Tuesday, June 03, 2014

For many new homeowners, a dripping faucet can become a rite of passage—a time to learn how to do it yourself instead of calling the janitor or the landlord. But it needn’t be a stressful time, home store advisors agree. With a good basic tool kit and some free advice from the local home store, many household chores and home repairs are relatively easy to manage.

While your tool kit will undoubtedly expand over the years, a basic kit kept at the ready should prepare you for those first few homeowner challenges:

A set of screwdrivers—A few flat-bladed and Phillips-head screwdrivers in a variety of sizes will prepare you to tighten, adjust, and install almost anything, from fixing loose drawer handles or crooked hinges to mounting a bathroom towel rack.

Hammer and stud finder—Handy for hanging artwork or removing old nails, a hammer is a must-have tool. An inexpensive stud finder will help you hammer those nails into just the right spot.

A level—Our eyes can deceive us, but a level will ensure that anything you mount or install is truly level.

Exacto knives—These handy little knives will help you open boxes and make precise cuts wherever they are needed.

A good tape measure—From checking the floor space to measuring appliances, a good tape measure is essential. Buy one that fits in purse or pocket to take on furniture shopping trips.

Pliers—You’ll find dozens of uses for an inexpensive pair of pliers to help you pluck out nails, tighten screws and more.

A drill—Cordless models are nice, but a small electric drill with a cord will be handy for most household chores.

Shop vac—This handy device can be used to vacuum your car, clean out cobwebs or sliding door tracks, even suck up standing water.

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