The Homeowner Toolkit Every Homeowner Should Have - Golden Rule Home Watch & Concierge

Whether you own your home or rent, there is always something to repair. Rather than call in an expensive handyman, you can make many of these small repairs yourself—if you have the right tools and a homeowner toolkit.

Here is the homeowner toolkit that every homeowner should have:

Toolbox. You’ll need a place to store your tools.
Hammer. A medium-weight hammer with straight claws will handle most household tasks like hanging pictures or removing nails.
Rubber mallet. Useful when the hardness of a hammer would cause damage.
Every toolkit should have a variety of screwdrivers including medium-sized flat head and Phillips head versions, and tiny screwdrivers for electronic equipment.
Screwdrivers - Phillips (x pattern) and flat head, have a few sizes too so you can handle large and small screws
Tape Measure. Include a 25-foot retractable measuring tape for large measurements. A smaller tape measure might be useful for smaller projects or portability.
Pliers. Invest in a sturdy set of pliers including slip-joint pliers, needle-nosed pliers with grooves, wire cutters, and vise-grip pliers. Alternates include tongue and groove or channel lock pliers and locking pliers.
Allen Wrenches. These wrenches are also known as Allen keys or hex wrenches and are useful for assembling or disassembling furniture or making adjustments to equipment.
Level. An accurate and sturdy level is essential in checking alignment for mounting wall items or hanging pictures.
Nails and Screws. Purchase a pre-packaged assortment of nails and screws for odd jobs and minor repairs. Purchase specific nails and screws to match your project type as needed.
Painter’s Tape. This tape has many uses, from masking areas for painting to marking uses. Since it is easily removable without remaining adhesive, it is multi-purpose add for your homeowner tool kit.
Pencils. Keep sharpened pencils and erasers for marking tape, walls or measurements.
Utility Knife. Cut materials or open boxes with a utility knife or box cutter.
Straight-Edge Ruler. A metal straight-edge rule can be used to measure or as a guide for the utility knife.

Hand Saw. Stock a hand saw in your homeowner toolkit for cutting wood and a pruning saw for trimming trees and shrubbery.
Power Drill. Our only “necessary” power tool. Choose one with a ½” chuck, and stock an assortment of drill bits ranging from 1/8” to 3/8”.
Safety Glasses. It’s always a good eye idea to wear eye protection when working with tools, and especially power tools.
Packing Tape. A roll of packing tape is useful when a heavier and stickier tape is required for sealing boxes or mailing packages.
Glue. White glue, superglue, and wood or carpenter’s glue should handle any household project.
WD-40.
Spackle. Useful for plugging nail holes or small scratches or dents in drywall.
Putty Knife. A versatile tool that can be used to scrape or smooth.

Golden Rule Home Watch Recommends a Homeowner Toolkit

At Golden Rule Home Watch, we help you watch over your home, and offer our advice on how to best protect your property. We find that every homeowner should have a toolkit, no matter what their skill level. Learning how to use the right tools can save you money on expensive repair bills, give you mastery of home repair skills, and aid in preventing small problems from becoming big ones.

When you’re not there to watch your home, let us do it for you through our Residential Home Watch service. Golden Rule Home Watch is bonded, insured and background checked to ensure your safety and peace of mind. When we check your home, we look for issues that may have sprung up in your absence, and report those to you, along with our exclusive 40-point checklist performed on each visit.

If you are leaving town, or have a vacant house you’d like us to watch, contact us at 855-928-2424. We serve clients throughout Northern Virginia.