National Records Office: You Just Bought a New House, Now What?

National Records Office: You Just Bought a New House, Now What?

You just bought your new house. National Records Office says, Congratulations! You are no longer spending your money on rent making your landlord wealthy. You are building equality in your very own home. Everything is marvelous until you hear it, drip, drip and find out the bathroom sink has a slow drip that kept you awake all night. Now what? What should you do now? You can’t just call the landlord like you did when you were a renter. Time to call a plumber. That is, until you find out how much a skilled plumber charges, rightfully so I might add. Perhaps you decide you can replace the faucet yourself, why not you have viewed almost all the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) programs on television. Then it hits you, the realization that you have been a renter and you don’t have any tools. Why? It’s because you didn’t need them. Now that you are a homeowner you are going to need tools. What kind of tools? I have got you covered. Below I have compiled the basic must have tool list for every new homeowner. Brands are up to you.

1. A medium weight hammer

2. An adjustable wrench

3. A measuring tape

4. A level

5. A Phillips head screwdriver

6. A flat head screwdriver

7. Needle nose pliers

8. Regular pliers

9. A drill

10. A ladder tall enough so you can change any light bulbs in and around your house. For the standard 8ft ceiling a 3 or 4 stepladder will be fine for most projects. If you have raised or vaulted ceilings you better save up, the higher up you go on a ladder the higher the prices go too. Also if you intend to clean your own gutters make sure the ladder you select is tall enough to get you safely up a bit above the roofline. Please remember the top step is never to be stood on. It is smart to always have someone around the help steady the ladder when working at any considerable height. There have been a lot of accidents where people have fallen off of ladders so be extra careful.

The above list will get you through many common homeowner repairs and basic tasks. I caution you to be realistic, now that you have some tools you can put up a few shelves, or hang some artwork, change a washer in the faucet. Remember owning a few tools do not qualify you to put on a room addition. You may want to take on small projects at first and know when to call in an expert. Pat yourself on the back, with tools you are on you’re way to becoming a bonafide DIY-er. Home projects are becoming more popular in the US because it saves money and it’s a great way to do home improvement projects you’ve always wanted. Home improvement projects are not always easy but it will get you on the road to get better with all the fixing you will need in the future, so get a hammer and some nails and get hammering. To view our Vimeo videos go here, to view our Pinterest DIY projects go here, to view us on Behance click here.