With homeownership comes great responsibility. When something breaks, stops working, or needs to be upgraded, there isn’t a landlord or property manager you can call to take care of it for you. It’s up to you to find a solution and, if necessary, handle the repair on your own. But in order to do so, you’ll need to make sure you have a quality selection of tools available at all times.
Some people love tools like kids love ice cream and toys. Other people would rather spend their money on things they find more exciting. But no matter which side of the spectrum you fall on, there are some tools that every homeowner absolutely must have on hand.
Every homeowner needs a hammer on hand. From hammering nails into drywall to removing rotted deck boards, a quality hammer is extremely versatile. The key is to buy a good one. A good all-purpose hammer should be 16-ounces with a straight-claw on the back. A one-piece solid steel design with a cushioned grip is ideal.
You can never have too many measurement and layout tools available. From hanging pictures to measuring the amount of clearance you have in doorways, having tape measures, rulers, framing squares, and levels will ensure you make accurate measurements whenever they’re called for. It’s also helpful to have a stud finder on hand so you can easily identify what’s behind your walls.
Screwdrivers are a must, but don’t forget about a cordless drill. A drill makes the challenge of removing screws, driving bolts, and drilling pilot holes exponentially easier than doing them by hand. Speaking of pilot holes, go ahead and buy a collection of drill bits so that you don’t have to make a last-minute trip to the store every time you need a new bit.
Most people think of chisels as something fine woodworkers use – and they do – but there’s an argument to be made that every homeowner should have a set on hand. While there’s no need to go out and buy a set of expensive chisels, a basic set will do you well. They come in handy for all kinds of applications, including cutting out small pieces of wood, scraping glue and caulk, rounding off sharp edges, prying apart baseboards from the wall, and much more.
Like chisels, pliers are something that come in handy quite frequently. And in order to accomplish the task at hand, you often need to try multiple pliers until you find the right one. This is why it’s important to have an array of them in your toolbox. This includes needle-nose, wire-cutting, combination, crimping, and locking pliers.
While you can technically use pliers and/or Allen wrenches to drive or remove most bolts, it’s a whole lot easier when you have a socket wrench on hand. It’s not something you’ll use all the time, but you can find quality sets at friendly prices, so you may as well pull the trigger when you find a deal.
A ladder is one of those tools you need every so often, but can’t quite justify buying (because of space limitations). The solution is to find an adjustable/telescoping ladder that can be extended for use and compacted for storage.
Nothing beats having a sharp utility knife on hand. It can be used in a variety of capacities and only costs a few dollars. You may even want to buy a few and store them in different rooms.
Here’s a tool that most people don’t own, but should. In fact, you won’t know how much you need it until you actually own one. It’s simply a thin, flexible saw with fine teeth. It can be pushed into tight spaces and, when properly maintained, cuts like butter. It also leaves an extremely small kerf behind, which is ideal when doing cosmetic projects.
While a strong collection of tools will ensure you’re always prepared to handle the jobs you face, it’s not always necessary to go out and buy a tool. This is especially true if you’re handling what will essentially be a one-off job. In these cases, it may make more sense to rent the tool from a local hardware store for a day, weekend, or week.
At the end of the day, you should run cost calculations to determine whether it makes more sense to rent or buy. Generally speaking, you should rent when the rental cost is less than one-quarter of the tool’s full price, and you only foresee yourself ever needing it one or two times at the most.
At Green Residential, it’s our mission to serve Houston homeowners by preparing them to buy and sell real estate in a safe, cost-effective, and efficient manner. For more information on how we can help, please give us a call!
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