When you own your home – whether you built a new home or bought a pre-owned home, things are going to break and, unless you want to spend your money on visits from a neighborhood handyman, you’re going to need to fix them yourself. Even if you had a home inspector take a look at the house, there are always things that just decide to stop working at random times.

Luckily, if you’ve bought one of our homes, you’ll find that you’re covered for many repairs under your builder warranty, but there are always little fixes around the house that you can do yourself. You don’t need an arsenal of tools to handle most home maintenance fixes.

Tools Every Homeowner Should Have

Cordless drill. A cordless drill is a must-have for installing cabinets, drawer pulls, hinges, picture frames, shelves and hooks, and more. Whether it’s for do-it-yourself projects or repairs, you’ll use your cordless drill just about every month.

Screwdrivers. While your cordless drill can handle a lot of your your screwdriver needs with a quick change of the bit, there are times where the cordless drill is either too powerful or doesn’t fit in the space you need it. Keep a basic selection of flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers around the house for those times. We find that one large and one small version of each will do the trick in most situations.

Hammer. While you won’t need your hammer to build the frame for your new home (we’ll take care of that part!), you will always find use for one around the house, especially if you’re hanging artwork, mirrors, or shelving.

Level. A good level makes everything look better. We find them to be invaluable tools when hanging photos, frames, artwork, or shelves.

Drain cleaners. Shower and bathroom sink drains are susceptible to clogs because of the daily buildup of hair and whisker clippings. You can use chemical clog removers like Drano, but they’re expensive and the lingering chemical scent is unpleasant. Instead, buy some plastic drain cleaners that can reach into the drain to pull out the clog of hair and gunk. You can purchase them on Amazon or at a local hardware store for a low price.

Shop-Vac. No matter how careful you are, spills and accidents will happen and there are some tasks that just can’t be handled with paper towels or a standard vacuum, like pet messes or broken glass. Whether it’s in the garage, on the carpet, or all over your hardwood floors, a Shop-Vac is ready to handle just about anything.

Loppers. Even the minimum amount of care for your landscaping will require some loppers to remove damaged branches, vines, thick weeds, and any other unruly plants in your yard.

Flashlight. You’re going to want something a little more powerful than your iPhone flashlight when you’re in the crawlspace or you experience a power outage.

image courtesy of stock photos