Fix It Britain

You don’t need a workshop to keep a home in good shape. A small, well-chosen toolkit will handle the vast majority of everyday jobs: putting up shelves and curtain poles, assembling flat-pack furniture, tightening loose fittings and fixing small leaks. Here are the ten tools worth having first, and what to look for in each.

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• Who it’s for: First-time buyers, renters and anyone putting together a basic home toolkit from scratch.
• What it covers: The ten core tools for everyday jobs, the safety kit to go with them, and what to check before you buy, with UK homes in mind.
• Skill level: Beginner. No previous DIY experience needed.
• Good to know: Many UK homes mix solid brick or block walls with plasterboard partitions, so the right drill and fixings matter more than you might think.

1. Cordless drill driver

If you buy one power tool, make it this. A cordless drill driver drills holes and drives screws, which covers shelves, curtain poles, TV brackets and flat-pack furniture. For most homes, an 18V model with two batteries is the sweet spot.

One thing to check: many UK homes have brick or block walls. A standard drill driver struggles with masonry, so if you’ll be drilling into brick, look for a combi drill, which has a hammer setting for masonry.

A few more things worth knowing before you buy. Batteries usually only fit tools from the same brand and voltage range, so if you think you’ll add a sander or jigsaw later, it makes sense to stick to one battery “platform”. You’ll also need the right bits: masonry bits (with a tungsten carbide tip) for brick and block, HSS bits for metal, and wood bits for timber. If you regularly need to drill into very hard materials such as concrete lintels or engineering brick, an SDS drill is the tool for the job, but most households won’t need one straight away.

2. Screwdriver set

Even with a drill, you’ll want hand screwdrivers for delicate jobs and tight spaces. Get a set with a range of flat-head and cross-head sizes. Most UK screws are Pozidriv (PZ) rather than Phillips (PH); they look similar, but using the wrong one strips screw heads, so make sure your set includes PZ bits.

You can tell them apart by looking closely at the screw head: Pozidriv screws have four extra fine lines stamped between the main cross. A PZ2 is the size you’ll use most often around the house, so it’s worth having a good-quality one. A small set of precision screwdrivers is also handy for battery covers on toys, remotes and smoke alarms.

3. Claw hammer

For knocking in nails, tapping things into place and pulling nails out with the claw. A 16oz (450g) hammer is a good all-round weight that most people find comfortable.

Look for a handle with a rubber or shock-absorbing grip, which is kinder on your wrist. When pulling a nail, slip a scrap of wood under the hammer head to protect the surface and get better leverage.

4. Tape measure

A 5-metre or 8-metre tape with both metric and imperial markings will cover almost every measuring job around the house. A lockable blade and a magnetic hook are handy extras.

Dual markings are genuinely useful in the UK: timber and sheet materials are sold in metric sizes, but older houses, furniture and many people’s own measurements are still in feet and inches. Keep a pencil with your tape so you can mark measurements straight away.

5. Spirit level

Nothing looks worse than a wonky shelf or picture. A 60 cm spirit level is a versatile size; a small torpedo level is useful for tight spaces too.

Bear in mind that floors and ceilings in older UK homes are rarely perfectly level, so a shelf that’s truly level can sometimes look slightly off against a sloping ceiling line. Check by eye as well as with the bubble before you drill.

6. Detector for pipes, cables and studs

This is the tool people forget, and arguably the most important. Before you drill into any wall, a detector helps you find hidden electrical cables and water pipes, and locate the timber studs in plasterboard walls. It’s a small cost compared with drilling through a pipe or cable. Bear in mind no detector is completely foolproof, so also avoid drilling directly above, below or beside sockets and switches, where cables usually run.

Cables in walls are also commonly run horizontally within a short distance of the ceiling and down from the ceiling to lights and switches, so take extra care near the top of a wall. If you do hit a cable, switch off at the consumer unit, don’t touch the damaged area and call a qualified electrician.

7. Adjustable spanner

One adjustable spanner can stand in for a whole set of fixed spanners. It’s essential for basic plumbing jobs like tightening a leaking fitting under the sink or replacing a tap washer, and for tightening nuts and bolts on furniture.

A 200–250mm (8–10 inch) spanner is a good size for most household jobs. Always adjust the jaws so they fit snugly on the nut, as a loose fit rounds off the corners. Wrapping a cloth around chrome fittings first helps avoid scratches.

