What should I do in the first week after closing?
Change the locks, find and label every shutoff, test the alarms, confirm each utility account and its start date, and photograph the meter readings. Then leave the renovations alone for a season.
Day one: change the locks and any door or garage codes. You have no idea how many keys exist and rekeying is cheap.
Day one: locate the main water shutoff, the electrical panel and its main breaker, the gas shutoff and the furnace switch, and label them. The night a pipe bursts is not the night to go looking.
First week: test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm and replace batteries. Ontario requires working alarms and this is also the cheapest safety measure in the house.
First week: confirm hydro, gas, water, internet and waste are in your name effective the closing date, with no overlap you are paying for. Photograph every meter reading on possession day so a billing dispute is a two minute conversation.
First month: furnace filter, dryer vent, gutters, and a walk around the foundation checking grading.
And resist starting a major renovation. You just spent your reserve on closing, and after one winter you will want to renovate different things than you planned.
Next questions
What home maintenance do I actually need to do?
Seasonally: furnace filters and service, gutters twice a year, grading away from the foundation, dryer vent, alarms, and winterizing outdoor plumbing. Everything on that list is cheap and prevents something expensive.
Ontario
Who do I need to tell that I have moved?
Your driver's licence and health card within the statutory window, the Canada Revenue Agency, your bank, insurer, employer and pension, plus the municipality for property tax and water. Add a Canada Post mail forward to catch the rest.
Ontario