DIY Tools and Home Maintenance: The Kit That Covers Most Jobs

Most household jobs need the same dozen tools. Buying those well, and knowing a few checks before starting, covers the great majority of what a home asks for.

The starting kit

1. A cordless drill driver, which is the single most useful item.
2. A screwdriver set, including small precision drivers.
3. A claw hammer.
4. An adjustable spanner and a set of pliers.
5. A tape measure and a spirit level, or a level app if you must, though a real one is better.
6. A utility knife with replaceable blades.
7. A detector for pipes, cables and studs. Not optional.
8. Safety glasses and work gloves.
9. An assortment of screws, wall plugs and picture hooks.
10. A step ladder that suits your ceiling height.

Add specific tools when a job demands them rather than in advance. Hiring is sensible for anything expensive used once.

Choosing a drill

• Battery platform. If you will buy more cordless tools, staying on one platform saves a great deal, since batteries are the expensive part.
• Hammer function, if you have masonry walls. Without it, drilling brick or concrete is slow work.
• Chuck size and torque settings, which control how hard it drives and prevent stripped screws.
• Weight, since you hold it overhead more than you expect.

Before you drill anything

Cables and pipes run inside walls in predictable places — vertically and horizontally from sockets, switches and fittings. Treat those zones as occupied. Use a detector, and if you are unsure, do not drill.

Know your wall type, because the fixing depends on it. Solid masonry takes a plug and screw. Plasterboard needs a plasterboard fixing, or a screw into a stud found with the detector. A picture hook rated for two kilograms in plasterboard will not hold a mirror.

Anything involving gas, mains electrical work or structural alteration is a job for a qualified person, and in many places is legally required to be.

Seasonal maintenance that prevents expensive repairs

• Clear gutters and downpipes at least annually. Water going where it should not is the most expensive common household problem.
• Check for damp and condensation, and ventilate. Most household mould is condensation, not a leak.
• Bleed radiators before the heating season, and check heating system pressure.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly and change batteries annually. The single highest-value maintenance job there is.
• Clean extractor and tumble dryer filters, which are a fire risk when clogged and reduce efficiency long before that.
• Check exterior sealant around windows and doors, and reseal before water gets behind it.
• Service the boiler annually, which is usually a warranty condition as well as a safety one.

Before you order

Check whether a cordless tool includes a battery and charger, since often it does not. Check the wall fixing is rated for the weight and the wall type. Check the ladder height against your ceilings and its weight rating. And buy safety equipment at the same time as the tool, not after the first job.