8. Utility knife

For opening boxes, cutting carpet and vinyl, trimming silicone and scoring plasterboard. A retractable knife with snap-off or replaceable blades is the safest and most practical choice. Always keep spare blades, because a blunt blade is more dangerous than a sharp one.

9. Pliers

A pair of combination pliers grips, twists and cuts wire, and a pair of long-nose pliers reaches into tight spots. Between them they cover most gripping and bending jobs.

Pliers are for gripping and bending, not for undoing nuts, which they tend to chew up; use your spanner for that. And remember that insulated handles on pliers aren’t a licence to work on live wiring. Fixed electrical work should be left to a qualified electrician.

10. Wall plugs and a basic fixings set

Not technically a tool, but you’ll reach for it constantly. A mixed box of screws and wall plugs will cover most jobs on solid walls. For plasterboard (hollow) walls, you need special plasterboard fixings, because ordinary wall plugs simply pull out. Keep a few of both.

Wall plugs in the UK are usually colour-coded by size. According to Homebuilding & Renovating, yellow plugs typically need a 5mm drill bit, red a 6mm bit and brown a 7mm or 8mm bit, with grey or blue used for heavier-duty fixings. The coding can vary between brands, so always check the drill size printed on the pack.

Don’t forget safety kit

Safety glasses and a basic dust mask should be in every toolbox. They’re cheap and protect your eyes and lungs when drilling, sanding or removing old grout and plaster.

A pair of work gloves is useful for carrying timber and handling rough materials, and ear defenders are worth having if you’ll be using a hammer drill for more than a few holes. Keep a small torch in your toolbox too, for looking under sinks and into cupboards.

Should you buy a ready-made tool kit?

Boxed tool kits can be good value for a first home, but quality varies a lot, and many include tools you’ll never use. Often you’ll get better results buying a decent drill and spirit level separately, then adding a mid-range kit for the hand tools. Whatever you choose, keep everything together in one toolbox so you can actually find it when something needs fixing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the wrong drill bit: a wood or metal bit won’t get through brick, and a masonry bit makes a ragged hole in timber. Match the bit to the material.
• Using a Phillips screwdriver on Pozidriv screws: it slips and chews up the screw head. Check for the extra lines on the head and use a PZ tip.
• Putting ordinary wall plugs in plasterboard: they spin or pull straight out. Use proper plasterboard or cavity fixings, or screw into a stud.
• Skipping the detector: it only takes a few seconds to scan a wall, and it could save you from drilling into a pipe or cable.
• Buying the biggest kit you can find: a smaller set of decent tools is more useful than a huge case of poor-quality ones.
• Leaving batteries flat for months: charge cordless batteries now and then and store them indoors, as cold garages and sheds are hard on them.

When to call a professional

A good toolkit makes lots of jobs possible, but some work should always be left to qualified people. Never attempt anything involving gas appliances or pipework: by law that must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Changes to fixed electrical wiring, such as adding sockets or moving light switches, should be done by a qualified electrician. And if you’re thinking of removing or cutting into a wall, check whether it’s load-bearing with a builder or structural engineer first.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a drill driver and a combi drill?

A drill driver drills holes and drives screws, and works well on wood, metal and plasterboard. A combi drill does all of that and adds a hammer action that chips away at masonry as it drills. As so many UK homes have brick or block walls, a combi drill is usually the better first buy.

Do I need an SDS drill?

Most people don’t, at least to start with. A decent combi drill will handle everyday jobs on brick and block. An SDS drill is designed for heavy drilling into concrete and very hard masonry, so it’s worth considering if you keep struggling with a particular wall or are planning bigger projects.

How can I tell if a wall is plasterboard or brick?

Knock on it. Plasterboard on a stud frame sounds hollow, while solid brick or block sounds dull and solid. Some walls are plasterboard stuck onto brick (known as dot-and-dab), which can sound hollow in places, so a detector or a small test hole with a thin bit will confirm what’s behind.

What size drill bit do I need for wall plugs?

Use the size printed on the plug packaging. As a general guide, yellow plugs usually need a 5mm bit, red a 6mm bit and brown a 7mm or 8mm bit. Drill the hole slightly deeper than the plug is long so it sits flush with the wall.

Is it better to buy tools individually or in a set?

For power tools and anything you’ll use a lot, such as a drill and a spirit level, buying individually usually gets you better quality. Sets make more sense for smaller items like screwdrivers, drill bits and fixings, where having a range of sizes is the whole point.

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