Good tools help you maintain your home.
Maybe you just bought a house. Maybe you’ve owned a home for decades.
Whatever the situation, you need tools to keep your home in good condition. Tools protect your investment. They also allow you to tackle projects around the house without calling a professional.
Whether you’re a new or experienced homeowner, here are the top 20 tools every homeowner should have.
1) Toolbox: Before you buy any other tools on this list, you need a place to store your tools. Buy a toolbox. Some toolboxes are outfitted with dozens of beginner tools, giving you everything you need to get started. However, these tools are often cheap and low-quality. You’re better off buying your own toolbox and filling it with higher-quality tools purchased separately.
2) Claw Hammer: Arguably the most common tool in any home, the hammer is a problem-solving tool for any part of your home. A claw hammer lets you fix your deck, remove loose nails around the house, hang pictures, and perform other basic and advanced home maintenance tasks.
2) Screwdriver Set: A good screwdriver set is the foundation of any homeowner’s tool kit. Some prefer manual screwdrivers, where you lift the screw head after every turn of the screw and reposition it before the next turn. Others prefer ratcheting screw drivers, where you can make multiple screw turns without removing the screwdriver from the item. Your screwdriver set should contain a flathead screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, hex-head screwdriver, Robertson, and Torx screwdriver. With these five types of screwdrivers, you can tackle virtually any DIY project.
3) Adjustable Wrench: For basic DIY tasks, an adjustable wrench is all you need. Most homeowners don’t need a full wrench set. Instead, an adjustable wrench lets you easily tighten nuts and bolts around your home. For leaky sinks and more, you need an adjustable wrench.
4) Utility Knife: Utility knives, also known as box cutters, are great all-around cutting tools. They’re useful for cutting carpet, trimming drywall, cutting wallpaper, and performing other crucial tasks around the house. Buy a good utility knife with a replaceable blade. A good utility knife is an investment, and you can replace the blade whenever it’s dull to ensure optimal cutting action.
5) Tape Measure: Tape measures allow you to measure distance. If you’re building anything, you need a good tape measure. A tape measure is another item that’s worth a bigger investment. If you plan on doing big projects around the house, invest in a 35-foot tape measure.
6) Flashlight or Head Lamp: A good flashlight is crucial. Your home is filled with dark spaces. You can’t work on something you can’t see. Invest in a good flashlight. Even if you’re not much of a DIYer, a good flashlight is important for power outages and other unexpected events. If you plan on using both hands in dark spaces around your home, then invest in a head lamp.
7) Level: Just like a tape measure, a level is crucial if you’re building anything. A level is the difference between a deck standing for decades – and a lopsided deck collapsing after a bad snowstorm. Even if you’re not building a deck, a level helps when building a pool table, installing countertops, and performing other tasks around the house. If you’re planning to start big projects in the future, get a 4-foot level.
8) Power Drill and Bit Set: A power drill pays for itself with one major DIY project. Buy a power drill with a bit set and never look back. If you’re going to buy one power tool for your home, make it a power drill. Like most other items on this list, a power drill is useful for everyone – but it’s crucial if you’re building anything.
9) Extension Cord: Your power tools are only as good as the extension cord connected to them. Buy a good extension cord to vastly expand the number of areas of your home where you can work.
10) Three Types of Tape: A good home handyperson has three types of tape – and knows when to use each type. Your tool box should have duct tape, plumber tape, and electrical tape. Use duct tape for general purposes, patching a hose, and virtually anything else. Use plumber tape for situations where you need to prevent water or air from leaking – say, when fixing a leaky pipe. And use electrical tape to insulate wires or color code objects.
11) Pressure Washer: For many homeowners, it’s worth investing in a pressure washer. Buy a good pressure washer today and save yourself years of maintenance issues. Pressure washers are ideal for cleaning outdoor surfaces, siding, roofs, decks, fences, and more. You can find pressure washers at all different price ranges, making it easy to find one that suits your budget. Alternatively, you can hire a professional pressure washing company at a reasonable rate for regular cleanings.
12) Ladder: Whether working on your home or changing a high light bulb, a ladder is a crucial part of any arsenal of home tools.
13) Rake: Keep your lawn tidy. Collect grass clippings. Make your landscaping look nice. Whether your lawn is surrounded by trees or not, a rake keeps leaves off your yard in the fall and winter.
14) Snow Shovel: A snow shovel is one of those things you don’t realize you need until it’s too late. Suddenly, it’s the first snowstorm of the year and you can’t leave your driveway – and the hardware store is sold out of snow shovels anyway. Buy a good snow shovel today if you live in a winter climate.
15) Broom: Just like a rake or a snow shovel, a broom keeps everything tidy. Invest in a good, sturdy outdoor broom. Sweep off your deck and sidewalk. Keep your garage floor clean.
16) Paint Brush: Even if your home is perfectly painted, it won’t stay that way for long. Invest in a good paint brush to make sure you’re always ready for dents, dings, scratches, marks, and full-on painting jobs.
17) Pliers: Pliers can straighten bent power cord plugs, replace old shower heads, slice wiring, and perform other important tasks around the house. Get a set of pliers to ensure you have tongue-and-groove pliers, side-cutting pliers, needle-nose pliers, and slip-joint pliers for any job.
18) Putty Knife: you need a putty knife for spreading spackling compound. You can also use putty knives when reglazing a window, scraping off paint or wallpaper, and performing other jobs around the house.
19) Handsaw: Many homeowners just need a good handsaw – not a full power saw. A good handsaw is portable and ideal for smaller jobs. Until you start a major project, you should be able to get by with a handsaw and not a power saw.
20) Wheelbarrow: Wheelbarrows are useful in all seasons for tackling yard debris and moving heavy items around your yard. A good wheelbarrow makes it easy to keep your landscaping neat and tidy.
Invest in all of the tools above to easily tackle any DIY home projects.