New-build handover package

A new house arrives with the alarms the code required and nothing else. This adds the layer that comes later or never: six wireless interlinked alarms so the whole house sounds together, the natural gas and propane detector from plate 45, the water leak and freeze detector from plate 46, and the kitchen and garage extinguishers.

All the alarms pre-paired, all sealed to the same ten-year date so the house has one replacement year rather than a rolling programme. Bought separately, about $335.

Fitting and care. Do this before the furniture goes in, while the ceilings are still easy to reach. Pair all six alarms on a table first and write one install date on every body. Get the gas detector’s height right for the fuel you actually have — high for natural gas, low for propane — because a new build is exactly where that gets guessed. Put the leak probes behind the washer, under the kitchen sink and by the water heater before the appliances are pushed back into place.