It’s Homeowner 101 really, you’ve got to have the tools to get the job (or jobs!) around the house done. But, if you’re not a jack-of-all-trades and you don’t want to ask “handy Uncle Bill” to help out with all of your little home improvements or fixer-upper tasks, what tools are “must haves” for all the little things you may need to do around the house?
Here are 10 essential tools (and a few extras, too) that no homeowner should do without:
- Screwdrivers – and lots of them! From putting together children’s toys to putting on the kitchen hardware or adding that dimmer switch for perfect lighting, if you don’t have a good set of screwdrivers, you’re sure to have a few loose screws!
- Hammer – If you’re planning to hang anything on the walls of your new home or you would like to tighten up those loose boards on the deck of the fixer-upper you just bought, you’ll need to keep a hammer and, possibly even a rubber mallet, close by.
- Tape Measure – Eye-balling the middle of the wall may seem like a great idea, but when you’re hanging family photos, you want to make sure Grandma is center stage! In addition to your tape measure, you may want to carry a roll of carpenter’s tape to accurately mark what you measure!
- Level – Speaking of eye-balling it, once you have Grandma centered, make sure she’s not crooked by enlisting the help of an inexpensive level. Even the slightest miscalculation can make things look awry.
- Pliers: If you’re working with metal or need to grab a tiny strand of electrical wire, a good set of needle-nose pliers will be your best friend. Adding a pair of combination and slip joint pliers should help you complete any at-home task.
