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The moving & utilities checklist.

Closing gets all the attention; the move is what actually exhausts people. Here's the whole thing on a timeline — six weeks out to the first week after — tickable as you go, printable for the fridge, and including the dock-move logistics no ordinary checklist has ever heard of.

Who provides utilities around Seattle?

It depends on the address — utility territories here follow city lines, not habit. Within Seattle proper, electricity is generally Seattle City Light and water, sewer, and garbage are Seattle Public Utilities. Much of the Eastside and the wider region is served by Puget Sound Energy, which also supplies natural gas across the area. Outside those, your city or district has its own provider — always confirm by the exact address, since two homes a block apart can bill differently. Your broker and your escrow-prorated final statement will both name the accounts that matter.

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6–8 weeks out

The cheap, calm decisions happen here — before anything is in a box.

4 weeks out

Paperwork month — the address change list is longer than anyone remembers.

2 weeks out

Confirmations week — dates in writing beat dates in memory.

The week of

Move day

The first week after

The signature-niche section

Floating-home & houseboat moves

Moving on the water adds a second checklist most movers have never seen. The moorage is a relationship, the utilities run down the dock, and if the floating-on-water residence itself is moving, the logistics float too.

The move is the last stage of both journeys — see where it lands on the buying timeline and the selling timeline. For closing week itself, the closing-day guide covers keys and possession, and for pre-move repairs worth hiring out, the vendor partner network has the trades.

Before the move: closing day, explained Recording, keys, and possession terms decide when this checklist starts — know how the handoff actually works in Washington.

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