No matter where you live—Washington DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, or Northern Virginia—the upcoming spring season is often a busy time to buy a new home. The weather is ideal, you can take advantage of mortgage rates before they rise again, and and you can settle into your new property before the summer starts.

However, with moving also comes waves of excitement and nerves that can cause you to forget a few things along the way (more than just an extra box or two!). You can count on The Estridge Group to make sure your moving process is as stress-free as possible— take the following five steps into consideration as you plan out your move to a new home in Metro DC:

Clean the carpets

You never know what kind of dust, dirt or pet dander has accumulated in your new home’s carpets over the years, so take the time to clean them thoroughly. You can rent a steam cleaner and do the work yourself or hire a professional and pay around $50 per room. It’s worth it to know you’re starting fresh in your new space!

Change locks and label keys

Can you imagine how many people have been given a key to your home over the years? Friends and neighbors are just a few! You will want to change the locks as quickly as you can once you’ve moved into your new home— either installing the new bolts yourself relatively inexpensively or hiring a locksmith who will charge you labor per lock.

Clean out your cabinets

Depending on how long the previous homeowner lived in the house, you may find residue from cleaning products, food, and even evidence of critters. You will want to do this prior to putting any of your belongings in the cabinets as if there is an animal that has taken up residence in your home, you’ll want to remedy the situation as soon as possible.

Find the main water shut-off

Should you ever go out of town for a long period of time or need to turn off the water due to a leak or repair of any kind, you’ll need to know where your main water shut-off valve is. If your home inspector hasn’t already pointed it out and labeled it for you, take the time to do so yourself and avoid the headache later.

Find the circuit breakers

During a power outage or in the case of replacing light fixtures or bulbs, you will need to flip the circuit breakers to specific rooms and outlets. Find your circuit breakers as soon as possible once you have the keys to your new home and make sure each breaker works properly. Have a partner stand in various areas of your home while you flip the labeled breakers to double check that is indeed the room they belong to— if not, re-label them for future reference.

There is a lot to remember when it comes to moving into a new home in Washington DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and the surrounding areas, but with The Estridge Group on your side, you can rest easy! Give us a call today for more information on available homes in the area, selling your current property, or purchasing a new home!

We look forward to hearing from you!