A doctor nearing retirement aspires to sell his four-bedroom contemporary to move in with his longtime girlfriend. But neither his years in medical school nor his time in private practice have taught him how to approach the monumental chore of selling the property he’s enjoyed for more than 30 years.

“I’m very sad to let go of my happy place, especially with my beautiful gardens. I’m clueless about how to even start,” the doctor says.

With less time on his hands than money, the man plans to hire an expert to help him navigate the major decluttering chores that face him.

“Selling a home brings up a lot of grief. It’s very hard to say goodbye,” says Cris Sgrott, the founder of Organizing Maniacs, a firm that’s helped numerous home sellers meet the many challenges of changing residences, including decluttering.

As Sgrott notes, the process of clearing a typical American home takes at least 40 hours and can drag on indefinitely if the owners attempt to handle it alone without outside help. But this year, more owners who’ve finally vowed to sell are impatient to move on -- and with good reason.

Owners like the doctor sense that the window for a highly successful sale is finally narrowing slightly as more owners enter the market. Jiayi Xu, an economist with Realtor.com, the home listing service, says active inventory is increasing week by week.

Owners seeking to expedite the decluttering process should begin by sorting through items that have less emotional significance.

“Instead of starting with the bins of family photos or memorabilia from your kids’ childhoods -- like all that artwork from the early grades -- head to the kitchen for that easy-to-remove dingy Tupperware or that chipped China,” Sgrott says.

Although it can be tempting to just box up excess belongings and place them in a storage area until the property is sold, delaying the sorting-out process can be costly in both time and money.

“The more items you can offload through donations to charity or sales, the less expensive ... your eventual move (will be). Shipping costs are very expensive,” she says.

Here are a few pointers for sellers seeking a smooth and speedy transition:

-- Undertake as much pre-packing as possible.

Vicki Norris, a professional organizer and former real estate agent, knows how hard it can be to keep a For Sale house in prime showing shape. It’s especially difficult when people are selling against their desire -- for instance, due to health problems.

“Sometimes, life takes people off track, and they get unusually disorganized. Then it’s twice as hard to keep their home in good condition for a sale,” says Norris, who runs her own consulting firm, Restoring Order (restoringorder.com).

To limit upkeep demands during the showing period, Norris recommends sellers clear through their clutter in advance of putting their place on the market.

“You don’t have to remove everything, but reduce the quantity. For example, if you can winnow down an overpacked bookshelf from 200 to 30 books, that would be great,” Norris says.

-- Consider use of a professional cleaning service.

Are you sloppier than the average homeowner? If so, it might be wise to pay for what real estate agents call a “super-duper cleaning.”

“If you start with a professional cleaning at the beginning, you’ll have an easier time keeping your house tidy all the way through to your sale,” says Sid Davis, a real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide to Selling a Home.”

Though it’s likely to cost well over $100, he says a single in-depth cleaning could hold you for more than a month before another in-depth cleaning job would be necessary.

Unfortunately, hiring a cleaning crew won’t spare you the need for routine upkeep. “This will be no substitute for keeping your dishes washed and your bathroom toiletries put away. But it’s still a big step going forward,” Davis says.

-- Seek to get all members of your household involved.

After a home has lingered on the market for a few weeks, those who live there can easily lose focus and slip back into their bad habits.

The problem is that keeping your house in show condition is not a relaxed way of living, so people get tired of it.

According to Davis, it can be especially tough to ensure that children’s rooms are kept orderly and that their toys are put away.

“Often the kids are protesting the move. So the parents may need to clean their rooms for them. Alternatively, to get the kids to do it themselves, you might need to bribe them with pizza or a dinner out,” he says.

-- Face the reality that the selling ordeal is temporary.

Davis says homeowners who earnestly want to sell should keep their houses looking good enough to appear in online advertising. But he cautions that even picture-perfect properties that are fairly priced can languish unsold for a lengthy period through no fault of their owners.

Ashley Richardson, a real estate agent affiliated with the Residential Real Estate Council (crs.com), advises her clients to avoid dwelling on critiques of their property.

“Buyers are more candid than they were in the past and sometimes can be quite blunt in their feedback after a showing,” Richardson says.

