9 Things To Do The Moment You Get The Keys

Taking possession of your home for the first time is one of the most exciting moments in a person's life. You have worked hard for this. The deal is done. The keys are in your hand. And then, the adrenaline starts to wear off and you realize you have absolutely no idea what to do first.

Do you start unpacking? Call your mom? Order pizza and sit on the floor? All valid options. But before any of that, there are 9 things you should do first. Things that most people skip entirely, only to regret it weeks or months later when something goes wrong.

We have helped hundreds of Toronto families through possession day. These are the things we tell every single client.

1. CHANGE ALL THE LOCKS

This is the one that surprises people the most, and the one we feel most strongly about. Think about it: the previous owners gave keys to their real estate agent, their neighbours, their dog walker, their cleaning person, and possibly their ex. You have no idea how many copies of your key are floating around Toronto right now.

Changing the locks is not about distrust. It is about peace of mind. A locksmith can do your entire home in under an hour for a few hundred dollars. It is the single best thing you can spend money on before you unpack a single box.

2. LOCATE MAIN WATER SHUT-OFF AND ELECTRICAL PANEL

A pipe bursts at 2am. Water is pouring through your ceiling. Your partner is panicking. Your dog is barking. And you have absolutely no idea where the water shut-off valve is.

This is not a hypothetical, it happens. And the difference between finding that valve in 30 seconds versus 10 minutes is the difference between a minor inconvenience and tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

In most Toronto homes it is in the basement near the front foundation wall, or in a utility room. Walk through your home on day one and find it. Point it out to everyone in your household. You will probably never need it, but if you do, you will be so glad you know where it is.

3. TEST SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS

Ontario law requires working smoke detectors on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area. Carbon monoxide detectors are required near all sleeping areas if you have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.

Do not take the previous owner's word for it. Press every test button. If anything is over 10 years old, replace it! Detectors degrade over time and may not function properly even if they beep when you test them. New detectors are $20 at Canadian Tire. This is not the place to cut corners.

4. CLEAN THOROUGHLY BEFORE MOVING IN

This is the one people agree with in theory and then ignore completely in practice because the moving truck is arriving in two hours.

Here is the thing: you will never have another opportunity to clean this home while it is completely empty. Inside every cabinet. Under every appliance. Behind every fixture. The baseboards. The insides of closets.

If you can't do it yourself before moving day, hire a cleaning service for a few hours. A professional move-in clean typically costs $150–300 (or more depending on the size of the property) in Toronto. Worth every penny.

5. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - ON DAY ONE

Walk through your entire home with your phone on day one and record a slow, thorough video of every single room. Every wall. Every floor. Every appliance. Every fixture. Zoom in on anything that looks worn, scratched, or imperfect.

Why? Two reasons. First, insurance. If something goes wrong in the first year, you have documentation of the condition on the day you took possession. Second, disputes. If there is ever a question about what was included in the sale or what condition something was in, your date-stamped video is your evidence.

Upload it somewhere you will not lose it. Google Photos, iCloud, a hard drive. This takes 20 minutes and could save you thousands.

6. SET UP UTILITIES IN YOUR NAME

This sounds boring. It is boring. Do it anyway. Electricity, gas, and your municipality's water services all need to be transferred to your name on possession day. If you leave this even a few days, you risk a gap in coverage, or worse, the previous owner's service getting cancelled and you sitting in a dark house wondering why there is no electricity.

Call your lawyer's office the week before closing and confirm what is being handled for you versus what you need to do yourself. Most lawyers handle the water account. Hydro and gas are usually up to you.

7. FORWARD YOUR MAIL

This one feels minor until you realize that your credit card statement, your CRA notice, and your kid's school forms have been going to a stranger's house for three weeks.

Set up a mail forward through Canada Post online in advance it takes about 10 minutes.

Do it for at least six months to catch the stragglers. Yes, you will also update your address everywhere, but the forward is the safety net for the things you forgot.

8. UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS

Yes, you do this even though you set up the mail forward. The forward catches things, it does not replace updating your actual address.

The one most people forget: Canada Revenue Agency. An outdated address at CRA means delayed tax returns, missed benefit payments (GST/HST credit, Canada Child Benefit), and correspondence you never receive. Update it through My Account on the CRA website. It takes two minutes and it matters more than you think. Also update your driver's license within six days of moving, it is actually a legal requirement in Ontario.

9. BOOK INTERNET & SECURITY BEFORE POSSESSION

This is the one that generates the most complaints from our clients, because by the time they think of it, they are already in the home and living without internet for two weeks.

Toronto internet installation wait times are typically 7–14 days. If you book on possession day, you are without internet for at least a week. Book it the moment your closing date is confirmed, even if that is 2 months out. You can always cancel or reschedule. You cannot speed up the installation queue.

Same logic applies to your home security system if you are getting one. Book the consultation early. Reminder: Do not book it to be installed on possession date. If closing gets delayed and you don't have access to your property as scheduled, they won't be able to install these services.