So you just bought your first home. Welcome to the world of homeownership! While it requires much work to maintain a home, the rewards are worth it.
Unless you are moving into a newly built home, you are going to have repairs and upkeep that occupy your time. To always be prepared, and avoid many of the back and forth runs to the hardware store, here are the basic tools and supplies you will need to have on hand to deal with basic repairs. It will be well worth your time and money to have these items available when something breaks in the middle of the night!
- Gaff Tape – if you need to tape something that later needs to be removed with no damage or residue, gaff tape is your go-to.
- Duct Tape – super strong and sticky, this will stick and hold together whatever you need it to until you can work out a long-term fix.
- Screwdriver Kit – you’ll need various sizes and types of screwdrivers for different screws so get a kit, not just one or two.
- Hammer and Nails Kit – buy a smaller hammer and a variety of nails so you have them for all types of applications from hanging a picture to fixing a piece of siding.
- Utility Knife – these help with everything from cutting wallpaper to scraping off glue residue.
- Utility Scissors – the usefulness is unlimited but can cut hose and wire, zip ties, packaging….the list never ends.
- Hex Key Kit – almost any type of furniture item you order online needs a hex key to be assembled. While they usually send you one in the box, those also usually go missing. Having a kit means you have them available if you need to tighten anything.
- Adjustable Wrench – will tighten or loosen nuts or pipe fittings.
- Pliers – will grip and pull things and loosen and tighten.
- Wood Glue – fix little things that might pull away or loosen up in molding, furniture, or other wooden items.
The idea behind this kit is to make you equipped for everyday uses you will have around the house. Of course, you won’t be building things with this kit, but if you wake up to a leaking faucet and don’t have pliers or a wrench, you’ll sure wish you did!