Planning to Sell in Three to Six Months? Here’s What to Start Doing Now

An early conversation can help you prioritize preparation and avoid rushing into unnecessary projects.

You don’t have to be ready to put a sign in the yard before speaking with a Realtor.

If selling is a possibility in the next three to six months, that’s a useful time to begin planning.

You can review your options, understand the likely preparation, and spread the work across a more manageable schedule.

Here’s where I would start.

Three to six months out: clarify what the move needs to accomplish

Discuss why you’re considering a sale, where you might go, and which dates matter.

Are you coordinating a purchase? Relocating for work? Hoping to reduce maintenance? Do you need the sale proceeds before committing to the next home?

Those answers affect the plan.

Request a preliminary pricing discussion and estimated seller net sheet. Treat both as working estimates that will need updating as the listing date approaches.

If you expect to finance another purchase, speak with a lender early.

Review the property before approving major work

Walk through the home with your agent and identify concerns, presentation opportunities, and projects that may deserve further evaluation.

Get professional advice for issues involving major systems, structure, or safety.

Before approving a cosmetic renovation, discuss how it fits the likely competition, your budget, and your timeline.

The project that matters most may be smaller than you expect. Another may require more time than you have.

Two to three months out: organize records and reduce clutter

Gather documents you may need, including available surveys, repair invoices, warranties, improvement information, and association materials.

Discuss which records are relevant and whether anything needs updating.

Begin decluttering gradually. Focus on closets, storage areas, oversized furniture, and belongings you don’t expect to move.

This is also a useful time to consider packing, donation, storage, and moving options.

Work on disclosures thoughtfully

Where a seller’s disclosure notice is required, give yourself time to review it carefully and address questions.

The notice concerns your knowledge of the property’s condition. Completing repairs doesn’t automatically eliminate the need to disclose relevant information. TREC’s notice reflects Texas statutory disclosure requirements.

Discuss the process with your agent and consult an attorney if a legal question needs clarification.

Four to six weeks out: prepare for photographs and showings

Confirm which work will be completed and when.

Coordinate cleaning, staging guidance, landscaping, and photography around that schedule. Discuss which belongings will remain and how the rooms will be presented.

Then plan for showings.

How much notice will you need? What arrangements will you make for pets? Are there work or household schedules to consider?

Setting expectations early helps you manage the disruption.

As listing approaches: update the strategy

A pricing conversation from several months earlier should be revisited.

Review relevant recent sales, competing listings, and any changes affecting your property’s position.

Confirm the launch plan, communication expectations, and how offers will be evaluated. Your preferred price matters, but so do financing, timing, contingencies, and other terms.

Prepare for a timeline that may change

A three-to-six-month plan gives you direction. It doesn’t guarantee a contract or closing by a particular date.

Consider what you would do if the sale takes longer, an offer requires a different timeline, or your next home isn’t ready.

I want you to understand those possibilities before they become urgent.

You can begin with a conversation and a walkthrough. From there, we can identify the work that makes sense and build a schedule around your circumstances.

Thinking about selling later this year or next? Contact April to start planning your home’s preparation and sale.

April Guerra is a Texas Realtor with Texas Oak Realty Group powered by LPT Realty.