We have cold and snowy forecasts for the Atlanta area this winter, but if you’re thinking about listing in the spring, don’t freeze up: Now is the time to be proactive. The spring home-buying season comes along fast, and you’ll want to make sure you have everything ready so that your home truly stands out in the hot Atlanta real estate market.

Here are five things you can do during winter to prepare for a listing in the spring:

1. Find a Real Estate Agent: Choosing the person who lists your home is not a decision to be taken lightly. To begin with, you’ll want to do your homework and find a real estate agent who knows the Atlanta metro area, knows your neighborhood, has experience listing Atlanta homes and can share a clear plan of how they’ll list, market and eventually sell your home. Make sure everything is in writing and follow your gut: You’ll want to work with someone you feel you can trust. Your agent will also be able to give you an assessment of what needs to be done to your property to get it ready; like improvements, landscaping and other details.
2. Start Fixing Up: The wobbly faucet in the kitchen, the patch of damp in the basement and all the other little things you’ve put aside the last few years need to be tackled this winter. Ask your real estate agent for the name of an excellent and fair-priced handyman for any jobs you can’t do yourself, and get them all done. Landscaping will need to wait for March, but all the indoor fixes can be done in the winter.
3. Brainstorm Next Steps: What happens if your home sells right away? If you’re not already sure where you’re headed (like relocation for a new job, retirement or simply downsizing) you might want to give your next steps some thought. Research the market, look at neighborhoods, check out schools and call your mortgage company to see about getting pre-approved for a new home purchase.
4. Toss Out Stuff You Don’t Want: Ever read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo? It might be a good winter read, because now is an excellent time to go through your things and decide what to keep and what to throw away. Old papers, old mugs, torn rugs and towels–take a long look at these things and decide whether or not you really need them. Once you have that stuff set aside, you can call an Atlanta junk removal service to take it away.
5. Pack and Store Your Things: They say moving is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life, mainly because of all the packing up. Whether it’s old photos, family heirlooms, artwork or books, everything recalls a memory, making the whole experience pretty emotional. You’ll want to go ahead and put some belongings in storage to get them out of the way, but check with your real estate agent to make sure you’re not removing anything that will be part of a nice home staging. Getting this done in winter will save you a lot of headaches in spring.

And of course, if you have questions about listing in the spring or want to interview one of our real estate agents, click any of the chat buttons we have placed so shamelessly around the web site… or just click here to chat now.