To limit the amount of unfiltered and discouraging negativity that can flow to you about your home, she suggests you tell your listing agent to filter out all pointlessly critical comments about your place.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

It’s rare for economists to agree on the state of the nation’s real estate market. But right now, they concur that home sales should prove robust this spring.

“We’re finally beginning to see owners who have been putting off moves return to the market,” says Skylar Olsen, chief economist at Zillow, the Seattle-based real estate behemoth.

For several years --indeed, since before the pandemic began in 2020 -- many potential home sellers have been sitting on the sidelines. One huge factor has been the steep rise in mortgage rates, making owners reluctant to move lest they lose their locked-in rock-bottom mortgage rate.

Earlier this year, homeowners keen to sell had hoped for a near-term drop in rates this year. But even though such hopes are fading, more owners are determined to sell anyway, either to upsize or downsize to smaller quarters.

“For many households with record-high equity, waiting out potentially lower rates later in the year may not be worth it,” Olsen says.

Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst for Realtor.com, the home listing firm, says that this spring there’s been a nearly 20% surge in new listings compared to last year.

The increase in listings is a reason for celebration among buyers who’ve had few property alternatives until now, says Chen Zhao, a lead economist for Redfin, the national real estate brokerage.

“The uptick in listings should be another motivator for buyers. There’s more to choose from, and improving inventory may bring out more competition from other buyers as we get further into spring,“ Zhao says.

Margaret Lebenson, who sells homes in New York City, cautions that owners who have only recently decided to move should “pick up the pace” to compete well with rival sellers this season. She urges them to do necessary updates quickly.

“Buyers really want a place in move-in condition. They don’t have the time or money for anything more than a paint job,” Lebenson says.

Here are a few pointers for sellers in a hurry:

-- Hire a listing agent as early as possible.

“Through the years, I’ve gotten many calls from eleventh-hour sellers in a panic. Sometimes I feel like an EMT running an ambulance,” says Sid Davis, a Utah-based listing agent.

When he first entered real estate in 1985, he recalls how clients would typically call for help many months before they intended to put their property on the market. Now, with more harried, two-income households, many don’t contact him more than a few weeks in advance.

Once you know you’re definitely going to move, he says it’s prudent to begin interviewing prospective listing agents and then to promptly select one to represent you.

“People who have enough time to get all their ducks in a row and use it wisely have a huge advantage over those who start late,” says Davis, author of “Home Makeovers That Sell.”

-- Ask for data on selling times.

Suppose you’re a nurse for a national hospital chain who’s accepted a promotion in a faraway state. How can you estimate the time needed to go from list to sale?

Dorcas Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors, recommends you ask your agent for statistics on the average selling times for homes in your neighborhood.

“Keep in mind that the only numbers that are relevant are those for your own community. National statistics don’t matter,” Helfant says.

-- Accelerate your packing process.

In his experience, Davis says a majority of sellers don’t see the point of packing early for their move.

Besides painting and repairs, nearly all sellers need to go through an exhaustive clearing-out process to ensure their property doesn’t seem crowded. Your first step should be to remove any large excess furnishings. Then box up smaller items and position them neatly in your garage or a rented storage unit.

“It’s very easy to underestimate how long it takes to go through all your personal things ... But trust me, you won’t miss all that extra stuff you’ve packed away,” Davis says.

-- Allow yourself extra selling time when moving to a brand-new home.

These days, it’s uncommon for a homebuilder to sign a sales contract with a prospective buyer that’s conditional on the sale of the buyer’s property.

Consequently, those who seek to buy a place in a popular new subdivision take the gamble that they’ll sell their current property before the builder has completed the new one. But that’s better than the alternative.

“Buyers who don’t have a contingent contract and can’t afford to carry two homes at once are putting themselves in financial jeopardy,” Davis says.

Because it can take months to construct a house -- and it’s not unusual for builders to take longer than expected -- some buyers wait longer than they should before trying to sell their current property, according to Davis.

“Unfair as it seems, remember this is a one-way street. The sales contract may let the builder finish construction late but give you little grace time to get your old place sold,” he says.

Many listing agents urge sellers who intend to move to a brand-new home to be extra cautious in estimating how long they’ll need to sell. It’s better to be ready to move early, they insist.

