8 Tools You Need to Have at Home (Plus 4 Bonus Items to Get ASAP)
Apartment Therapy’s January Cure is a free 20-day program that’ll help you refresh your home for the year ahead. Sign up here and get all assignments delivered to your inbox.
Welcome to Day 13 of the Cure — and the third day of your home projects week! Yesterday we went over why you should give your home an audit, how to do it, and how it can help you accomplish your home projects this year.
Today, I want to switch gears a little bit. Now that you’ve given some thought to things you want to or need to get to at home, it’s time to address the tools you’ll need to get those things done. That’s right: It’s time to get your tool kit together.
Day 13: Get your tool kit together.
Unless you’re a professional handyperson, you don’t need every tool money can buy. Who has the room? Think of this less as an everything-you-could-possibly-need tool kit and more like your curated collection of go-to tools that can cover your most common projects.
Gather your tool kit.
Here’s what you should have if you just want to cover the basics.
- Philips head screwdriver
- Flathead (or slotted) screwdriver
- Hammer
- Spackling
- Utility knife
- Pliers
- WD-40
- Tape measure
This is a small-enough collection that anyone, no matter how tiny their home, can make room for it. I promise! You can also cut down on the amount of space you need by buying multi-functional tools, like screwdrivers with multiple heads. I have and love this one, and have also been successful with IKEA’s interchangeable screwdriver, which is part of a handy (very portable!) set.
If you want to level up your tool kit, here are some other things I recommend adding.
- Cordless drill/driver with assorted bits
- Wrench
- Painter’s multitool
- 1-inch paintbrush to use for touch-ups
Create your home repair command station.
Once you have your tools, keep them together in whatever container makes the most sense for you. For years, my tool kit lived in a collapsible caddy like this one. Maybe you’d rather use a plastic storage box you can pop a lid on and stack neatly in a closet, or maybe a sturdy shower caddy-type product is more your style. It’s up to you!
The most important thing here is that your tools live in this container all together so you have a home repair command station at the ready. Next time something needs to be fixed (or you have a two-minute task you’d like to check off), you know exactly where to find what you need.
What are your must-have tools? Tell us in the community forum.
More ways to participate in the January Cure:
- Sign up for email updates.
- Visit the 2025 January Cure page and catch up on assignments.
- Download the January Cure calendar.
- Join the conversation by checking out the Cure board in our community forum.
- Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall January Cure progress here!
The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.