16 Tools every homeowner should have when building their home
When walking through your house during the construction stage, you often want to check things. Whether they are built right, according to blueprints, or according to your needs.
These are items I carry with me or keep on site. They cost nothing, but they do the work whenever they are needed. Such sets I keep on my pickup truck, site, and home.
If you decide to keep your tools on-site, make sure you somehow label this toolbox or tool as yours. Your contractor will take unlabeled tools because he will think they are his. Trust me, I have been in many situations where I wanted to measure something and my tape measure was missing. You then have to go to the store and buy another one.
| Item (click on links) | Notes |
|---|---|
| Stud finder | Whenever you want to hang something on your wall, you don't want to hit a pipe or cable. You want to find the stud and fix it there. AVOID cheap stud finders they don't work. |
| Tape measure | You will often find yourself measuring something. Whether you want to double-check your contractor or measure the size for possible coaches, shelves, or anything else. |
| Moisture meter | This moisture meter will do the job. Whenever you think construction might be too wet, you can check it yourself. Keep in mind this is a DIY tool; professional moisture meters can cost $1,000 and more. As a homeowner, you will be fine with this option; hence, it will guide whether you should calm down or raise an alarm with your builder. |
| Telescopic tools | This set is perfect whenever you want to reach a hardly reachable place and want to see something there or pick up something you can't access. |
| Level | For homeowners, I always recommend having small levels; 9 inches will be fine. With the leveler, you will be able to check whether everything is leveled. And trust me, not all home builders level everything. |
| Flashlight | Sometimes you can find yourself in a position where your smartphone flashlight isn't enough. |
| Headlamp | At the early stage of construction, you will not have lights or electric wiring running through your home. At that stage, home builders use portable lamps. If you visit your site during the dark hours, you should come with a headlamp. |
| Blue tape | Whenever you do a walk through and find something you want to change or fix your home builder. Mark it with blue tape. A blue tape is also used for a blue tape walkthrough. |
| Outlets tester | Easily check whether electricity runs through the outlet. |
| Voltage tester | Pocket voltage tester. Very handy, I own multiple of them. Very often you will see open wires. Even though I know they shouldn't be live, I still prefer to double check. |
| Screwdriver set | Small and handy and does the small job. |
| Toolbox | You will need a toolbox where you store your tools. If you leave it on site, don't forget to mark it as yours! |
| Tool belt | If you visit your site on a regular basis or you are GC, then you should consider a tool belt. |
| Pencil | If you want to make marks and notes, use a pencil. AVOID using a marker, as it leaves permanent marks. If you want to make things visible, use blue tape. |
| Utility knife | Often, you will find it handy. I always prefer premium-quality knives. |
| Hammer | I rarely find use of a hammer, but many homeowners have it. |
* please note I use Amazon affiliate links.
