Jumpstarting in January

The month of January is named for the Roman god, “Janus”, a two-headed god where one head always looks backward and the other forward.  Looking back, we are grateful for the time we’ve spent with friends and family during the holiday season.  Looking forward, the New Year brings forth a renewed sense of hope and often entails life changes.  And one of those changes could be moving.

For many, the thought of moving entails a confluence of emotions including excitement, stress, confusion, doubt or joy.  Moving can be very overwhelming because it’s an overlay on top of an already full and busy life.  Therefore January, the month in which hope, and resolution are at their height, is the ideal month to start thinking about and planning your move.

Clients often ask me what is the best first step in the moving process and when is the best time to move.  Conventional thought gravitates toward Springtime when the weather has improved, and the flowers are blooming. The challenge with waiting is that it often takes a lot longer to prepare your house for marketing than you think.  Getting ahead of the Spring rush almost always puts a seller in a better position.

While January is here, below are 3 important steps for starting the moving process.

1. Contact your CPA to discuss how the new tax laws will impact your move.  Even with the new code, people will continue to buy and sell homes!
2. Meet with your financial advisor to learn how a move up or downsize will affect your portfolio. 
3. Contact an experienced and trusted real estate advisor to determine a value range of your current home.

Your real estate advisor and her team of professionals (contractors, stagers, estate sale services) should counsel you on the updates and preparations needed to prepare your property for sale.  This includes the following:

1. Low cost, high impact updates such as paint, carpet, refreshing kitchen and baths
2. Servicing your HVAC and hot water heater
3. Make repairs to known issues such as broken appliances, damaged drywall from past plumbing leaks, roofs and gutters damaged from bad weather. 
4. Anticipating a post-winter yard clean up
5. De-clutter throughout the house, including the attic. 
6. Donate or sell old furniture. 

If you want to move this year, acting now in the month of January is your greatest ally.  Waiting until February is another story.  The Roman word Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification.  Moving can also be a very purifying experience, shedding old spaces for new!

Lizzy Conroy is a resident of Chesterbrook Woods neighborhood and an active and experienced Realtor® with HBC Group of Keller Williams McLean/Great Falls. She co-leads the team with Karen Briscoe. Their team of agents serve communities throughout the DC Metro Area including Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland and Washington, DC, and consider it an honor to improve and impact lives through real estate.  If you have questions about Chesterbrook Woods, or you need advice on the area of McLean, contact Lizzy today to discuss how she can assist with your real estate needs: WWW.HBCGROUPKW.COM, 202.441.3630, LIZZY@HBCGROUPKW.COM.