What to put in a basic toolbox
A first toolbox for an apartment or first home can fit in one small case: a tape measure, a hammer, a screwdriver with swappable heads, pliers, an adjustable wrench, a utility knife, a small level, a flashlight, picture hanging hooks, a plunger kept nearby, and safety glasses. Add a cordless drill once you start hanging shelves. Buy tools as jobs come up, and borrow the rare ones.
Why it matters: A small kit you own turns a wait for someone else into a ten minute fix.
Steps
- Choose one case or bag that closes and lives in one known spot.
- Start with measuring and marking: a tape measure, a pencil and a small level.
- Add the fixing tools: a hammer, a screwdriver with swappable heads, pliers and an adjustable wrench.
- Add a utility knife with a retracting blade and a flashlight with spare batteries.
- Add supplies you will reach for: picture hooks, a few wall anchors, tape and a pair of work gloves.
- Keep safety glasses in the case so they are there when a job gets dusty.
- Write down each job you could not do, and buy or borrow the tool it needed.
Common mistakes
- Buying a huge set full of tools you will never use.
- Storing tools in three different drawers.
- Skipping safety glasses for quick jobs.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: What to put in a basic toolbox
What to say
A first toolbox for an apartment or first home can fit in one small case: a tape measure, a hammer, a screwdriver with swappable heads, pliers, an adjustable wrench, a utility knife, a small level, a flashlight, picture hanging hooks, a plunger kept nearby, and safety glasses. Add a cordless drill once you start hanging shelves. Buy tools as jobs come up, and borrow the rare ones.
What to show
- Choose one case or bag that closes and lives in one known spot.
- Start with measuring and marking: a tape measure, a pencil and a small level.
- Add the fixing tools: a hammer, a screwdriver with swappable heads, pliers and an adjustable wrench.
- Add a utility knife with a retracting blade and a flashlight with spare batteries.
- Add supplies you will reach for: picture hooks, a few wall anchors, tape and a pair of work gloves.
- Keep safety glasses in the case so they are there when a job gets dusty.
- Write down each job you could not do, and buy or borrow the tool it needed.
Check question
When should you add a cordless drill?
Answer: When you start hanging shelves and heavier things. A drill earns its place once jobs need pilot holes and anchors.
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Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .