Safety Must-Haves For Your First Home

Safety Must-Haves For Your First Home

While shopping for furniture and accessories to fill your new home, make sure to add basic safety supplies to your list. As important as stocking the cupboards with pots and pans, equipping your home with safety products like the ones below can help keep you, your property and your possessions safe. 

Smoke detectors 
Purchase dual sensor alarms and install one on every level of your home, inside every bedroom and outside sleeping areas. Test alarms every month to be sure they're operating properly.

Fire extinguishers
Purchase an "ABC" dry chemical extinguisher for your kitchen and every level of your home and learn how to use it "This will cover the most common types of fires in a home," says Tess Benham, program manager at the National Safety Council. These include wood and paper fires, grease and oil fires and electrical fires.

Carbon monoxide detectors
Install these battery-operated devices outside sleeping areas—especially if your home uses fuel-burning appliances—to help protect you from deadly carbon monoxide gas.

First aid kit
Be prepared in the event of an injury with a well-stocked first aid kit. Purchase a kit or put one together on your own. The American Red Cross offers a full list of first aid supplies that are important to have in your home.

Emergency kit
Have the proper items ready in case of severe weather or a natural disaster. "This kit should include food and supplies to keep your family comfortable for 72 hours," Benham says. The Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests this list of emergency supplies to keep on hand.

Protective supplies
If you're planning to make home improvements, Benham also recommends purchasing proper personal protective equipment, including gloves, safety goggles, hearing protection and dust masks.

When you're shopping for safety products, always look for an independent testing laboratory's mark of approval to be sure the product meets established safety standards.