Setting up house as a new homeowner can sometimes be a daunting task.The luxury of calling a maintenance man in case something breaks or leaks is gone, and certain tasks are extremely fixable with a little Google power, and the right tools. Below is our list of the essential items that every homeowner should have.
1. Drill: Pretty much every project will utilize a drill, of some sort. Besides drilling holes to hang pictures, you can switch out the bits to a screwdriver and speed up any project – even putting together Ikea furniture.
2. Ladder: It goes without saying that a ladder is a helpful household tool. You can use it to clean your drain gutters or change a lightbulb. Convertible ladders will save on space, and allow the height to be customized depending on your project.
3. Hammer: Every DIY project needs a hammer.
4. Tape Measure: Useful for measuring if furniture will fit, or hanging artwork on the walls. Some even feature built in levels.
5. Rake & Snow Shovel: Depending on your climate, you may need both, or just one. They are seasonal outdoor necessities.
6. ViseGrips: ViseGrips can be used as pliers, a wrench, or even a clamp.
7. Flashlight: Not only do you need it for emergencies, but you may need it for other projects, such as venturing into an attic, or crawl space. Make sure you have extra batteries, and keep it someplace that can be found easily in the dark.
8. Tarp: You can use it for covering anything outdoors that you don’t want to get wet, such as your BBQ or lawnmower. Or covering your flowers or vegetables in case of a frost.
9. (At least one) 5 gallon bucket: You can use this bucket to store all your household items, or for another thousand possible uses. You can also buy them inexpensively at your local hardware store, usually with their logo on the side, for less than $5.
10. Long Extension Cord: A long, heavy duty, exterior extension cord is useful for many things, both indoors and outdoors. You can use it for Christmas lights or powering a weedwacker.
11. Ten in one Screwdriver: There are many different types of screws, and you never know which one you may run across. One of these screwdrivers has an interchangeable bits that will work with most projects.
12. Crescent Wrench: Instead of having one wrench of every size, this one wrench will fit most nuts or bolts.
13. Putty Knife and Spackle: You probably remember these items from using them often as a renter.
14. Utility Knife: Standard box cutter can be used immediately from unpacking boxes at move-in to cutting through drywall.
15. Level: Hanging artwork on the wall, or leveling your table, or basic DIY projects all require use of a level.
16. Saw: You can either buy a hacksaw which will cut through anything (metal, or wood) or you can get a battery-powered one that can cut through anything from nails to 2x4s.
17. Plunger: Everyone knows what this is for. However, you may want to invest in two, just in case you also need to unplug your kitchen sink.
18. Fasteners: You never know when you’ll need to bust out your super glue, duct tape, or assorted sizes of screws and nails.
19. Wet/ Dry Vac: It’ll pick up anything that will fit down the tube, even nuts, or bolts. Additionally, since it’ll suck up water, you can use it to clear water from a plugged drain or, if you have a carpet spill, you can get down to the carpet padding, rather than rubbing or scrubbing on the surface.
20. Fire Extinguisher: Your home may not have one when you move in. Smaller, portable ones are not usually rechargeable, however, a larger one can easily be serviced every couple years by your local fire department.
