The Basics
This is stuff you should probably have on hand regardless of your DIY skill level and is also useful for apartment or house living.
- Interchangeable Screwdriver set.
- Hammer
- Needle nose pliers with wire cutter.
- Cordless drill
- Tape Measure (25 Foot)
- Level (2-3 Foot)
- Utility Knife
- Metal Ruler
- Small Putty Knife
For the DIYer
If you’re going to set up your game, you should step up your toolbox too.
- Rubber Mallet
- Ratchet Set
- Carpenter Square
- 6-in-1 tool
- Saw Horses
- Small Pry-bar/Nail Puller
- Crowbar (3′ works well for most things)
- Hack Saw
- Selection of Clamps (C Clamps, Bar Clamps, Spring Clamps)
- Assorted sizes of putty knives (not shown)
- Assorted sandpaper/sanding blocks (fine, medium, coarse–not shown)
Painting Tools
- Painter Tray
- Tray Liners
- Small paint pail
- Roller + Roller Covers
- Foam roller
- 2” Angled Brush
- Extension Pole
- Drop Cloths
Task-Specific Tools
Depending on the types projects you take on these may or may not be useful to have on hand.
Electrical
- Wire Cutter/Stripper
- Electrical tester
Drywall
- Drywall Square
- Drywall Saw
- Corner trowel
- Taping Knife
- Drywall Sanding Sponge (I’ve never tried one, but I keep hearing people recommend them)
Misc
- Bolt-cutters (for cutting through nails or heavy-gauge wire)
Power Tools
As with the task-specific tools, these may or may or may not be worth investing in depending on the type of the projects you plan on working. This is our current list of power tools and I love them all.
- Sliding Compound Miter Saw
- Table Saw
- Reciprocating Saw
- Circular Saw
- Jig Saw
- Brad Nailer
- Cordless Drill
- Palm Sander
- Dremel