Moving In: A Two-Week Plan for First-Time Homeowners

The two weeks around closing are when small forgotten tasks become expensive emergencies. Here's a sequenced plan that prevents the common mistakes.

Two weeks before closing. Book movers and confirm afternoon-of or next-morning timing (never closing morning). Submit your change of address with Canada Post mail forwarding ($25 for four months — worth every cent). Notify your bank, credit cards, insurance providers, employer payroll, the CRA, your doctor's office, your provincial health card, and your driver's licence. Schedule utility transfers for your new address: Hydro Ottawa (or Hydro One depending on location), Enbridge for gas, the City of Ottawa for water, and your chosen internet provider — internet in particular often needs 7–14 days to install.

One week before closing. Confirm the closing amount with your lawyer and arrange the wire or certified draft (your bank often needs 24 hours' notice for a large draft). Walk through the home with your buyer's agent — this is your contractual right and the time to confirm the home is in the condition it was sold in, that all included chattels are present and functional, and that any seller repair commitments were completed. Photograph everything. Pack a "first night" box — bedding, toiletries, a few changes of clothes, phone chargers, a basic toolkit, a flashlight, snacks, coffee setup, paper towels, and toilet paper. This box should arrive with you, not the movers.

Closing week. Confirm with your lawyer the morning of closing once funds are wired and registration is in progress. Pick up keys from the listing brokerage (or as your lawyer instructs) — typically afternoon. The first thing to do in the new home: change every exterior lock and reprogram or replace garage door openers. You have no idea how many copies of the previous keys exist. Take meter readings of hydro, gas, and water on the day you take possession; keep a photo of each.

First week as owner. Locate and label the main water shutoff, the main electrical breaker, the gas shutoff, and any individual unit shutoffs (kitchen and bathroom water lines). Find and test smoke and CO detectors; replace batteries in all of them. Walk the property line and confirm what you actually own. Schedule HVAC service if it hasn't been done in 12+ months. File your Tarion 30-day form if this is a new build — the clock started the day you took possession.

More from the journal:

• The first 100 days in a new-build home
• Your first year maintenance calendar

Trusted outside sources:

• Canada Post — Mail forwarding
• Hydro Ottawa — Move-in / move-out