The Ten Most Useful Tools No Household Should Be Without

Can of WD-40

Whether it is to make a hinge stop squeaking or to loosen up a nut so you can remove it; the uses for this product are almost limitless. You should have a can in your car and in your toolbox at home.

Duct Tape

This may not be considered a tool to some, but no one would argue its intrinsic value in quick repairs; just ask NASA, it even works in space. Heck, people even compete annually to make prom dresses out of the stuff.

Crescent Wrench

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Having an adjustable wrench is a must for anyone who wants to fix anything in a hurry. While it is better to have an entire wrench and socket set, not every home can afford this and not everyone can store it either.

Hammer

Trying to improvise a hammer when you need to drive some nails home is extremely frustrating, trust me, I know from personal experience! Yes it is possible to knock a nail in place with a rock, but you try and make it neat and good luck not destroying the finish on your project while doing it.

Screwdriver(s)

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I prefer an interchangeable one myself, with multiple heads to swap out for each job, that being said it is easy enough to have both a flat head (standard) and a cross head (Phillips) screwdriver and be pretty much covered. Another method is to have a magnetic tip that fits into your cordless drill (see tool #6) and interchangeable bits for this.

Cordless Drill

A battery powered drill will come in handy very often when home projects abound, taking seconds to screw and unscrew things as opposed to doing it by hand will save you time and wrist pain.

Wood Saw

Trying to improvise something to cut a piece of wood is nearly impossible, I also know this from personal experience as well, steak knives are not a good alternative.

Pliers

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These are available in many shapes and sizes and often combine several aspects in one set of handles. For homes I recommend both a pair of needle nose pliers and a blunt nosed pair as well. Both will serve very different purposes for different jobs.

Wire Cutter/Stripper

This combination tool both cuts wire and strips the plastic coating off of them. If you are going to do any electrical work in your home, you need a pair of these.

Tape Measure

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Trying to do a project where you need something to be a certain size without a tape measure is like trying to cut a two by four with a rock; good luck. This tool is a must have for anyone who wants to buy furniture or build anything, or install anything in their home.

While not tools per say it is vital that you have some basic hardware at your disposal. I recommend that you keep a box of wood screws and nails handy. Also having a bin to keep nuts and bolts in is very nice. No matter what project you begin you should always attempt to have the right tools to do the job; this includes the knowledge of what you are doing. If you have never attempted a particular repair or construction project before do a little research first; it could save you a ton of cash, time and maybe even a finger or two.