Essential Tools Every Home Should Have
Everyone should have a certain number of tools to help them do various household chores, but not everyone has a place to house a complete toolkit. So take only the essentials. But what are they? Here are the tools you must own to complete most day-to-day troubleshooting projects without taking up valuable closet space.
To keep this list and your toolbox organized, it’s broken down into two types of tasks. Most basic DIY repairs and improvements require either measuring and cutting or tightening and loosening, so they are useful for organizing your tools.
Measuring and cutting
You can’t “measure twice, cut once” without the right tools. These basic accessories will keep your artwork perfect and ensure you never buy a sofa that’s too big to walk through the door.
- Heavy Duty Scissors: The versatile scissors set can be used in many applications, from the kitchen to the workshop. Office scissors won’t cut the rope, so save them for easier tasks.
- Roulette: From woodworking to interior design, roulette is indispensable. A 12-foot tape measure with a lock will do for most household chores and won’t have most of a 25-foot contract grade tape measure.
- Level: A 12- or 24-inch standard bubble level with measuring scale is required for installing shelves, hanging mirrors or artwork, and for mounting televisions.
Tightening and loosening
Nails, screws, bolts, and staples hold just about everything in your home together, so you’ll need the right tools to adjust them.
- Screwdrivers: A multi-bit set with interchangeable flat and Phillips heads is more versatile than a few each and takes up less space, especially if you opt for the short handle option.
- Drill: Chances are good that if you measure and check flatness, you end up hanging something heavy, and for that you will almost certainly need a basic drill and a set of replacement bits (which are often included) to help you install anchors for walls and other sturdy screws. If a special job appears, you can always buy a special crown – for example, for drilling to brick .
- Adjustable wrench wrench crescent-shaped: in any tiny tool kit must be at least one adjustable wrench . Consider a kit that includes multiple sizes so that you have all sizes of nuts and bolts covered.
- Hammer: Don’t have too much fancy here – an 8oz short hammer will do 90% of the housework.
- Pliers: Ideally, you will need at least two pairs of pliers: one adjustable and one non-adjustable . They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they are all suitable for different tasks. Do a little research to make sure you pick a pair of pliers that will do what you want.
- Wrenches: These small wrenches are inexpensive and irreplaceable . Buy a set and keep them close at hand so you are always ready.
Even if you don’t really consider yourself a do-it-yourself master, having some basic tools on hand is a must. Knowing that you have everything you need to get the job done will give you the ability to fix things as they arise, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
This article was originally published on October 18, 2014. It was updated on May 7, 2021 with a new photo, updated links, wrench and drill guidelines, and to reflect the current Lifehacker style guidelines.