What's in a Basic Homeowner Tool Kit

After 15 years of repair calls, here's the short list of tools every home in the Seattle area should own — and what you can skip.

Buy quality once. A $30 cordless drill from a discount bin will frustrate you within a year; a mid-range DeWalt or Milwaukee 18V drill/driver combo for $150 lasts a decade and handles 95% of household jobs.

Beyond the drill: a 25-ft tape measure, a 2-ft level, a claw hammer, a #2 Phillips and a flathead screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, a pair of channellocks, a utility knife with extra blades, and a stud finder. Add a six-bit driver set and a small set of drill bits (1/16" through 1/4").

For the workshop drawer: painter's tape, sandpaper assortment, a tube of paintable caulk, a few drywall anchors in different sizes, and electrical tape. Those five consumables handle most weekend repairs without a hardware store run.

What to skip until you actually need it: a circular saw, a router, a stud-mounted shelf system, fancy tool chests. Bought-because-it-was-on-sale tools take up the space you should be using for the basics above.