10 Must Have Tools for DIY Home Repairs and Maintenance

Every year, almost 90% of American homeowners are forced to make at least one major repair. The average homeowner also spends nearly $5,000 on home repairs throughout the course of a year. With these things in mind, you should make every effort to tackle home repairs and maintenance on your own when you can. By DIYing home repairs and maintenance, you can save yourself a lot of money while keeping your home in great shape.

Here are ten must-have tools for DIY projects that you should always have on hand.

1. Hammer

When you’re putting together a collection of must-have tools for DIY projects, a hammer is one of the first things you’re going to grab. And for good reason! A hammer can be used to carry out all kinds of DIY projects within your home. You can use it to hang up pictures, put together furniture, nail in baseboards, and so much more. You don’t need to spend a small fortune on a hammer, but you should look for a durable one that’ll stand the test of time. A 16-ounce hammer with a sturdy wooden handle should do the trick.

2. Screwdrivers

Almost everything that you have in your home is held together by screws. From the doors on your bedrooms to the outlet covers on your walls, screws are all over the place inside of your house. It’s why screwdrivers should also be at the top of your list when you’re assembling must-have tools for DIY projects. You should invest in both a flathead screwdriver and a Philips head screwdriver for your home. You might even want to think about buying an entire screwdriver set so that you’re equipped to handle a variety of different screws. They’ll get plenty of use during your time in your home.

3. Wrench

While most things in your home will be held together with screws, there are certain things that will be connected with nuts and bolts. Many of the fixtures in your home, for example, rely on nuts and bolts. Screwdrivers aren’t going to do you much good if you ever have to assemble or disassemble things that are attached with nuts and bolts. You’ll need a wrench to get the job done. You can buy an entire wrench set if you want. But you can also keep things simple by purchasing an adjustable wrench that can handle any size nuts and bolts.

4. Handsaw

If you’re going to take on heavy-duty DIY projects around your house, you may want to think about buying a power saw. Power saws cut through wood with ease and won’t force you to spend a lot of time sawing by hand. But if you’re only going to be using a saw every now and then, a handsaw should work just fine for you. It’ll allow you to make quick cuts as long as you find a saw with a sharp-toothed blade.

5. Pliers

In a perfect world, it would be easy to use a hammer to remove a nail from a piece of wood or a wrench to remove a nut from a bolt when you’re in the middle of a DIY project. But there are going to be times when nails, nuts, and other connectors won’t budge no matter how hard you try. Rather than breaking down and calling a professional to come in and help, have a pair of pliers on standby. Pliers can grip just about anything you want and get it loose. You’ll be able to put a lot more oomph! into DIY projects with pliers by your side.

6. Tape Measure

Taking the proper measurements is essential when you’re taking on a DIY project. If you don’t measure a plumbing pipe or a baseboard the right way, it could come back to bite you later. Before you start any DIY project, you should always clip a tape measure right to your pants. You can pull the tape measure out whenever you need to make an accurate measurement and do it within a matter of seconds.

7. Tape

It’s nice to have lots of Scotch tape in your home, but that’s not the kind of tape we’re talking about here. Scotch tape isn’t all that useful when it comes to DIY projects. But there are many other types of tape that you’ll turn to early and often during DIY projects. These types of tape include:

• Duct tape
• Electrical tape
• Plumber’s tape
• Painter’s tape

You don’t need to run out and buy all of these types of tape at once. But you should add new types of tape to your garage or shed over time as you take on new DIY projects.

8. Putty

Are you going to be taking on plumbing projects around your house or doing work on the ductwork for your HVAC system? If so, sealing putty is something you’ll want to keep around. Make sure you pick up the right kind of sealing putty based on the specific DIY project that you’re trying to pull off.

9. Level

There is nothing worse than hanging up a shelf, a cabinet, or even a TV on the wall only to realize that—oops!—it’s crooked. You’ll have to take it back down and start the project all over again. Avoid finding yourself in this scenario by picking up a level that you can use to keep everything that you hang up, well, level. It’s a simple tool that’ll make life easier on you when you’re hanging things on the wall.

10. Toolbox

You can buy all the must-have tools for DIY projects that you want, but they’re not going to do you much good if you can’t find them. Once you have a nice little collection of tools assembled, buy a toolbox to put them all in. This will keep your tools protected and make it easy for you to track them down when you need them.

Buy These Must-Have Tools for DIY Projects for Your Home

There are certain home repairs and maintenance that you shouldn’t attempt to do on your own if you’re not experienced. For instance, roof replacement is a job that you should trust to a professional roofer. But there are also lots of home repairs and maintenance that you can do on your own. As long as you have the must-have tools for DIY projects listed here, you shouldn’t have too much trouble tackling them.

Read our blog to get tips on taking on some of the most common DIY home repairs and maintenance.