Nobody wants to have to borrow a screwdriver from a neighbor during a DIY project or try to fix a leaking pipe with makeshift tools. Having a well-stocked home isn’t just convenient; it’s being prepared for life’s little surprises. With the right tools at arm’s length, you can hang pictures, assemble furniture, or stop a sudden faucet drip.
You don’t need to go crazy/buy professional tools. For most situations, a handful of reliable basics will do. Here are the must-haves for every household. With these essentials in your toolkit, you will feel like a pro even if you tighten a loose cabinet handle.
Hammer
You’ll find you use a hammer more often than you thought you would, whether it’s to drive nails into walls for picture frames or to pry them out of old wood. Go for a claw hammer, you can do both. It’s also good for quick fixes like tightening a loose floorboard or lightly tapping something into place.
Screwdriver Set
Furniture assembly and tight cabinet doors require screwdrivers. You will want to get flat-head and Phillips-head screwdrivers in different sizes to be ready for different tasks. If you need to save space, consider a multi-bit screwdriver with interchangeable heads. Soon, it will be your go-to tool.
Measuring Tape
Have you ever tried to guess whether or not a piece of furniture is going to fit through a doorway? With a measuring tape, there’s no guesswork. No matter if you’re hanging curtains or planning the layout of a room, it’s a tool you’ll find yourself using more than you’d think. Seek one with a minimum of 16-foot reach – better to have too much reach than not enough.
Level
Wonky picture frames or crooked shelves can make a room look bad. Mounting a TV or hanging artwork, a level helps you get everything straight. While some apps supply digital levels, a good old-fashioned bubble level is more reliable and easier to use.
Utility Knife
A utility knife is a great choice for the job of precision cutting, from opening stubborn packages to trimming wallpaper. Extra blades are always handy because a sharp blade makes all the difference. This is the type of tool you don’t realize you want until you’ve got one, and then you’re lost without it.
Cordless Drill
Hanging shelves, assembling furniture, and dealing with minor repairs are no match for a cordless drill. If you have a bigger job, it’s faster and easier than using a manual screwdriver. With different drill bits, you can tackle wood, metal, and drywall without breaking a sweat.
Adjustable Wrench
Just when you think things are going well, that’s when plumbing issues seem to pop up. According to Taleb Kasimy, an adjustable wrench is great for all the nuts and bolts, which is why it’s great for fixing leaky faucets and assembling furniture. You won’t need a whole wrench set cluttering up your space because it’s so adaptable.
Pliers
Any toolkit is not complete without those unsung heroes: the pliers. Grip, bend, or twist metal or pull out nails or small objects that are hard to get hold of with them. As North Shore Crafts attests, needle-nose pliers are excellent for detail work or if you are doing something you can’t quite get to. A good pair will become your go-to tool for odd jobs very quickly.
Flashlight
A reliable flashlight will come in handy when the power goes out or you need to check something in a dark corner. Pick one with LED bulbs that can give you brighter light than normal ones, and if you pick white colored ones, it will give you the longest battery backup that you will ever need. Store it in a place that you can easily get to in an emergency.
Duct Tape
Duct tape is a household legend, and there’s a reason for it: it fixes (almost) everything. From patching a leaky hose to temporarily holding a broken object together or labeling boxes, duct tape is there for you. Although it’s not glamorous, it’s necessary.
