Start preparing now for spring selling season

Research and interview real estate agents.

Hire a stager, inspector, photographer and other professionals as needed.

Pressure-wash sidewalks and decks.

Clean windows.

Clear gutters and downspouts.

Remove weeds, mulch, plant flowers.

Clear cobwebs, leaves from porches, patios.

Re-grout bathtubs and faucets.

Have air conditioning and furnace checked.

Paint trim, baseboards and nicks if needed.

Clear counters, tables, bookshelves.

Organize closets and storage areas.

Clean carpets.

Ask a friend to give an honest assessment of smells, paying particular attention to places such as basements.

— The Washington Post.

WASHINGTON — Architect Chris French and his wife, Anya Landau French, turned up the volume on their vacant condominium apartment with designer-inspired contemporary furnishings — leather living room furniture, glass and metal side tables, a black dining room table and a fake TV.

The aim of the makeover was to draw a buyer who would snap up the property — a person their professional stager imagined would be in his or her late 20s or early 30s, seeking the stability of homeownership.

“It’s a bit of a mad rush,” Chris French said about his efforts to get a head start on the spring market.

There are plenty of good reasons spring is the traditional start of the real estate season: Sellers’ yards look more photogenic. Buyers are more apt to take a fall-in-love-with-the-neighborhood walk in warmer weather. And a summer move is preferable for families with school-age children.

It may be weeks or months until most spring listings go up, but local real estate experts say now is the right time to get ready. The to-do list is long, from researching agents to painting and planting.

“There are so many things, sometimes you kind of freeze,” says Jennifer Nangle, an agent with Re/Max Realty Services, the Nangle Group. “It can seem daunting, but so much of it is tidying.”

To help you manage all the tasks, we’ve consulted with local real estate brokers, mortgage lenders, contractors and other experts about the most essential preparations.

• Choose agents, contractors and other professionals carefully.

Many agents have preferred professionals they deal with, including mortgage companies, home inspectors, photographers, stagers, professional cleaners and contractors.

“We can save people a lot of headaches,” says Rachel Valentino, an agent with Keller Williams.

Some real estate teams offer packages of services, which might include professional photographers and designers or discounts on movers and home warranties.

Although buyers generally get home inspections, some sellers also arrange for a pre-listing inspection. (Nangle and some other agents recommend it.)

“They don’t want any surprises,” says Joseph Walker, a home inspector and president of Claxton Walker & Associates in Annapolis, Md.

An inspection provides not only important information — how many years left before a roof needs to be replaced, for example — but a thorough to-do list.

• Gather paperwork and do the math.

Now is the time to crunch numbers. What are the comparable sales? What do you owe on the mortgage? How would making various repairs improve your bottom line?

If you don’t decide to make a particular upgrade — replacing a worn floor, for example — Nangle recommends getting estimates for the work.

“I think it’s a good idea to get photos or illustrations of how it would look, and show the numbers,” she says. “It gives (potential buyers) an idea of what can be done.”

• De-clutter.

While you’re looking through file cabinets and drawers for tax returns and receipts, you might as well clean them out. “Seventy-five percent is a matter of freshening up and de-cluttering,” says Brian Block, managing broker of Re/Max Allegiance.

You probably know the golden rule about clearing off counters, dressers and tables, but don’t forget inside the refrigerator and inside closets, because potential buyers will look in them.

Once you’ve cleaned out, you may need a storage unit to hold items until moving day, she adds.

You have to be ruthless, says Caroline Carter, owner of Done in a Day, a professional staging company in Bethesda, Md. Perhaps you have lovely china displayed or a world-class book collection, but chances are “they’re a distraction for buyers.”

It’s important for buyers to be able to see themselves, not the current owner, in the home, Carter says.

• Make repairs.

The Frenches renovated their one-bedroom den condo when they bought it in 2007. They had reselling in mind, adding a window to give the den a source of natural light, reconfiguring the kitchen and foyer, and adding more storage.

“We wanted to make it as functional as possible, keeping it flexible for the next owner, too,” Anya Landau French says.

But renovations don’t have to be that extensive. Carter says sellers can make easy, quick updates.

Some changes that can have a big impact are installing new carpet, replacing hardware and pulls on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, reglazing bathtubs and replacing medicine cabinets.

New kitchen appliances are also often a good investment, Carter says.”Buyers want clean, organized and move-in ready,” she says. “A buyer will often overestimate how much it is to do these repairs.”

• Prepare for rain.

Spring is notoriously wet, so pay special attention to rain gutters and downspouts and sump pumps (and battery backups), says Cliff Kornegay, owner of Capitol Hill Home Inspection, who recommends having your roof inspected for storm damage even if it isn’t leaking.

Check the air-conditioning system before you have to turn it on to keep potential buyers comfortable. Kornegay recommends having the evaporator coil cleaned and drains checked, in addition to changing filters.

• Landscape.

Often an afterthought, landscaping is essential, according to real estate experts.

“A lot of people make up their mind before they get to the front door,” Thompson says.

If you do nothing else, edge the lawn and mulch flower beds, says Donna-Marie Desprs, a landscape architect at Sun Nurseries in Howard County, Md.