Q: Hello Youngsters. As I read about all the projects you tackle around your house, I find myself wondering whether you have a gigantic toolbox, or if in fact there are just a small handful of tools that you use on a regular basis. Do you have a few essentials you’d recommend to any DIYer? Are there any tools that you don’t have, but find yourself wishing for? Thanks! -Chris

A: We’ll admit up front that we’re a little obsessive about where we keep our everyday tools. Instead of a big garage chest, many of our go-to items live in kitchen drawers. It sounds odd, but dedicating a cabinet next to the stove to screwdrivers, paint rollers, nails, anchors, sandpaper and other home-improvement essentials has made our projects so much smoother. Everything is organized by drawer and theme, so it’s quick to grab what we need and get to work.

Our drawers stay tidy because we use them constantly. We know it can seem over the top, but when you’re always fixing, painting, and building, having a reliable place for common tools saves time and frustration. Here’s how we organize our tool drawers so they’re efficient and easy to use:

• Top drawer: Screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, pliers, a box cutter, a tape measure and other frequently used hand tools.
• Second drawer: Nails, anchors, screws, hooks and small hardware items sorted for quick access.
• Third drawer: Consumables and repair materials like sandpaper, caulk, duct tape, plumber’s putty, wood glue, cable ties, putty knives and liquid adhesive.
• Bottom drawer: A deeper drawer for painting supplies—brushes, rollers, paint trays, painter’s tape and stir sticks.

We’ve written before about our all-time favorite tools, and the list hasn’t changed much. For any DIYer, these basics cover the majority of common home tasks: hammer, pry bar, flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, tape measure, plumber’s putty, liquid adhesive, plumber’s tape, box cutter, precision knife, channel-lock pliers, wrenches in various sizes, needle-nose pliers, a reliable level, cordless drill, sandpaper, caulk and caulk gun, spackle and putty knife, painter’s tape, high-quality angled brushes and a selection of nails and screws. Those essentials handle most small repairs, installations and painting jobs.

For larger projects, we sometimes rent or borrow heavier tools. We’ve used a demolition hammer to remove tile, a wet saw and a miter saw for cutting tile and trim, and a circular saw with hole-cutting bits when necessary. Bigger tools feel empowering and make certain jobs far more efficient, but they also require storage space and maintenance—so renting or borrowing is a practical option for occasional needs.

Beyond the basics, there are a few tools we’d love to own permanently: a personal miter saw, a wet saw and a demolition hammer top our wish list. They would be great to have on hand, but because of size and storage constraints we usually rent or borrow them. Smaller powered tools like sanders, cordless drivers and extra caulk guns live in hidden storage above our washer and dryer so they’re accessible but out of sight.

One tool we truly recommend is the Kreg Jig. It’s been invaluable for building shelving, a two-person desk and storage solutions. For anyone who builds furniture or shelving, a pocket-hole jig can speed up assembly and create strong, clean joints without advanced joinery skills.

We also have brand preferences based on years of use and reliability. Some of the tools and brands we regularly use are:

• Stanley for screwdrivers, tape measures, crowbars and box cutters.
• Craftsman for hammers.
• Black & Decker for cordless drills and sanders—solid, budget-friendly options for everyday tasks.
• Frog Tape for clean paint lines when masking trim and walls.
• Sherwin-Williams short-handled brushes for painting trim.
• Purdy brushes and rollers for walls, ceilings and furniture painting.
• Sears wrenches for durable, long-lasting hand tools.
• Grip-Rite for boxed screws, nails and anchors in many sizes.
• 3M sandpaper across grits—low grits (60–100) for aggressive sanding and high grits (200–300) for smoothing surfaces before finishing.
• DAP caulk for general sealing and specific kitchen-and-bath formulations when needed.
• DAP CrackShot spackle for filling nail holes and small imperfections.

These are tools and products we actually use at home—no endorsements or paid placements—just honest recommendations based on repeated, practical use. You don’t need a professional-grade, exorbitantly priced set to make meaningful improvements to your home; quality basics and a willingness to borrow or rent specialty items will take you a long way.

If you’re building your own home tool kit, start with the essentials listed above, organize them where you’ll use them most, and gradually add specialty tools as projects require. Renting larger equipment for occasional heavy work is a smart and cost-effective approach.

Now we’d love to hear from you: what tools have changed the way you work? Any brands or products you swear by? Share your favorites and help others build a practical, efficient tool collection.

Psst—this post originally contained affiliate links.