Gifts for a new homeowner: the safety gear every house needs
A new house comes with a long list, and the safety gear tends to sit at the bottom of it. These are the gifts that move it up: alarms that talk to each other, a fire extinguisher for the kitchen, a ladder for an upstairs bedroom, a safe for the deed and the passports, and a proper first aid kit.
Every pick is a product we already compare; each card says why it's here, and the maker page behind the claim is in the sources at the end. The guidance we quote is from the U.S. Fire Administration, CPSC, Ready.gov, CDC and the American Red Cross, word for word.
Smoke and CO alarms that sound together
Interconnected alarms all sound when one does, so a fire in the basement wakes the people upstairs. Wireless ones link without new wiring, which makes them a realistic gift for a house that already has alarms of mixed ages.
- “Install a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms.” (CPSC)
- “Choose interconnected smoke alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound.” (U.S. Fire Administration)
- “Install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home.” (Ready.gov)
A fire extinguisher for the kitchen and the garage
An ABC-rated extinguisher covers ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids and electrical fires. Mount it where people can reach it on the way out of the room, not behind the stove. It's for a small fire only: if it doesn't die down right away, the Red Cross says to drop it and get out.
- “If you try to use a fire extinguisher on a fire and the fire does not immediately die down, drop the extinguisher and get out.” (American Red Cross)
An escape ladder for an upstairs bedroom
Ready.gov's fire escape advice starts with two ways out of every room. For a second-floor bedroom, the second way is often a window, and a folding ladder kept in the closet makes it usable. Practice where it hooks on, without climbing down.
- “Learn two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use.” (Ready.gov)
A safe for the deed, the passports and the insurance papers
A new homeowner suddenly has a stack of papers that matter: the deed, the mortgage, the insurance policy. Ready.gov's kit list asks for copies of important documents kept electronically or in a waterproof, portable container, and a fire and water rated file box is that container.
- “Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container.” (Ready.gov, basic disaster supplies kit)
A real first aid kit, and water for the first outage
Most new homes have a box of bandages somewhere. A proper kit, organized by job, is a better gift. Water storage is the other thing almost nobody has on moving day: CDC's figure is a gallon per person per day.
- “Store at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day for 3 days. ... Try to store a 2-week supply if possible.” (CDC)
Many homes already have alarms. Ask the new owners to press the test button on each one and look at the date on the back: the U.S. Fire Administration says to replace a hardwired or 9-volt smoke alarm every 10 years. If every alarm sounds and is in date, give the extinguisher, the ladder or the safe instead.
Common questions
What safety gear does a new house need?
Working smoke alarms on every level, outside sleeping areas and inside bedrooms, CO alarms on every level, a fire extinguisher, two ways out of every room, and a basic disaster supplies kit with water, food, a radio and a first aid kit, following CPSC, Ready.gov and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Are wireless interconnected smoke alarms as good as hardwired ones?
They do the same job of sounding together. CPSC notes that interconnected smoke alarms are typically connected using a wire, but that newer wireless technology lets them interconnect without wires.
More gift guides
Useful holiday gifts for an older parent: a weather alert radio, alarms that never need a battery change, lights that come on in an outage, and a warm throw.
Gifts for someone who camps or hikes: headlamps, water filters, a backpacking stove, radios, a satellite messenger and cold-weather gear, each with its reason.
Small, useful stocking stuffers under $25: headlamps, a power failure light, a water filter, an emergency blanket and bivvy, ice cleats and camp dinners.
Power stations, generators, safe indoor heaters and radios with live prices, our store-price deal check, and what you can skip.
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Sources (15)
- CPSC: Smoke alarms (publication 559, PDF)
- U.S. Fire Administration: Smoke alarms
- Ready.gov: Power outages
- American Red Cross: Fire safety equipment
- Ready.gov: Home fire escape plan
- Ready.gov: Build a kit
- CDC: How to create and store an emergency water supply
- X-Sense: SC07-W combination smoke and CO alarm
- First Alert: SM310 10-year dual sensor smoke alarm
- First Alert: 2-A:10-B:C rechargeable extinguisher
- First Alert: 1-A:10-B:C rechargeable home extinguisher
- Kidde: 2-story fire escape ladder
- SentrySafe: HD4100 water and fire safe file cabinet
- SurviveX: Large First Aid Kit
- WaterBrick: product specifications
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