Though many homeowners outsource their home repair projects to a professional, they can easily take on a clogged pipe or a crooked shelf if they have the right tools. With these five tools on hand, any homeowner can save on simple maintenance and quick repairs around the house.
1. Screwdrivers
Even if you never use your screwdrivers to make a repair to your home, they are still a necessity. Screwdrivers are a must-have item because they are useful for assembling everything inside of your home. Many electronic items require a screwdriver to pry apart the battery compartment so that you can change the batteries. Many home appliances and furniture sets require you to have your own screwdrivers for assembly. Every once in a while, you may even need a screw driver to assist with home repairs. Door hinges and faulty locks can easily be addressed with the right screwdriver in hand. Be sure to purchase both flat head and Phillips head screwdrivers in a variety of sizes. Smaller and specialized screwdrivers are useful for making repairs to electronic items. Magnetic screwdrivers are an excellent investment because they prevent you from dropping and losing screws.
2. Tape Measure
A 30-foot tape measurer will be adequate for most home repair projects. For do-it-yourself enthusiasts, the tape measurer is indispensable for measuring materials and getting the right room dimensions for carpentry projects. However, even the casual homeowner will find the tape measurer to be vital when they need to determine what size of furniture will fit in a room or what length of carpet is needed to cover a floor.
3. Level
Nothing can be more irritating than trying to perfectly align a bookshelf or wall-mounted picture frame. A level eliminates the plague of crooked fixtures by making it easier to mark your walls with straight lines. The standard level is 30 inches, but you can purchase different sizes to accomodate the scale of your project.
4. Hammers
Driving nails through walls is usually the sole use that homeowners have in mind for their hammer. Yet this useful tool enables homeowners to repair their siding, build playhouses for their kids, or pry nails out of salvaged wood. A quality claw tooth hammer is worth keeping around for these possibilities alone.
5. Plumbing Snake
A plumbing snake is a flexible auger that gives homeowners the ability to unblock pipes, retrieve stuck items from drains, and scrape clean the sides of pipes. Calling the plumber is only the last resort for homeowners who own plumbing snakes.
As you can see, there are many quick fixes around the home that you don’t need a handyman to take care of. By keeping these tools in stock, any homeowner can save significantly on the cost of hiring a professional for minor repairs.