Room at a Time

Let’s face it, spring cleaning can seem like an overwhelming task — especially when you look at your home and see how much there is to do.

Rather than attempt to tackle everything at once, focus on just one room at a time. Don’t be pulled into several different directions or rooms; pick one and stick to it.

Groovy Marilyn, Flickr

2. Start with Storage

If you have a storage area, pick that one first – if you clean this up, you create space that will allow you to effectively store pieces from other rooms as you go through and declutter them.

3. A Helping Hand

Don’t try to do this alone – it is easy to get lost in the magnitude of the task or cling to the memories attached to some of the pieces. If you can, engage professional help. If you can’t afford that, ask a trusted friend or family member who will give you truthful (but kind) feedback and would question why you want to keep that lava lamp from the 1970s. Remember that scene on Sex and the City 2 when Carrie enlists the help of her favourite gal pals to decide which clothing pieces she should keep or toss? They certainly had plenty of laughs and no shortage of fun with their closet decluttering party. Who says decluttering has to be a chore? Certainly not these City gals!

4. Have Realistic Expectations

Don’t underestimate how much time it takes – getting rid of clutter won’t happen overnight. It takes time to do this right.

5. Get Help from the Pros

Whether you’re just wanting to get a head start on some spring cleaning, learn to tackle the clutter for good or stage your home in order to downsize, there’s a helpful and FREE information session coming to ‘the Valley’ that you don’t want to miss. This is also a great workshop for first-time home buyers who are looking at purchasing a compact condo or townhome.