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Becoming a new homeowner is exciting – but also VERY stressful.
I remember moving into my house, excited to start hanging pictures and mirrors but then…
I realized I had ZERO tools 
.
Those were truly dark times.
Along with the feeling of accomplishment comes the responsibility of maintaining and keeping your home in tip-top shape. Whether you are tackling DIY home projects or just ensuring everything is running smoothly, having the right tools is essential to make your life easier and slightly less stressful 
.
This article provides you with a list of the 20 most essential tools that every new homeowner should have, as well as some bonus entries for miscellaneous supportive items.
Let’s get started!
1. Tape Measure
A tape measure is essential for measuring spaces, furniture, picture frames, and materials accurately, helping you plan home projects accurately.
I keep 2 different tape measures, 1 small and 1 big since sometimes the bigger ones are overkill. Here are the ones I recommend:
2. Stud Finder
This device detects wall studs, ensuring secure and safe anchoring of heavy items like shelves and TVs.
If you’re a new homeowner, a basic stud finder like this will work well:
If you want something fancier and more advanced, this one is great:
3. Adjustable Wrench Set
An adjustable wrench set provides versatility in tightening or loosening various-sized nuts and bolts. These make basic plumbing repairs and furniture building easier.
4. Hammer (with nail remover)
A hammer is a fundamental tool for driving and removing nails when needed. It’ll help you with many different repairs, hanging picture frames, self-defense (kidding), etc.
5. Outdoor Extension Cord(s) - 15ft & 25 ft
An extension cord will come in handy whenever an electrical outlet isn’t very close. I recommend getting 16 gauge or thicker so it can handle different power tools (and other electronics) safely.
There are various lengths of extension cords but using either a 15ft or a 25ft will cover most common situations.
I own both sizes, just in case.
6. Set of Pliers
Pliers are versatile tools that help you grasp, hold, cut, and manipulate various objects. These help a lot with electrical DIY projects that involve wires.
And trust me, you’ll benefit from having different types of pliers rather than just 1 kind.
7. 6ft. Ladder
A 6-foot ladder allows you to reach most high areas both inside and outside your home. Very useful to reach places like shelves, gutters, and rooftops.
Here’s one I’ve owned for years:
If you’re looking for something fancier, you can get a 'telescoping ladder':
8. Utility Knife
Utility knives are perfect for opening packages, cutting materials, and performing precise cutting tasks. It has a retractable/replaceable blade allowing for safe storage and prolonged use.
No need to buy ultra expensive utility knives since they all do pretty much the same thing. Here's one that will get the job done:
(You can also check out your local Harbor Freight for cheap deals.)
9. Screwdriver Set or Multi-bit Screwdriver
A screwdriver allows you to tighten or loosen various types and sizes of screws.
A screwdriver set includes multiple screwdrivers with different types of heads and sizes, while a multi-bit screwdriver comes with interchangeable bits, which take up less space (and sometimes slightly more expensive).
You can choose what's more convenient for you. I personally tend to gravitate towards the screwdriver sets more.
10. Cordless Flashlight
A flashlight can help you see in dark and tight spaces such as basements, attics, and crawl spaces. It can also be useful during power outages or when working outside at night.
There's TONS of great options to choose from which is why it's hard to give you a recommendation. Plus, they're all pretty similar.
If you already have a battery pack from a specific power tool brand, stick with that. Here are some examples below that you won't go wrong with:
11. Cordless Drill
A cordless drill is great for a wide range of tasks such as hanging shelves, drilling holes, driving in screws, and assembling furniture.
I already own Milwaukee tools, so I decided to stick with a Milwaukee drill. Interestingly, I've found cordless drills at awesome prices on eBay:
12. Drill Bit Set & Screwdriver Bit Set
(Drill bit set)
(Screwdriver bit set)
These sets provide a range of drill and screwdriver bits for your cordless drill.
Drill bits ensure you create the right-sized hole; A screwdriver bits set ensure you can drive in different types of screws. (If buying a screwdriver bit set, make sure it's 'impact rated'.)
13. Pruning Shears
Pruning shears are used to trim small bushes, shrubs, thin branches, and hedges around your house.
They're tougher than regular scissors and can even be used for thicket materials like carpet and cardboard.
14. Hacksaw
A hacksaw is similar to a handsaw, except this one can also be used to cut both metal and wood. All you need to do is replace the blade according to what you’re cutting.
These are very useful with DIY projects involving pipes, brackets, plastics, and small pieces of lumber.
15. Torpedo Level
Levels help ensure that surfaces are even and straight. Perfect for hanging pictures, installing shelves, and other tasks that require precision and leveling. No one wants to end up with badly tilted home décor 
.
I recommend getting both a small level (around 9 inches) and a bigger one (24+ inches) since the smaller level will fall short on bigger DIY projects. You can find some inexpensive levels, with good quality, at Harbor Freight:
16. Step Ladder
A step ladder is awesome for doing stuff inside of your home like changing a lightbulb, cleaning your ceiling fans, reaching high shelves, etc. It’s easier to move around compared to a regular 6-foot ladder which is why it made it onto the list.
17. Caulk Gun
Caulking small gaps and holes is one of the most common things you'll need to do around your house – so a caulk gun makes this easier.
