Making the move to Seattle, WA from just about anywhere else in the United States is going to be an adjustment. In many ways, it’s likely to be an improvement. The weather is mostly mild, if a little on the rainy side, the nightlife offers something for everyone, and the surrounding area is nothing short of breathtaking. It won’t take long for you to see why so many people choose to make this part of the Pacific Northwest their home.

Here are a few things you’ll need to know as a new Seattle resident:

There’s no state income tax.

In case you didn’t already know, Washington residents pay no state income tax at all. Unfortunately, this doesn’t exclude you from local taxes, sales tax or federal income tax. Sorry, we had to throw in the disclaimer.

You’re relocating at the right time.

It’s no secret that Seattle has been a booming tech hub for quite some time. With tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon expanding rapidly, there are people just like you flocking to this beautiful city. And while competition for affordable housing in Seattle is steep, home prices in Seattle are still lower than the other West Coast tech hub of San Francisco.

If you love the outdoors, you’ll love Seattle.

Seattle has a culture that celebrates working out and enjoying the outdoors. Across the city, it is not uncommon to see vehicles loaded with bikes, skis, or workout equipment. Rain or shine, yoga, running, hiking or sports, there are plenty of people who will share your enthusiasm for staying fit and active.

Starbucks is a big deal.

If you ask most Seattleites, they’re likely to tell you that they prefer fresh coffee from an obscure, artisanal shop. It will usually take a bit of prodding for most people to admit that when they’re in a hurry or the line is too long at their ideal coffee shop, they head to Starbucks. And with more stores per capita in Seattle than anywhere else on the planet, this Seattle-based coffee chain is ready to deliver your caffeine fix, no matter where you are in the city.

It doesn’t rain as much as you might think.

Or maybe it does. It rains a lot in Seattle by most people’s standards. But you might be surprised to know that for all the rain hype this city gets, the average yearly rainfall in Seattle is six to ten inches less than cities like New York and Atlanta – and nobody accuses them of being dark and gloomy for most of the year.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but from just the few tips listed here, it’s hopefully easy to see why you’ve picked a great city to relocate to and a great time to do it.

Moving to a new house presents new opportunities to re-shape and reinvigorate your life. The prospect of having new neighbors, making new friends, and enjoying new adventures is exciting. But before you discover or create the life that is ahead you must deal with the life that you have right now—that is, coming up with a plan for the move.

Meticulous and detailed planning is the key to a successful move. Yet, even as you prepare for the move you must still get on with your life. There is business to attend to: meetings, deadlines, projects, and the range of other activities that constitute your professional life. You should begin planning the very moment you have a move-out and travel date. Otherwise, you put yourself at risk of being overwhelmed by all work that is required for the move. 

You will not think of everything at once. That is why you should begin to make a checklist. As your moving date approaches, the checklist will get longer. But it is best to set something down on paper so that you have a single reference for the series of actions you will need to take before the move.

Here are a few packing and moving pointers to get you started:

Book the moving truck

It is never too early to reserve the vehicle you will need to move your household goods. This is especially the case if you are moving cross country. It is better to overestimate the size of the truck or trucks that you will need, and perhaps pay a little more, than to go through the nightmare of hiring a vehicle that is too small. The moving company you work with can usually help you with this. We’ll ask you how much furniture and how many boxes you plan to move to make sure we sent a truck and crew appropriate for your move size.

Start disposing of old clothes and books

The old jeans, shirts, suits, trousers, shoes, and other items that you never wear should be put in bags and taken to the charity shop. If you are a bookish person, you should go to the shelves and start selecting the volumes that will be given away. It might seem difficult, but there are probably more than a few books that you will either never read or never read again. Books are heavy and take up a great deal of space, so it is important to leave behind the volumes you can do without.

Set the dates for packing up the household

You need to set this time aside and keep everything off your schedule. A small to medium sized house can be packed up, at a gradual, comfortable pace, within 5 days.

Get the admin done early

You can now do a change of address through USPS online. You should also be sure to notify your physician and dentist that you are moving, so that they can forward your medical records.

Keep in contact with the people you know in the new city

Most companies will assign sponsors to people who have relocated for work. You should make contact early with this individual and keep them abreast of your moving plans. They can help you settle in by giving you valuable information about living, shopping, and entertaining yourself in your new city.

By following this brief checklist, you’ll be off to a great start with planning your relocation.