By The Renovator | This Post May Contain Affiliate Links

Whether you are living in your first home, an apartment, or you’re a super DIY-er, we have a list of tools that every person should have in their proverbial “toolkit”.

Speaking of toolkit, you will need a place to put your tools. If you’re starting out small and have limited space then a dual-purpose organizational cabinet with baskets and drawers may be the way that you want to go, especially if you are keeping the tools inside your home. If you have enough room to keep your tools outside in a garage or storage shed, then a tool cabinet with casters and drawers and some carefully placed hooks on the wall will do the trick for you.

We have a combination of both due to the nature of the business and truthfully, we have more than what we could ever want.  If you ask Erric though there will come a time when that little hoo-dad in the corner will be exactly what he needs to get the job done.  I am more of a chuck-it-and-forget-about-it kind of gal, so to me it looks a lot like a hardware store sneezed in my garage.  That’s a story for another blog post though!

Also #5 actually saved our marriage, but again, that’s a story for another blog post…

The Top 20 Tools Every Homeowner Should Have:

1. Smooth-face hammer. I mean, this one goes without saying – or does it? How many times have you needed to nail something to the wall to hang, tap that drawer back in alignment, smash a bug? If you get a hammer with a straight claw on it, you can use it to pull out nails and do a little bit of demolition at the same time. A 16-ounce hammer will do you just fine.
2. Cordless drill and drill bits. We use this all the time. Anyone that shops at Ikea should have one of these. Anyone that puts their kids bikes together when they get them from the big box store the day before Christmas (ahem) should have one of these. You could also go for a corded variety, but we prefer the versatility of cordless.
3. Pliers. There are two different kinds of pliers that would be great all-around tools to have in your kit: channel-lock and needle-nose.  Channel lock pliers are adjustable and can be used to unscrew nuts of all different sizes. Needle-nose pliers get into the hard-to-reach places and have a wire-cutter at the crook of the pliers which is invaluable.
4. Torpedo Level. A torpedo level is a little level designed to be used in smaller spaces and is perfect for anyone wanting to start their toolkit and have something on hand to make sure that all their pictures are hung nice and neat.
5. Plunger. You must have this. If there is ever one thing to have, it is going to be a plunger. You would not necessarily want to keep it in your toolkit with the rest of your tools but next to the toilet in the bathroom is perfect. It gives a whole new meaning to Taco Tuesday.
6. Tape Measure. A nice, sturdy, 16-foot tape measure will cover just about any household application that you’re considering. Whether you’re measuring the opening of the door to see if the new couch will fit (preferably before you purchase it), or you’re measuring the height of a new entertainment center, a good tape measure is a must-have.
7. Utility Knife. You will want one with a retractable blade that you can pull back into the handle when not in use.
8. Screwdriver.  You could get a screwdriver set that comes with both phillips and flat-head drivers in a variety of sizes, or you could just go with a multi-bit screwdriver. Multi-bit screwdrivers have all the tips that you will need for most of your projects.
9. Flashlight. It isn’t something that we think about often, but when the power goes out (notice how I didn’t say “if”, I said “when”) you want to be prepared and not be left fumbling around in the dark looking for last year’s birthday candles and the spare lighter you had lying around here somewhere. A couple of well-placed flashlights in your home with fresh batteries will keep you out of trouble when the darkness descends.
10. Prybar. Honestly, tool #1 could be used in some cases as a prybar. When you need something that is stouter and is longer, and can therefore provide more leverage, then you will want a prybar.
11. Allen wrench. While a little set of these things come with just about every furniture set that you purchase and put together yourself, it is always a good idea to have these on hand. For exactly that reason.
12. Safety glasses. It really should go without saying that appropriate eye protection is a must, but you would be surprised how many people say “Oh, this will only take me a minute, I don’t need safety glasses.” Just remember, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
13. Handsaw. Not every homeowner will have the electric big brother to this item, in the form of a circular saw. When you don’t have a circular saw or the job doesn’t necessitate lugging it out of the garage, then a handsaw will work.
14. Paint Brushes. These will not be cheap.  Let me rephrase that: These should not be cheap. The last thing that you want to have on your beautifully painted trim, is leftover brush hair bristles that came loose because you got El-Cheapo-Brand paint brushes.  Go with the good quality brushes and take care of them; they will take care of you.
15. Painter’s 5-way Multi-Tool. This goofy looking tool has so many useful applications, that aren’t necessarily limited to painting.  You can use it to open your paint cans, clean your rollers, scrape off paint or debris, and can be used in a pinch as a putty knife. The opportunities are endless.
16. Adjustable crescent wrenches. Get them in both 6- and 14-inch sizes, and they will be enough to handle all the nut jobs in your life.
17. Fire extinguisher. Enough said.
18. Caulking Gun. You should get in the practice of caulking your house at least once a year to create a water-barrier.
19. Box of Fasteners.  This should include an assortment of nails, screws, washers, nuts, and bolts.  This is probably going to be replenished when you buy the furniture that supplied you with the Allen wrenches.
20. Square. A simple adjustable square will work for any application. These squares adjust out at any degree of angle, giving you a high “degree” of versatility.  (we’ll be here all week, folks)