It’ll help with sealing gaps and cracks around windows, doors, walls, and other areas which can improve energy efficiency. I highly recommend a 'drip-free' caulking gun since it's superior to a standard one.
18. Tree Trimmer
If you have big trees and shrubs around your house you'll need to trim the branches eventually. If you don’t, branches can cause damage by rubbing on power cables or brushing up against your home.
These work better than shears because they cut through thicker branches and provide more reach.
19. Round-Point Shovel
There are different types of shovels out there, but a round-point shovel is usually the go-to if you need to do some digging.
These are useful for things like gardening, landscaping, snow removal, and other outdoor tasks.
20. Multimeter
A multimeter is vital for safely diagnosing common electrical issues around the house – mainly with outlets. It’ll also have other settings that are useful for troubleshooting other electronics.
To start out, you don't need anything super advanced here. A basic multimeter like this one is good enough:
BONUS: 10 Miscellaneous Supportive Items
Below are some additional supporting items that couldn’t quite fit into the main list above. Many of them work in conjunction with the main essential tools.
Plus, buying these ahead of time can save you multiple trips to the home improvement stores.
1. Toolbox
For storing all the many tools you’ll inevitably collect. You don’t need anything fancy, and you can always upgrade to something bigger later.
2. Duct Tape
Everyone knows that 99% of home problems can be fixed with duct tape (kidding 
). It’s a versatile and strong adhesive tape that can help with many quick fixes and temporary repairs.
3. Teflon Tape
Teflon tape is used to seal and prevent leaks in plumbing connections. Very important for basic plumbing jobs.
4. Assortment of Hardware & Screws
Keep all of your spare screws, bolts, washers, nuts, and nails after every project!
Having a collection of screws can be used for all sorts of things around the house. You never know whenever you need a random screw or nail. Here's a kit offered by Amazon:
5. Drywall Anchors
Drywall anchors are essential for hanging shelves, mirrors, frames, and other decorative items.
Just using screws and nails alone in drywall won’t have a lot of holding strength, so these are highly recommended. My favorites are the self-drilling anchors since they don't require you to pre-drill a hole:
6. Safety Gear
Always make sure you’re taking the right safety precautions by wearing safety gear. Protect your eyes and hands when needed!
7. Caulking
Caulking tubes are important if you’re sealing air gaps, cracks, and other miscellaneous openings.
I prefer clear silicone when sealing something outdoors, the bathroom, or kitchen:
I also like using this white caulking in other applications. This one is very durable and resistant to cracking (can be applied indoors and outdoors):
8. Magnetic Parts Tray
These are helpful with keeping all your miscellaneous screws/nails all in one place. No more losing them while working on something around the house!
I recommend the stainless-steel ones since they're resistant to rusting:
9. Toilet Plunger
Your toilet will inevitably get backed up. Do yourself (and your guests) a favor and get a toilet plunger ASAP!
10. Disposable gloves
Disposable gloves are similar to the safety gear mentioned before. Except, these are thinner and tend to be cheaper. Not very useful with handling rough or sharp materials (like branches, nails, etc.), but they’re excellent for liquids (like oils, muddy water, cleaning chemicals, etc.).
Conclusion & Final Thoughts (TL;DR)
There you have it - You've now got the inside scoop on all the must-have tools that’ll make your homeowner journey easier and more enjoyable.
You’ll be ready to tackle a wide range of projects, from fixing a leaky faucet to hanging your favorite family picture.
Don’t worry about having to buy everything all at once though – since that can get overwhelming.
Start with buying one or two tools at a time, depending on what you’re working on.
Every time you use these tools, you're becoming a more skilled and capable homeowner. And as you continue to learn and grow, your home will become the comfortable, beautiful, and safe place you’ve wanted .
Do you have a favorite tool? Have any other ones that you’d recommend?
Let me know in the comments below.
Take care!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: "What are your favorite tools from this list?"
A: If I had to choose, my top 5 picks would be these:
- Tape Measure
- Hammer
- 6ft Ladder
- Flashlight
- Screwdriver Set
Q: "What are the most common hand tools available in a home?"
A: Every homeowner has different needs, so this is a tough question.
However, according to some data from Traqline, we're able to see that the 3 most common hand tools that were sold in the US (around March 2022) were: tape measures, screwdriver sets, and hammers. Based on this we can assume that these tools are what most people will have in their own homes 
.
Q: "What tool brand(s) should I choose?"
A: The answer to this question varies from person to person.
Some people are die-hard fans of one brand, while others prefer a different brand. In the end, it comes down to what makes the most sense for YOU. My personal brands of choice would be Milwaukee, Dewalt, Craftsman, Irwin, and Black+Decker.
For other good brands to look out for, check out these 2 great links:
- Top 13 most trusted hand tool brands (Survey from 2022)
- Top 13 most trusted power tool brands (Study from 2023)
Q: "What tool brand(s) should I avoid?"
A: Avoid any strange brand name you’ve never heard of before.
If a specific brand you’re looking at does not have a website and/or offers no warranty for its products, then STAY AWAY. When it comes to hand tools and power tools, buying from a trusted and established brand name is always best.