Don't turn them off until you know you're outa there!! It's too big a hassle to turn on and off and back on and off.......not worth it!! Normally your real estate agent would help you coordinate this to make it a smooth transition.

Keep them on until you know you are going to move. It typically only takes a day or two to get them turned off. Much better to pay $10 or so in utilities to have them turned off the day after you move, versus the real headache you might have, not to mention the expense if you get them turned off too early. It's not worth the hassle for example if everything gets turned off and therefore you are unable to clean and get your deposit back.

Keep the utilities on to facilitate the sale... How would you like it if someone turned them off on you?

Most likely, your landlord will require the utilities to be in your name for as long as the lease is. During a lease, you have all rights and responsibilities of occupancy. You can request that the utilities be turned off or transferred on a specific date with each company, but you will need to verify this with your landlord.

Hope this helps. Congrats on the house and good luck!