Basic Tools
You can go very far in the world of light home maintenance with a hammer, a screw driver, and a pair of pliers. First, though, it is necessary to get tools of reasonable quality because bad tools are not just worthless but potentially dangerous.
Even if you are female, don’t get the little “lady’s” hammer that you find in those cheap collections of tools. You need a standard-sized hammer because you need the strength and the weight of the tool. Get a claw hammer, which is two tools in one. It will hammer nails in and the claw will help you get them out. Hammers are also good for nudging one thing close to another and for driving a nail just a little way in a piece of wood so you create a good start for a screw.
A long time ago, screwdrivers were of one variety—they fit the screw with the slot. That was the only kind of screw around. Then came the Phillips-head screw, the one with the little x in the top. Now there are square drive, star drive, and all sorts of variants, not to mention sizes. You can get away with a single screwdriver that has multiple tips to address all the possible screws in your life. A screwdriver with a ratchet that allows you to drive the screw and then twist back without removing pressure is really handy. They make screwdrivers with larger handles which increase your torque.
Pliers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The standard set of pliers has three different functions. One is grabbing things. Move the handles so that the second bolt is in the middle and it will grab larger things. Many also have wire-cutting capacity below the jaws. Pliers can substitute for wrenches if you have to get a bolt off and if you promise to be real careful about not wearing the edges of the bolt off in the process of removing it.
Beyond tools, it’s nice to have a small collection of hardware. You can buy trays with an assortment of screws, cup hooks, or whatever hardware you need. These assortments allow you to work on something spontaneously instead of always having to wait for a chance to get to the hardware store. If you have screws, nails, brads, cup hooks, and picture hanging hardware you will be able to take care of a range of small repair and improvement jobs.
When you visit one of those big home improvement stores, you realize that there is an amazing assortment of tools you can get, from hand tools to power tools. For any home-related task you can imagine, there is some kind of tool to get it done. But a hammer, screwdriver, and a pair of pliers will get you started and you can add to that as you get interested and learn.