Moving into a new home is exciting, especially if it’s your first house. One thing is for sure … no matter how well-maintained a house is, it will always need fixing in one way or another.
Every new homeowner should have a set of tools and home improvement items tucked away in a garage or storage shed. Essential pieces include lawn and garden implements, window sealing treatments, HVAC filters, and an all-purpose shop vacuum.
Making home care and maintenance goals that you’ll actually stick to is the start of a long-term commitment to your expensive financial investment. Keep your house in good shape with these essential homeowner tools.
The Basics
Start with purchasing a couple of tool chests — a smaller one for the inside of the house and a larger one for the garage. Basic tools for an inside closet tool box include:
- ⬥ Screwdrivers — both flat slotted and Phillips heads and in various sizes
- ⬥ Pliers — a few different sizes
- ⬥ Claw hammers — in various sizes and weights
- ⬥ Cordless drills and battery-operated screwdrivers do the heavy work
- ⬥ Plunger — for minor plumbing clogs.
Add these items to the toolbox: adjustable wrenches, utility knives, tape measures, handsaw, extension cords, screws, bolts, and nails, electric tape, duct tape, and a flashlight. Hex keys and Allen wrenches always come in handy — if you don’t have one, that’s when you will need it.
For the DIYer
Homeowners who like using their hands for DIY tasks may want to stock up on power and lawn care tools (but make sure you learn how to use them without inflicting self-injury!). To that end, safety gear is important: clear-vision goggles, dust masks, and ear protection.
For simple hand tools, these tools are fun to use (if you know what you’re doing):
- ⬥ Putty knives, wire strippers and cutters, hacksaws, and stud finders
- ⬥ Sturdy metal yardstick
- ⬥ Magnet — to pick up those screws and nails that inevitably fall out of your hands
Stepstools are great for easy tasks like changing a lightbulb or inserting batteries in the smoke detector.
Ladders (in various sizes) are part of the house ownership experience, especially for cleaning out gutters.
For more advanced home improvement projects, fill your garage, basement, or storage shed toolbox and work area with table saws, sanders, levels, and carpenter squares. A drywall patch comes in handy for filling holes in a wall.
Multi-tool gadgets are those cool “everything in one place” gizmos you can keep on a key ring. They may rip your pants pocket but they’ll always be handy for a simple repair.
Yard and Garden
As a new homeowner, you can no longer depend on apartment complex maintenance crews to spruce up grassy areas — and you probably don’t have an assortment of lawn and garden tools in your garage.
Now you must care for the lawn yourself (or hire someone to do it). The size of the yard helps determine whether you want a stand-behind push lawn cutter, riding mower, or a larger zero-turn model.
Push lawn mowers and reel mower models are suitable for small yards – roughly a quarter-acre or less. Riding mowers are great for yards bigger than a quarter or half acre. ZT mowers are often recommended for lawns of an acre or more.
Lawn Tools
Here are some handy lawn and garden items to keep in the garage.
- ⬥ Edger — trim the edges of the turf
- ⬥ Rake — remove thatch, dead leaves, and dirt clumps
- ⬥ String trimmer — snip high grasses along tree trunks and light poles
- ⬥ Spreader — disperse seed, fertilizer, and weed killer
- ⬥ Leaf blower — for leaves and debris
- ⬥ Pruners — various sizes for trimming trees and shrubs
- ⬥ Shovel — to move dirt and remove snow
Mr. and Mrs. Fix-It
“Cut down” on lawn and garden gear (or any other needed new homeowner tools) by seeking out equipment at flea markets, yard sales, and re-sale stores. You might find some good deals on the internet, too.
Teri Silver is a journalist and outdoor enthusiast. She and her husband live on 5 acres with a vast lawn, three gardens, a farm pond, many trees, and a lot of yard work! The best parts of the year are summer and fall when home-grown veggies are on the dinner table.
How to Build the Perfect Outdoor Storage for Garden Tools and Equipment
15 Must-Have Winter Home Maintenance Tools and Supplies
Organizing Tools for Small Family Rooms
Organizing Hacks for Your Tools
