Start everything on the Closing Date
Set every service to start on the Closing Date written in Form 21 Specific Term 11. Under General Term f you are entitled to possession at 9:00 p.m. that day unless your agreement says otherwise, and the seller is responsible for the property until you take possession. Starting service on the Closing Date means the account is in your name from the first hour you own the home, and there is no gap when the seller's account closes.
If the Closing Date moves, and it can, call each provider and move the start date with it. A start date a day or two early costs you a few dollars of standby service; a start date after you have moved in means a house without heat or hot water while you wait for a truck.
The seller's accounts and yours are separate. Sellers request a final read or a stop date on their side; you request a start on yours. Escrow does not set up service for you. What escrow does, under General Term h and Form 22K, is pay the seller's final bills out of the seller's proceeds so that unpaid balances do not attach to the property after you own it.
What transfers with the house versus what you open new
In this region almost nothing transfers. Electric, gas, water, sewer, garbage and internet are all accounts you open in your own name at the address. The providers stay the same because they are tied to the location, but the account, the deposit if any, and the billing are new.
The exceptions are physical. Solar panels, a leased water heater or furnace, a home security system, a propane tank on a rural lot, or a well and septic system stay with the house, and the paperwork for them should have come through the Form 17 seller disclosure and the inspection. Ask your agent about any lease or service contract on equipment before closing; General Term f requires the seller to get your consent before entering into agreements that extend past Closing.
Garbage service is the one that varies most. In Seattle it is part of your Seattle Public Utilities account. In most Eastside cities it is a separate account with the hauler the city contracts, and the cart sizes and pickup schedule are set by that contract. The table below lists the provider by city.
Who provides service on the Eastside and in Seattle
Puget Sound Energy supplies both electricity and natural gas across nearly all of the Eastside, from Bellevue and Kirkland out to Sammamish, Issaquah and Woodinville, and south through Renton and Kent. One PSE account covers both fuels. Seattle is different: Seattle City Light is the electric utility, Puget Sound Energy still provides gas, and Seattle Public Utilities handles water, sewer and garbage.
Water and sewer are municipal in most Eastside cities. Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Renton, Mercer Island and Kent each run their own utility, with water, sewer and often storm drainage on one city bill. Outside those cities, special-purpose districts take over: Northshore Utility District for Bothell and Kenmore, Sammamish Plateau Water for most of Sammamish, Woodinville Water District, and Coal Creek Utility District in Newcastle. Across the county line, Snohomish County PUD is the electric utility.
Boundaries do not always follow city limits. Annexed neighborhoods sometimes keep their old district. The most reliable answer for your address is the seller's Form 22K, which lists every provider currently billing the property. The table below lists the provider by city, and the notes column flags the places where you should confirm.
Internet, mail and the smaller accounts
Internet takes the longest lead time of anything on this page, so start it first. Availability is address-specific: Comcast Xfinity covers most of the region, Quantum Fiber and Ziply Fiber serve parts of the Eastside, and Astound serves parts of Seattle and the Eastside. Ask the seller which provider they used and whether the home has fiber. Installation can run one to two weeks out; activating an existing line is usually faster than a new install.
File your change of address with the U.S. Postal Service at moversguide.usps.com, the official site, dated to your move. Forwarding buys time, not permanence, so update your address directly with your bank, employer, insurers and subscriptions. Washington requires you to update your driver license address with the Department of Licensing within 10 days of moving.
Garbage pickup day is set by route. Look it up by address on your city's or hauler's site once you know who serves you, and ask whether carts are already at the house.
- Internet: check availability and book the install the week you go under contract
- USPS change of address, dated to your move
- Driver license and voter registration address with the Department of Licensing
- HOA, if any: new-owner registration, gate codes and move-in rules
Moving-week timeline
Two weeks out, book the movers or the truck, request internet installation, and open your accounts with the electric, gas, water and sewer providers, all dated to the Closing Date. Order garbage service or confirm the carts. File the USPS change of address. Confirm your final walkthrough date with your agent.
One week out, bind homeowner's insurance and send the binder to your lender and escrow. Confirm your signing appointment and that every buyer can attend with photo ID. Verify wire instructions by phone with escrow using the number on your purchase agreement, never a number from an email. Pack everything you will not need in the last week.
Closing week, complete the walkthrough, sign at escrow, and send the wire before your bank's cutoff on the day escrow requests. Do not schedule the moving truck to arrive at the house before recording is confirmed; funding can land late in the day and a truck idling at a house you do not yet own is expensive. When your agent confirms recording and the keys are in hand, walk the house once more, photograph the meters, and then start moving in.
