New Home Security Checklist (Including Fire Extinguisher Placement)

The first 24 hours in a new home are high-risk in ways most buyers don't think about until something goes wrong. Previous owners, contractors, cleaners, real estate agents, and property managers may all hold copies of the existing keys. The smoke detectors may have dead batteries or be past their replacement date. The main water shutoff might be in an unfamiliar location. The electrical panel might be unlabelled.

None of this is dangerous until it is. A systematic security check before furniture is moved in costs a few hours. An emergency that could have been prevented costs significantly more.

Lock Re-Keying or Replacement: Do This Before Anything Else

Assume that any key that was ever cut for this property still exists somewhere. Previous owners, former tenants if the property was rented, builders, tradespeople, cleaning services — all may have had keys at some point. You don't know how many copies were made or where they are.

Re-keying changes the internal lock cylinder so that existing keys no longer work, while your new keys still operate the lock. A locksmith typically charges $40–$100 per lock cylinder for this service. For a home with three exterior doors, budget $120–$300 total.

Replacing the deadbolt is the more comprehensive option if the existing hardware is old or low-quality. A solid deadbolt with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 ANSI rating (the highest and second-highest tamper resistance) costs $50–$150 per door installed.

Smart locks with code-based access eliminate the key duplication problem permanently — no key exists to copy. If the previous owner had a smart lock, change the master access code immediately and delete all stored guest codes before creating new ones. Smart lock replacements typically cost $100–$350 per lock.

Priority order: front door, garage door entry if it connects to the home, and any sliding doors or patio entries with a key lock.

Fire Extinguisher Placement

Fire extinguishers are one of the most consistently overlooked safety items in first-home purchases. The standard recommendation from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is to have at minimum one fire extinguisher per floor of the home, with specific placement in high-risk areas.

Where to place them:

Kitchen — the most critical location. Mount the extinguisher on the wall nearest the exit from the kitchen, not directly adjacent to the stove. If a cooking fire starts at the stove, you need to be able to reach the extinguisher without reaching over the flames. Mount it at a height accessible to all adults in the household (typically 3.5–5 feet from the floor).

Garage — if you store vehicles, fuel, solvents, or power tools here, a fire extinguisher is essential. Mount near the door that connects the garage to the house.

Utility room or laundry — clothes dryer lint fires are common; a garage or utility room extinguisher covers this area.

Upper floors — if your home has multiple storeys, at minimum one extinguisher should be accessible on each level.

For type: An ABC-rated dry chemical extinguisher handles ordinary combustibles (Class A), flammable liquids (Class B), and electrical fires (Class C). This multi-class rating makes it suitable for kitchen, garage, and general home use. A standard home fire extinguisher costs $30–$60.

Note that fire extinguishers require annual inspection and replacement every 5–12 years depending on type. When you move into a new home, check the manufacture date on the extinguisher label — if it's expired or missing, replace it immediately.

In Australia and New Zealand, fire extinguishers in residences are subject to the AS 1851 maintenance standard and the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1841. Powder or foam extinguishers are most common in residential settings. In the UK, the British Standard BS 5306 covers inspection requirements. Requirements don't differ significantly from the US in terms of placement logic.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector Audit

The standard building code requirement in most US jurisdictions (and in the UK, Canada, and Australia) is:

• A smoke alarm inside every bedroom
• A smoke alarm outside every sleeping area (hallway adjacent to bedrooms)
• A smoke alarm on every level of the home, including the basement

Carbon monoxide detectors are required by code in most US states if the home has any gas appliances, attached garage, or fossil-fuel heating system. Codes typically require CO detectors on every level and within 10–15 feet of sleeping areas.

When you move in:

1. Press the test button on every detector — a healthy detector should emit a loud beep
2. Replace all batteries regardless of whether they appear functional — a detector running on an old battery that fails at 3am is not a useful safety device
3. Check the manufacture date on the back of each unit — smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years, CO detectors every 5–7 years, per manufacturer recommendations

If you discover a detector that beeps intermittently (low battery chirp) shortly after moving in, don't put off replacing the battery. The chirp is designed to be impossible to ignore for a reason.

Emergency Infrastructure Mapping

Locate and label each of these within the first 24 hours:

Main water shutoff valve: Typically near the water meter. In cold climates (US Midwest, Canada, northern UK), this is often in the basement or a utility cupboard. In warmer climates (Florida, California, Australia, NZ), it may be in an exterior ground box near the foundation. Turn it off and on once to confirm it's operational — valves that haven't been operated in years can seize.

Individual fixture shutoffs: Under each sink, behind each toilet, and adjacent to the dishwasher and washing machine connection. These allow you to isolate a leak without shutting the whole house.

Main gas valve: On the exterior gas meter assembly. In the US, you typically need a gas meter key or an adjustable wrench to operate this — keep one accessible. If you ever smell gas inside the home, don't try to locate the source — exit the property and call your gas utility from outside.

Electrical panel: Usually in the basement, garage, or a hallway cupboard. Every circuit should be labelled — in many homes they aren't, or the labels are outdated. Spend 30 minutes with a voltage tester mapping which breaker controls which room and label them clearly. This is one of the most useful things you can do before moving furniture in front of the panel.

A Note on New Construction

Buyers of new construction face a specific variant of these issues. Builder-standard packages often exclude:

• Window shades or blinds (a privacy issue from day one)
• Guttering on some elevations
• Landscaping (sod, plants, grading)
• Garage door openers
• Sometimes smoke detectors in states with less strict new construction codes

Confirm what was and wasn't included in your final walkthrough documentation, and address any life-safety gaps before moving in.

This checklist covers the security and safety fundamentals that should happen before any furniture is in position. Once the home is furnished, many of these become significantly harder to address.

The Moving Day Toolkit includes a full day-one safety checklist, an emergency infrastructure mapping worksheet, and a fire and safety equipment audit template — covering everything from lock re-keying to CO detector placement and electrical panel labelling.