“Granted, if you sell earlier than expected, you might have to take a short-term rental or move in with family temporarily. But the hassles of interim housing are a lot better than the disappointment of surrendering your chance for a wonderful new house,” Davis says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

A high school teacher married to an admin assistant are planning a big family wedding in June. By then, they’d hoped to leave their tiny rental apartment and move to a small home of their own. Hence, every Sunday they attend open houses in their target neighborhood.

But two factors are delaying progress toward homeownership. One is that there are few available properties in the starter-home price range in their suburban area. The other is that they’re intimidated by the mortgage application process.

“We both have college degrees. But the thought of going to a mortgage lender for preapproval makes us feel ignorant. We’re scared we could get rejected by lenders on some vague technicality,” the teacher says.

Kate Foster-Bankey, a longtime agent with Compass Realty, says this young couple is hardly unique in their level of intimidation about home finance.

“When I ask young buyers at open houses whether they’ve been preapproved, most tell me no. That’s too bad, because preapproval is essential for all buyers. Many agents, myself included, won’t even show homes to people who haven’t been cleared by a lender to know what they could afford,” Foster-Bankey says.

Is anxiety preventing you from buying a first home? Here are several common sources of intimation and how to overcome them:

-- Fear your credit history will be a problem.

“If you’re willing to face a mortgage lender at the front end of the buying process, you could experience a big breakthrough. Buyers are often surprised and delighted by what the lender tells them,” says Eric Tyson, co-author of the “Home Buying Kit for Dummies.”

But many first-time buyers refuse to see a lender in advance of home shopping.

Of course, many wannabe owners have flaws on their credit reports that must be fixed before mortgage approval is possible. Still, as Tyson says, mortgage brokers and lenders often prove much more supportive than loan applicants anticipate.

“Remember that lenders have seen it all when it comes to credit reports,” he says.

As Tyson underscores, most mortgage lenders rely on commissions and don’t get paid unless their clients get approved. This gives them a strong incentive to take the time and energy to find workarounds that allow their clients to make a purchase.

-- Fear of choosing a home your family won't like.

Many would-be first-time buyers belong to the Gen Z or millennial generations. On financial matters, they still look to their parents or other older relatives for guidance and, not infrequently, for cash subsidies as well.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with seeking help from relatives. But Tyson stresses that buyers should request their involvement early on, not when you’re about to close on the property of your choice.

Relatives who are asked to see just one home prior to submitting a bid could well find flaws with the place and advise against it.

“Most family members will wish you well. But by asking for their counsel at the 11th hour, they could feel an obligation to dissuade you in order to protect you. It’s often a problem that older people may be out of touch with current real estate pricing, and if you catch them off-guard they may worry you’re overpaying,” Tyson says.

If you’re afraid to go forward without your relatives’ guidance, but don’t want them to mess up your plans, Tyson suggests you bring them along on all your house-hunting trips. That way, they can compare various alternatives and are likely to give you more objective advice.

-- Fear of a mistaken purchase.

Given the stakes, many prospective first-time buyers become highly risk averse out of concern they could make a huge mistake.

“For some novice buyers, there’s a strong tendency to do endless market research, especially by spending hours on the internet,” Tyson says.

But especially in the current fast-paced market, waiting for total certainty can also have its penalties. That’s especially true in popular neighborhoods where homes are still scarce and bidding wars remain a problem.

“It’s an unfortunate reality that you can forfeit the chance for a great purchase by procrastinating,” Tyson says.

Second- and third-time buyers are less inclined to procrastinate on a purchase decision because they know there’s no such thing as a perfect house, even if they have it custom-built to their taste.

-- Fear of having too little cash to go through with a deal.

It can be costly to make a housing change at any stage of your life. But many first-time buyers overestimate their need for cash to go through the transition. They fail to take into account the reality that there are a multitude of low-to-no-down-payment mortgage programs available to them, particularly through local government offices.

Tyson says cash-short buyers are well advised to explore these options as soon as they decide to make a purchase -- rather than postponing until their savings accounts are brimming with funds.

“This is one more reason that having a comprehensive sit-down visit with a strong mortgage lender makes financial sense before you dive into a housing purchase. Information is always power,” Tyson says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)