How to Prepare No-Till Garden Beds on a Tight Timeline?

I'm moving into a new home in late February (in zone 7a) and I'm thinking about trying in-ground no-till beds instead of my usual raised beds. The typical advice I've found suggests laying down cardboard and covering it with several inches of compost at least six months before planting, but I won't be able to access the property until just before the end of February. Does anyone have suggestions on how I can accelerate the preparation process? I was considering just digging out the grass like I'm cutting sod and applying compost directly to the topsoil instead of using cardboard.