Who provides what, by city
Providers for the cities we work in most. Confirm the exact provider for your address on the city’s own site; a few neighborhoods sit inside a different water or sewer district than the city name suggests.
| City | Electric | Gas | Water | Sewer | Garbage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle City Light and SPU are separate accounts. Garbage, recycling and food/yard waste are billed by SPU; the trucks are run by SPU's contracted haulers. The side sewer is the owner's responsibility to the main. | Seattle City Light | Puget Sound Energy | Seattle Public Utilities | Seattle Public Utilities | Seattle Public Utilities |
| Bellevue Water, sewer and storm drainage arrive on one City of Bellevue bill. Garbage is a separate account with the city's contracted hauler. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Bellevue Utilities | City of Bellevue Utilities | Republic Services |
| Redmond Some edges of Redmond are served by a neighboring water or sewer district; the seller's Form 22K will show which entity bills the property. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Redmond | City of Redmond | Waste Management |
| Kirkland Finn Hill, Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhoods annexed in 2011 are largely served by Northshore Utility District for water and sewer, not the city. Confirm by address. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Kirkland | City of Kirkland | Waste Management |
| Sammamish The north end of the plateau is served by Northeast Sammamish Sewer and Water District instead. Many Sammamish homes are on septic rather than public sewer; see the septic inspection guide. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | Sammamish Plateau Water | Sammamish Plateau Water | Check with the City of Sammamish |
| Issaquah Parts of the Issaquah Highlands and areas north of I-90 are served by Sammamish Plateau Water. Confirm by address. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Issaquah | City of Issaquah | Recology |
| Woodinville Many Woodinville properties, especially on larger lots, are on septic and some on private wells. Check the Form 17 disclosure. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | Woodinville Water District | Woodinville Water District | Waste Management |
| Bothell Bothell straddles the King–Snohomish county line. The Snohomish County portion gets electricity from Snohomish County PUD and water/sewer from Alderwood Water and Wastewater District, and garbage service differs. Confirm which county the address is in. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | Northshore Utility District | Northshore Utility District | Recology |
| Kenmore | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | Northshore Utility District | Northshore Utility District | Check with the City of Kenmore |
| Renton Some annexed areas on Renton's east and south edges are served by Soos Creek Water and Sewer District or another district. Confirm by address. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Renton | City of Renton | Republic Services |
| Mercer Island | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Mercer Island | City of Mercer Island | Recology |
| Newcastle | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | Coal Creek Utility District | Coal Creek Utility District | Check with the City of Newcastle |
| Kent Parts of Kent are served by Soos Creek Water and Sewer District or other districts rather than the city. Confirm by address. | Puget Sound Energy | Puget Sound Energy | City of Kent | City of Kent | Republic Services |
| Snohomish County cities Everett, Lynnwood and Mill Creek. Everett runs its own water and sewer utility; Lynnwood and Mill Creek addresses are commonly served by Alderwood Water and Wastewater District or the city. Garbage haulers vary by city. | Snohomish County PUD | Puget Sound Energy | City utility or Alderwood Water and Wastewater District | City utility or Alderwood Water and Wastewater District | Check with your city |
- Puget Sound Energy — start, stop or move service
- Seattle City Light
- Seattle Public Utilities — water, sewer, garbage
- Snohomish County PUD
- City of Bellevue
- City of Redmond
- City of Kirkland
- City of Issaquah
- City of Renton
- City of Mercer Island
- City of Kent
- City of Bothell
- City of Kenmore
- Sammamish Plateau Water
- Northshore Utility District
- Woodinville Water District
- USPS — official change of address
Your checklist
- 1Pull the provider list for your address from the seller's Form 22K, or from the table on this page.
- 2Request internet installation as soon as you are under contract.
- 3Open electric, gas, water and sewer accounts with a start date equal to the Closing Date.
- 4Set up garbage and recycling service and look up your pickup day by address.
- 5File the USPS change of address at moversguide.usps.com.
- 6Bind homeowner's insurance effective on the Closing Date and send it to your lender and escrow.
- 7Update your driver license address with the Washington Department of Licensing within 10 days of moving.
- 8Book movers for after recording confirmation, not before.
What RexMont tracks for you
- The Closing Date and any change to it, so your service start dates can move with it.
- The seller's Form 22K provider list, which tells you exactly who bills the property.
- Homeowner's insurance binder delivered to the lender and escrow before signing.
- Recording confirmation from escrow, which is the signal that movers may arrive and possession is yours per Form 21.
Jennifer Johansen, RexMont’s transaction administrator, coordinates every date and document from mutual acceptance to keys. Questions on price, terms, or strategy go to your RexMont agent.
Sources
This guide explains the process and the standard NWMLS forms in general terms. It is not legal, tax, or lending advice, and your contract controls. Talk to your RexMont agent, escrow officer, lender, or attorney about your specific situation.
