Hi & Welcome back to #FabulousFriday! Many first time buyer's are unprepared for the investment in ancillary items needed when purchasing a new home. There are many essential tools needed when setting up a new household. In fact, buying a house is a bigger investment than most people realize, and not because of hidden costs or fees. It's because of all the things you need to buy that you never knew you needed until you bought a house. Things like garbage cans, step ladders, brooms and a tool kit.
You’re probably going to need tools if you’re going to live in a house, even if you have no intention of remodeling or do-it-yourself projects, even if your only project house-wise is to dial the phone to call in a repairman. If you’ve never purchased tools before, how do you know what to buy? What follows is a list of tools you probably should have in your tool kit for all the things that come up that you never knew you needed tools for.
A word to the wise: avoid cheap tools. Spend the extra money for well-made tools and they will probably last as long or longer than you own your home. Also stay away from the infomercial 150-in-one multi-purpose tools. If one component gets damaged, the entire unit is useless.
Allen wrench – used to turn screws with hexagonal sockets
Ball-end Allen wrenches – particularly useful because the wrench doesn’t have to be perfectly perpendicular to the screw so can be used in tight and odd spaces
Box wrench – surrounds the nut or bolt for better leverage, used for plumbing and car repairs
Brads, nails, bolts, screws and spikes, various sizes
Channel-lock pliers (water pump pliers) – plumbing, appliance repair
Cordless drill/screwdriver – good for hanging shelves, furniture kit assembly, driving screws, sheetrock
Curved claw hammer – driving and removing nails, picture hanging, building projects
Digging spade – gardening
Duct tape – temporary repairs
Extendable-handle rake – leaf raking and gardening
Glue gun – small fabric tear repair, furniture repair, picture matting, hobby projects
Lag screws – for mounting large pictures or other large objects like wall vanities
or heavy shelves
Level (2-inch with aluminum housing) – mounting shelves and pictures
Locking long-nose pliers – vise-grips for gripping screws with head broken off
Lopper – trimming tree branches and bushes
Magnetic tack hammer – laying carpet or furniture upholstery work
Needle-nose pliers – for small-object gripping
Open-end wrench – appliance repair, plumbing, general nut and bolt turning
Pipe wrenches – plumbing
Portable tool box – emphasis on the word “portable”
Pruning shears – gardening
Pry bar – opening crates, disassembling walls for remodeling projects
Pump water vacuum (wet/dry vac) – floods or spills
Saw – for cutting wood, a 16"-24" utility hand saw is all you need
Screwdrivers, Phillips and flathead – available in sets of four or six different drive configurations
Socket wrench with a ratchet handle – plumbing and car repairs
Sheet metal screws – small furniture repairs, shelving
Sledge hammer – breaking rock for landscaping
Spray lubricant – freeing up nuts and bolts, lubricating door hinges and metal window slides
Staple gun – upholstery, putting up insulation, hobby projects
Strap wrench – turning round, smooth objects with no leverage points
Tape measure – purchase a 25'x1" in a durable case
Trowel – concrete work, forming edges and smoothing
Utility knife with a retractable blade – general cutting
Wire cutters – electrical work, trimming utility wire
Work flashlight
At Shaffer Realty and Real Estate, we are your trusted source of real estate best practices and support. Be sure to check back next Friday for more tips and tricks for first time home buyers. See you soon. Warmly, Susan