Bought A New Home? Important Tools to Keep in Your House

Once you buy a house, it's important to keep good tools on hand for DIY home improvement projects. These tools can help you fix and improve your new home.

Bought A New Home? Important Tools to Keep in Your House Close
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Bought A New Home? Important Tools to Keep in Your House

Posted by Gary Ashton on Wednesday, April 17th, 2019 at 1:59pm.

Tools to Keep Around the HouseSo, you just bought a new home. Congratulations! Now that you're a homeowner, it's important to have tools on hand for home improvements and repairs. The following tools will come in handy for basic improvement projects around the house.

Painting Supplies

One of the first things that many homeowners do when they move into a new house is paint one or two rooms. New colors on the walls can help you enjoy a new home and personalize your space. Painting can be done easily, even if a homeowner has little or no experience with DIY projects. All you need are the right tools. To get started on your first home painting project, you'll need the following:

  • Tarp
  • Paintbrush, angled and chisel
  • Paint roller (long and short handles)
  • Spackling
  • Paint scraper
  • Rags
  • Painting tray
  • Painter's tape
  • Ladder

If you have the funds, you can invest in a paint sprayer instead of painting by hand. For this tool to work properly, you need to have a high-quality air compressor as well. This tool allows you to quickly and effectively coat all the walls in your paint color of choice. You will need to do a very thorough job of masking the areas you do not want painted if you go this route.

These basic tools can come in handy in large and small paint jobs. If a homeowner is planning to paint their entire Hendersonville home, stock up on several paint brushes, paint rollers and painting trays. If homeowners can afford expensive paint brushes, do so. Cheap paintbrushes can leave bristles on the walls that will be embedded in the paint for a long time after the paint job is finished.

Plumbing Tools

Plumbing issues like clogged drains, running toilets and leaky faucets are all common problems in single family homes. Keep basic plumbing tools on hand for clearing drains, replacing toilet tank parts and fixing leaks. Some of the tools that come in most handy for these tasks include:

  • Plunger
  • Plumber's auger
  • Plumber's wrench
  • Plumber's tape

When buying your plunger, remember you actually need two different kinds. For clearing sink drains, you will need a cup plunger. This design sits flat against the bottom of the sink to create the right amount of suction for clearing the drain. It will not work for toilets, however, so you will also need a flange plunger. Its flexible design fits within the narrow drain passage in the toilet to create proper suction.

Tools for Hanging Curtains, Pictures, Shelves and Blinds

In your first few months in your new home, you're likely to find yourself hanging curtains, pictures, shelves and blinds with some frequency. To make these tasks easier, you'll need the following tools on hand:

  • 20 ounce hammer
  • Level
  • Screws and nails of various widths and lengths
  • Screw driver
  • Stud finder

It's also a good idea to buy a power drill for drilling into plaster, dry wall and wall studs. A basic drill can be used for a variety of different home improvement projects, from drilling holes into walls and masonry to drilling screws into wood. When you're looking for the right drill for your needs, consider purchasing a range of drill bits to have on hand for all occasions.

To correctly position your curtains, pictures, shelves and blinds, you will need a high-quality tape measure. With this important tool, you can align each of your interior design elements with incredible accuracy. This will ensure that you achieve the intended effect with each item, creating your ideal living space. When picking a tape measure, make sure it is easy to extend and hold on your own, so you do not have to bring in another person to help.

Miscellaneous Tools

In addition to the tools already mentioned above, there are a variety of various miscellaneous tools that many homeowners keep on hand for making general repairs and dealing with odd-ball problems. Some common tools that homeowners often need around the house include:

  • Pliers
  • Allen wrench
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Bolt cutters
  • Wire cutters
  • Steel wool
  • Broom
  • Work gloves
  • Dust mask
  • Utility knife
  • Sand paper

You should always have silicone spray and general purpose lubricating oil on hand to keep your doors and windows moving freely. With these lubricants on hand, you can grease the hinges and tracks on your interior and exterior doors, including sliding glass doors. You need to clean the hinges and tracks before spraying to achieve the best results. Luckily, this process is simple. You can just use a vacuum to suck up loose dirt before wiping them clean with a damp paper towel.

Having these items on hand can help homeowners make a transition to a new home. Whether a homeowner is trying to tear out old carpeting, fix a hole in the wall, repair a broken door knob or tighten a loose deck board, these tools can help.

Don't Forget the Tool Box

Any homeowner with a good set of tools will require a good tool box. When looking for a tool box, don't forget to find a tool box with drawers that can keep all nails and screws organized. Assume that more tools will be collected with time, so buy a toolbox that's larger than what you need. This way you'll always have a good spot to put your tools, even the brand new tools.

As you shop for your toolbox, check for smooth rolling drawers and casters. If the drawers and casters do not roll smoothly while the box is empty, it will be very difficult to use properly when full of your household tools. Consider choosing a toolbox made from metal materials, as those will stand up better to the test of time than plastic will. You can always upgrade in the future, however, if you just want to get a basic toolbox for now.

 

Gary Ashton

The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage

The #1 RE/MAX team in the World!

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