Nowadays, it’s common to hear people say, “there’s an app for everything.” While our phones may give us a host of tools at our fingertips, not all apps can solve all the little problems around the house. After all, you wouldn’t want to drive that loose nail on the wall with your phone, would you?
Even with all of today’s gizmos and gadgets, we still need essential tools to help us fix common problems at home by ourselves. Things like loose door hinge screws, leaky shower heads, and stuck windows can be easily sorted out with a few turns of the screwdriver or wrench.
Reasons To Have These Tools at Home
Before we get down with our list of must-have tools, let’s give you a few reasons you should have them at home.
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Save Time
You don’t need to call a plumbing team and wait an hour for them to come only to remove the cleanout plug of your sink trap. Having tools at home allows you to fix simple problems in just a minute or two.
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Save Money
You get to save serious cash when you avoid paying for labor charges. A tool like a screwdriver is cheaper than what you would pay a skilled worker for a simple job.
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Emergencies Can Be DIY’d
Even if your toilet suddenly doesn’t flush in the middle of the night, you don’t need to wait until sunrise to get it fixed by a plumber. Having a plunger and adjustable wrench ready can get your toilet back up and running within minutes.
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Boost Your Creativity
Having tools at your disposal allows you to create or improvise other useful things as needed. For instance, instead of buying a doghouse, you can just build one with reclaimed wood and a few common hand tools.
10 Must-Have Tools at Home
Without further ado, here are the ten tools you must have at home. Don’t worry. You don’t need to search far and wide for these tools; you can find all of them at just about any one-stop hardware store or department store.
1. Screwdrivers
Every toolkit should have a set of screwdrivers. In most cases, a Phillips (also called “crosshead”) and a flat head (or “slotted”) screwdriver will do the job. You may also get a multi-bit screwdriver for versatility.
2. Pliers
You need pliers to grip metal components and cut wires. Combination and long-nosed pliers are fine for most jobs, like bending and cutting wires. A pair of pliers can also double as a wrench for nuts and screws. Additionally, it’s nice to have diagonal and locking pliers.
3. Hammer
The time-tested claw hammer is essential for woodworking and beyond. You can use it for driving or pulling nails, prying, and other small demolition tasks.
4. Wrenches
Wrenches come in different types and sizes. An adjustable wrench and a set of Allen wrenches (also called “hex keys”) are good enough for most nuts and bolts you’ll find at home. If you want to dive deeper, you can get a pipe wrench for plumbing and a set of socket wrenches for mechanical work, to name a few.
5. Flashlight
Yes, your phone’s flashlight can come in handy for everyday situations, but the good old handheld flashlight is still preferable for working around the house. Aside from repairs, a flashlight is, of course, essential to any emergency/survival kit.
6. Utility Knife
Its super-sharp edge can cut through paper, cardboard, rubber, and most plastic materials with ease and precision. If your scissors or kitchen knife won’t cut it (pun intended), the utility knife is the tool to reach for. You can go for either a retractable one (aka “box cutter”) or a foldable one (aka “Stanley knife”).
7. Tape Measure
The retractable tape measure comes in whenever you need to measure length and distance. This eliminates the guesswork when cutting materials to the desired size or checking if new furniture will fit.
8. Hand Saw
While many types of saws are available, the classic ripsaw will work for most of your wood cutting needs. You can also get a mini-hacksaw for cutting pipes and smaller wood portions.
9. Electric Drill
A cordless drill/driver makes drilling holes and driving screws fast and convenient. A 12V cordless drill is fine for most tasks. If you’re going to drill holes on concrete walls often, we suggest getting a corded power drill, or at least an 18V if cordless.
10. Duct Tape
As the adage goes, “if it moves and shouldn’t, use duct tape.” Its strength and thickness make it ideal for holding things together or patching up holes and cracks. Use it to seal small leaks in pipes and hoses temporarily. Reseal that bag of chips you opened. Duct tape is one of the most versatile adhesive tapes there is!
Add a sturdy toolbox to organize your tools and you’re ready. Feel free to add more to your collection as your DIY skills progress or as your projects require.