Home renovations can get expensive. Labour, materials, decorations – it all costs money, which is why more and more people are deciding to renovate their house by themselves instead of hiring someone to do it for them. To be precise, in 2020, 37% of homeowners chose to take up DIY home renovation projects.
However, performing a DIY renovation requires the right equipment – something more than just a paintbrush or utility knife. Along with experts from Highest Cash Offer, we created a list of eight tools that every person wanting to engage in a DIY home renovation should have. Want to find out more? Then keep reading.
Cordless Drill
A cordless drill is one of those tools that will come in handy in most situations – be it installing a shelf, kitchen remodel, or building a whole wooden deck.
While there are different types of cordless drills available on the market, consider investing in the lithium-ion one. It’s light, which is ideal for people with less strength. Additionally, its battery not only lasts longer but is also less toxic than nickel-cadmium batteries.
Some of the features that you should look out for when looking for a cordless drill include:
- easily reachable reverse switch – ideally, it would be within reach of your forefinger and thumb
- a clutch or torque selector that slips when the torque on the screw reaches a high point
- a light – for when you have to drill in dark places
- good trigger control – so that you will be able to switch between slow and fast even when drilling
Measuring Tape
Trust us when we say that during a renovation, this tool will come in handy plenty of times – after all, if you want to install something, such as an appliance, you need to know if it will fit the place you have thought about putting it in.
When it comes to which one to choose, pick one that will survive a fall from heights – you never know what can happen on a construction site, so it’s better to just buy a more durable tape measure than worry about buying another one later. What’s more, it should also have a switch that will restrict the tape from retracting back.
Sledgehammer
The majority of home renovations will involve at least some demolition jobs – be it knocking down a wall or hacking off old tiles – which is why a sledgehammer is a must.
When choosing a sledgehammer, make sure that you are able to lift it without a problem – otherwise, you might find yourself getting tired after the first swing, and that’s not really the point of it. If you feel like it’s too heavy, change it to a lightweight one.
Japanese Cat’s Paw
A Japanese’s cat paw, sometimes also called a nail puller, is a great alternative to a traditional hammer. What is it? It is practically a hammer with a little twist – an extra chisel end instead of a handle. Once you purchase it and start using it, you will probably never want to take up another project without it.
Circular Saw
A circular saw is used to cut materials such as wood, ceramic, or steel – it does the job much quicker and finer than other types of saws. To do that, it uses rotating blades with the tooth or abrasive materials, which can cut the material in either an angled or straight manner.
Since the saw is portable, you can use it for outdoor renovations – for example, when building your own deck or patio.
Spirit Level
A spirit level is a tool that shows you whether your frame of choice is horizontal to the earth’s surface – or, to put it simply, if it’s placed straight. It usually has three vials of liquid, and there is an air bubble inside each of them. When the bubble is in the center (between the two lines), it means that whatever you are checking is indeed level with the earth’s surface.
One of the most common situations in which a spirit level is used is putting up shelves. Just place it on top of the shelf, and you’ll immediately know if it is mounted correctly or if your books will be sliding off.
Ladder
Doing a home renovation is almost impossible without something that allows you to reach the heights (for example, when you need to paint the ceiling). However, with so many types of ladders (there are plenty of them), choosing the right one for you can be a pretty tough challenge.
Some of the things that you should look for in a ladder include an attachment for your tools so that you can always have them at hand, as well as manufactured rungs to keep you comfortable no matter how long you are standing there.
Jigsaw
A jigsaw is a power tool used to cut shapes out of a variety of materials – most commonly, it is wood. This is a perfect choice if you need to cut out a specific shape and not just shorten a wooden board.
The Bottom Line
Home renovations tend to be very expensive – especially if you have a lot to renovate. It’s not only about the price of the materials, as those you can often find either cheap or completely free, but it’s more about the labour.
Due to the costs labour generates during a home renovation, more and more homeowners are deciding to perform it on their own – however, one cannot get very far without the right tools or equipment.
We hope that this article gave you an idea about what tools you should equip yourself with if you want to perform a DIY renovation. Keep in mind that the ones we mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg – once you know what exactly you want to do with your house, you’ll be able to create a more specific list of tools you will need. Good luck!
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