3 Things to Do Now if You Want to Sell Your Home This Spring

Don't miss the springtime boom.

There's a reason home buyers tend to get more serious about purchasing a place to live during the spring. The weather is cooperative, so it's easier to get out and look at properties, and those with kids often like to buy in the spring so they can close on their homes during the summer and move when school isn't in session.

Spring also tends to be a popular time for buyers to list a home. If you're thinking of putting your house on the market this spring, here are three important moves to make now.

1. Find the right real estate agent

There aren't many available homes in today's residential real estate market. As such, it's possible to sell your home without hiring a real estate agent, because chances are, you'll still manage to find a buyer.

The advantage of hiring an agent, though, is getting help with the process from start to finish. A real estate agent can help you market your home to command a better offer, land on the best sale price, and navigate paperwork and contracts. If you're eager to list your home soon, it pays to ask people in your neighborhood for real estate agent recommendations -- and start interviewing people you might task with overseeing your home sale.

2. Tackle necessary repairs

You don't necessarily need to sink lots of money into home improvements if you're looking to sell your property this spring. Since there's not a lot of competition, generally speaking, having a home that's not totally updated won't necessarily be a deal-breaker for buyers.

Repairs, however, are another story. You don't want to put your home on the market when there are things obviously wrong with it, so make a list of the repairs you need to address and start working on them as soon as you can.

Remember, certain materials are in short supply these days, so you don't want to leave those repairs to the last minute. Similarly, there are labor shortages everywhere, so if you think you'll need to hire a contractor to deal with your home repairs, don't wait too long to start lining up help.

3. Research home prices to make sure you can afford a new place to live

Once you sell your home, you'll need to move someplace else. And whether you'll be renting a place to live or buying one, you'll need to make sure you can swing the cost involved.

Both home values and rental values are sky high right now, so you'll need to run some calculations and see what's affordable for you. If you're downsizing, you might have a pretty easy time covering your new mortgage or rent payment. But if your goal is to upsize, do your research now to make sure that's feasible given where housing prices are sitting today.

Spring can be a great time to sell a home, but it's important to go in ready. Make these moves now so you can capitalize on what's generally the prime season for listing a home.