Ten Household Items Every Home Should Have

There are a few essentials that one just has to have in the home no matter how big the space. Mainly because these pieces of equipment will get one out of a whole host of household DIY disasters! Use these tools for everything from hanging a picture frame or mirror to sprucing up some antique tarnished brass candle holders. Even if you do not see yourself as the ‘fix it type’, these few handy bits of equipment are great to have just in case:

When not using your step ladder, make it a part of your kitchen’s decor as an unofficial chair or table.

1. Step ladder: Useful for everyone but especially for the smaller householders. Get up to that hard to reach top shelf as well as when marking the spot for a picture frame to hang. Step ladder’s will normally come in a two or three step version, most are light in weight so easy to pick up and carry around the home. They are fold-able to for easy storage. You can also find a decorative wooden one that could become a regular part of your kitchen or bedroom.

Be ready for any household emergency with a multi- headed screwdriver!

2. Multi-head screwdriver: Whether it is a flat headed slotted, Phillips or Frearson screw you need to put into a piece of furniture or wall, your multi-head screwdriver will be the tool for the job. Available from any DIY or hardware store a multi head screwdriver will consist of a base with several different shaped heads. These each slot into the base according to whichever you need. Useful for a myriad of different tasks both indoors and outdoors, a multi-head screwdriver is undoubtedly a staple part of any tool box.

An emergency hand held torch is a must for all homes.

3. Torch: This one seems like a no-brainer but every home can do with an easily accessible torch. This is an obvious one as power cuts can be a regular occurrence in many places in the world. A powerful single beamed torch will also help you see into those darker nooks and crannies in and around your home.

  

There are a million things you can do with a bucket!

4. Bucket: A bucket at it’s very core is designed to contain things to be carried in. Use your heavy duty metal bucket when you are milking the cows right up to using it as a dumb waiter for your super cool tree house! Mix things in it or even soak your feet in it after a long day in heels. Most of us simply can’t get by without a good bucket – possibly the most versatile essential on our list!

Pick out a hammer with good grip on the handle.

5. Hammer and nails: It goes without saying that a good hammer is essential for the home and well…Anywhere really.  Break up hard boxes and to compress other objects with the more heavier hammers. The ‘Claw hammer’ is the most commonly found type, like the others the head is made from a durable steel or fibre glass. This makes them lighter to use while still having the same heavy impact. A ‘Ball Pein’ hammer is smaller and lighter in feel but don’t be fooled, it is just as useful around the home as it’s heavier counter parts. Sledge hammer’s and mallets are a little more on the heavy duty side and may not be suitable for the indoor domestic jobs. However they could come in useful if you happen to live out in the sticks, particularly when breaking up firewood! We recommend choosing a hammer with a sturdy rubber handle, one that will enable you to have a good grip as you use it.

A tape measure will help position picture frames properly.

6. Tape measure: In simple terms it is a flexible form of a ruler in measuring in both inches and centimetres. Your tape measure will ensure that a whole myriad of household jobs are done properly. Take for example new installations to your home, measuring up that small space for a tailor made radiator will be paramount. Your tape measure will give you an accurate reading, especially useful for measuring walls when placing a picture frame.

Place a sheet of sand paper around a small wooden block to help with grip and then use on the surface you wish to change.

7. Supply of sand paper: Sandpaper is useful for so many different things- everything from filling down excess plastering to achieving a variety of decorative surface finishes on metal and woods. It comes in different grades from very coarse to a light sand like texture. Heavier ground surfaces on sand paper can be excellent for getting a mock 'weathered' driftwood surface on wooden furniture. The very light grade of sandpaper is also useful for cleaning up stainless steel surfaces too, it can help rid them of tarnish or water marks.

Round nosed pliers can be used from everything to fixing jewellery to pulling out rouge pins!

8. Pliers: No essentials list would be complete without a set of pointed nosed pliers. There’s a set of pliers  for practically every job! Variations of this tool are used in dentistry, medicine as well as household tasks. There are a few that come in very handy when used at home: Long nosed pliers often come with a sort of ‘half-moon’ shaped nose and are useful for the more intricate of tasks. The inside of the ‘nose’ part will be covered in tiny grooves that will help with grip. These are great to help pull out unwanted pins or staples from the back of picture frames or furniture. The rubber grips that are on the handles will prevent direct shocks when working with electrical wires (although we only recommend working with electrics if one happens to be a qualified electrician)

Protect your eyes when sanding down walls or furniture to protect your eyes from flyaway splinters.

9. Safety equipment: When doing even the smallest jobs, it is important to protect yourself from harmful chemicals and injury. Gloves, face masks and goggles are among the basic PPE (or ‘Personal Protective Equipment’ as it’s known in construction) Although using a piece of sand paper to remove a small mark from a skimmed wall may not seem like a job worthy of wearing gloves- remember that prolonged exposure could dry out and damage the skin. Also small particles of plaster or other material could be inhaled causing long term breathing problems, so a mask is recommended when carrying out these jobs.

Keep a good pair of scissors ready. 

10. Two good pairs of Scissors: A study pair of scissors will cut through all sorts of fabrics, right to snipping the corner off that new bag of frozen peas. Like pliers and other tools for the home, there are a hundred and one different shapes. It’s a good idea to invest in a pair of larger material scissors for the heavier and thicker materials, a smaller sharper pair will also be best for the tricky little jobs.

A home could use many more essentials however, this list is a good base from which to start!

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