DIY tools list

20 inch Hand-saw
There are lots of different types of hand saws for cutting different things .Choose a general purpose(universal) wood saw with medium size teeth (approx.7 teeth per inch). This will be suitable for most jobs. Wood and plastic. £8

16 oz. Claw hammer (16ounce is suitable for medium weight hammering jobs. You can buy a lighter or heavier or if required. Try it in your hand for size. If
you are hammering really big nails in a 20ounce would be better)
Use the claw side to remove nails. £15

Stanley Knife
This is the best type of knife. Always use a sharp blade. £4

20mm and 8mm Chisels
Used for various woodwork jobs. It's essential to keep them very sharp. £7 each

Junior Hack saw

For small sawing jobs in wood or metal. e.g. metal pipes, trimming window blinds to size £6

Punch

For hammering the heads of nails below the surface of wood prior to filling £2

Bradawl

Useful for marking and making small pilot holes prior to screwing. £2.50

Pencil

Essential for marking out. Keep it very sharp. (use the Stanley knife for that) £0.50

10 inch Adjustable spanner

For use with various nuts & bolts. £9

7 inch Footprint wrench

For gripping pipes and plumbing fittings £9

Mole grips

Very useful tool. It's like an adjustable spanner but also clamps tight onto anything so you can use it to grip onto things. £9

Set of screw drivers

You'll need a set of 5 or 6 screwdrivers. I use electricians screwdrivers. They are good quality and come in a handy pack of slotted and cross head for most screw sizes. £20 Worth spending a bit of cash on as the tips on cheap ones tend to wear much more easily.

Standard pliers

For various gripping jobs £8

Fine nose pliers

For various fiddly gripping jobs £8

Cable cutters

For cutting wire etc. £8

Cable strippers

Strips the insulation from electrical cable £8

Allen keys

For screws/bolts with a hexagonal heads £5. You'd be surprised at how many things need an allen key to slacken or tighten. E.g. some door knobs, some loo roll holders and other bathroom items.

Sealant gun

Essential when using tubes of silicone sealant, adhesive, decorators filler, frame sealant, etc. £3. Some people find these a bit tricky to use, but with a bit of practice you'll get the hang of it and they'll be very useful.

Set of screwdriver bits

For effortless screwing using a power drill. Especially handy if your doing lots of screwing (e.g. decking) or removing long /heavy difficult screws £10. Again try to avoid the cheap ones as the tips tend to get chewed up.

Voltage & continuity tester

Tests electrical circuits to check if the are live or safe. The combined continuity tester is great for checking if fuses and light bulbs are OK.The one pictured is professional quality £30 (cheaper alternatives are available.)

Torch
A torch is invaluable when your power goes off, or looking in dark corners £5

Extension cable

I use a 10 metre cable length, 10 amp power rating. This is fine for most jobs whilst isn't too heavy or bulky £7.50

Electric Hammer Drill

One of your most important tools. For drilling holes in a variety of materials. I strongly advise you to get one will ALL the following features:

•  Hammer action (for drilling brick and concrete)
•  Variable speed (as you pull the trigger it starts slowly then speeds up as you squeeze. This gives you much more control and also means you can use it for screwing.
•  Reverse action (so you can un screw things to)

The chuck holds the drill bits. Traditionally these used a key to tighten up but increasingly they come with keyless chucks which makes changing bits much easier(and you can't lose the key.
I am currently using a Bosch 700 RES. It's got all the features I want and is powerful enough to handle most jobs. Approx. £50.

You might prefer a cordless drill(battery powered so no mains lead).
If you do get a cordless drill spend as much as you can afford on a good quality one. Cheap ones may not have the power to drill reliably into tough surfaces. And it's a good idea to get one with a spare battery so you're not caught short if it packs up half way through the job