by wes

It has been a glorious week.

The sun is out. People are suddenly social again. Friends are flocking to the beach like they have been released from captivity. Pool plans are back. Andrew Boy Charles has reopened the pool situation and everyone is behaving like winter has packed its ugly little bags and left the country.

Cute.

We do this every year.

Every single year we get seduced by a bit of sunshine. We see one blue sky and suddenly we are ordering Aperol, making outdoor plans and pretending our boots no longer exist. Then, just as we start getting cocky, late September or early October arrives with one last icy slap across the face.

Winter always has a final dramatic scene.

So no, do not pack away the coats just yet. Do not shove the boots to the back of the cupboard. Do not get smug with your linen shirts and optimistic little sandals. Remain prepared.

In fact, I had a pair of boots arrive this week that I ordered ages ago, and I am absolutely convinced they will still get an outing. I did not buy those boots to sit in a cupboard while spring performs its little fake smile routine.

Of course, we still have to live our lives. We still want to see friends, go to events, attend functions, sit outside, braai, pretend we are low-maintenance people who enjoy “fresh air”, and generally carry on like the weather is not in charge of our entire mood.

But we plan.

We check the weather. We take a jacket. We have a backup venue. We do not host an outdoor lunch with no plan B unless we enjoy watching cushions fly into the neighbour’s pool.

Life requires a little preparation, especially during uncertain seasons.

And here comes my shameless little real estate plug, wearing its new boots.

Buying or selling property is not that different.

You cannot control every gust of wind in the market. Interest rates move. Buyer sentiment shifts. Stock levels change. The economy has moods. The media screams. Everyone suddenly becomes an expert at dinner.

There is always uncertainty.

But uncertainty does not mean you freeze completely. If life is happening, you still have to make decisions. Families grow. Jobs change. Relationships shift. Schools matter. Commutes become unbearable. Homes stop fitting the life you are actually living.

So yes, plan carefully. Understand the market. Take the big economic factors into account. Be realistic about price, timing and strategy.

But do not sit on your hands forever just because the weather might turn.

The caveat, of course, is simple. If you do not need to move, sell, buy or do anything at all, then doing nothing is perfectly fine. Sometimes the best plan is staying exactly where you are with a cup of tea and a smug little heater.

But if life is pulling you forward, do not let a cold snap scare you into standing still.

Spring may have trust issues, but that does not mean we stop making plans.