The best tool kits for new homeowners
A first home needs about twelve tools. The kits are sold by piece count, and piece count is mostly screwdriver bits — so count the tools, not the pieces.
Quick picks
Our ranking at a glance. Tap any row for the full write-up, or the price to go straight to Amazon. Scores are ours, from published specs and what owners report after a year — we have not lab-tested these, and we say so plainly.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Amazon Basics 142-Piece Household Tool Kit The whole first-home kit, one box | The whole first-home kit, one box | 9.09.0 out of 10 on our Beginner-friendly, Value, Durability, Stores small scoring | |
| 2 |  CRAFTSMAN 57-Piece Mechanics Tool Set Anything with a bolt | Anything with a bolt | 8.58.5 out of 10 on our Beginner-friendly, Value, Durability, Stores small scoring | |
| 3 |  Hi-Spec Compact Small Tool Kit A drawer, not a closet | A drawer, not a closet | 8.88.8 out of 10 on our Beginner-friendly, Value, Durability, Stores small scoring | |
| 4 |  CARTMAN 39-Piece Household Tool Set An honest piece count | An honest piece count | 8.68.6 out of 10 on our Beginner-friendly, Value, Durability, Stores small scoring |
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Tool kits are marketed on piece count, and piece count is close to meaningless. A “142-piece household tool kit” contains roughly twenty actual tools plus about a hundred screwdriver bits, a dozen hex keys and some sockets. That is not dishonest exactly, but it is not a count of tools.
What matters is whether a kit contains the dozen tools a home genuinely uses. Here is that list, and then which kits cover it.
The twelve tools a first home needs
| Tool | What you use it for | In a basic kit? |
|---|---|---|
| Claw hammer, 16 oz | Picture hooks, pulling nails, persuading things | Yes |
| Screwdriver with interchangeable bits | Everything. Flat-pack furniture, outlet plates, appliances | Yes |
| Tape measure, 25 ft | Will furniture fit, is the shelf level, how much paint | Usually |
| Adjustable wrench | Tap fittings, bolts, a bike | Usually |
| Pliers — combination and needle-nose | Gripping, bending, pulling, fishing things out | Yes |
| Utility knife | Boxes, carpet, caulk, trimming | Usually |
| Spirit level, 9 in or a torpedo | Shelves and pictures that are actually straight | Sometimes |
| Hex key set (Allen keys) | Flat-pack furniture, bike components | Yes |
| Stud finder | Finding a joist before you hang anything heavy | Rarely — buy separately |
| Cordless drill | Any hole, any long screw, assembly at speed | No — buy separately |
| Pencil and a notepad | Marking where the drill goes | No. Costs nothing. |
| Small parts organizer | Screws, anchors, picture hooks sorted rather than loose | No — $8, and transformative |
A good household kit covers the first eight. The last four — stud finder, drill, pencil, parts organizer — you add separately, and each has its own page here: stud finders, drills, and the organizer is in our tool box picks.
An apartment needs a different kit than a house
This distinction is worth making because it changes which kit to buy.
- An apartment mostly needs flat-pack assembly, picture hanging, battery changes and tightening a loose handle. A compact drawer-sized kit is genuinely sufficient, and it stays accessible rather than living in a closet. See the first-apartment tool kit.
- A house adds a drill, a stud finder, a proper level, a hacksaw, an adjustable wrench you will actually use, and eventually a socket set. A full household kit plus a drill is the right starting point.
- A house with a car or a bike also wants a ratchet and sockets, which household kits do not include — that is where the CRAFTSMAN mechanics set on this page earns its place.
Buy the kit, then upgrade individually
The pliers, wrench and screwdriver handle in a $30 kit are adequate rather than good. That is fine, and it is the right way to start — you do not yet know which tools you use.
After a year you will. Then upgrade the two or three you reach for constantly, individually, and buy good ones. For most homeowners that turns out to be:
- A better screwdriver — a ratcheting driver with a magnetic bit holder, around $25, and it makes flat-pack furniture dramatically less tedious. See our screwdriver picks.
- A better tape measure — a magnetic hook means you can measure a room alone. See tape measures.
- Decent pliers — about $20 for a pair that grips rather than slips.
Two safety notes worth stating
- Buy safety glasses (~$8). Drilling into masonry or cutting anything sends fragments upward. This is the cheapest insurance in the house and almost nobody owns a pair.
- Never drill without checking for cables and pipes. A stud finder with live-wire detection is about $20 to $40 and prevents the single most expensive mistake available to a homeowner. See stud finders.
The short version
- Count the tools, not the pieces. A 142-piece kit is about twenty tools plus a hundred bits.
- A household kit covers eight of the twelve tools you need. Add a drill, stud finder and parts box.
- An apartment genuinely only needs a compact drawer kit. A house wants the full one plus a drill.
- Buy $8 safety glasses. Nobody does and it is the cheapest insurance available.
Every pick in detail
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#1 · The whole first-home kit, one box
Amazon Basics 142-Piece Household Tool Kit
A claw hammer, adjustable wrench, pliers, tape, level, screwdrivers and a full bit set in one case — every tool a first home actually needs, and nothing that only a mechanic uses.
- Beginner-friendly
- 9.6
- Value
- 9.4
- Durability
- 7.4
- Stores small
- 8.8
What we like
- Covers hanging shelves, flat-pack furniture, a leaking tap and a dead smoke alarm — the real first-home jobs
- Case keeps everything in place, so nothing goes missing in a move
- Cheapest route to a genuinely complete kit
What to know
- Piece count is inflated by bits and hex keys — treat it as about 20 real tools
- The pliers and wrench are adequate, not good; replace them individually in time
- Case latches are flimsy
Specifications
- 142 pieces including hammer, pliers, adjustable wrench, tape measure and level
- Screwdriver with interchangeable bits plus a full bit set
- Blow-molded case, about 13.4 in wide
- Hex keys and a utility knife included
Who it is for
Every first home and most apartments. Buy this, then upgrade individual tools as you discover which ones you use.
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#2 · Anything with a bolt
CRAFTSMAN 57-Piece Mechanics Tool Set
A real ratchet and socket set alongside the household basics, which the 142-piece kits do not include. Buy it if you have a car, a bike or an appliance to service.
- Beginner-friendly
- 8.0
- Value
- 8.4
- Durability
- 9.4
- Stores small
- 7.6
What we like
- The ratchet and sockets are genuinely good, not token inclusions
- Lifetime warranty means a snapped tool gets replaced
- Handles bikes, car basics and appliance repair
What to know
- No tape measure or level — you still need a household kit
- Heavier and bulkier than the household sets
- More tool than a renter with no vehicle needs
Specifications
- Ratchet with a full socket set
- Screwdrivers, hammer and pliers included
- CRAFTSMAN full lifetime warranty on hand tools
- Molded case
Who it is for
A first house with a car or a bike. Skip it for an apartment with neither.
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#3 · A drawer, not a closet
Hi-Spec Compact Small Tool Kit
A genuinely small kit that lives in a kitchen drawer. It handles flat-pack furniture, a picture hook and a battery change, which in an apartment is most of what happens.
- Beginner-friendly
- 9.4
- Value
- 9.6
- Durability
- 6.6
- Stores small
- 9.8
What we like
- Small enough that you keep it accessible instead of in storage
- Covers the apartment jobs
- Cheapest here
What to know
- Tools are small-scale — the hammer is light for real work
- No adjustable wrench
- Case is not rigid
Specifications
- Compact zip or clip case
- Screwdrivers, pliers, small hammer, tape, hex keys
- Fits a drawer
- Under 20 pieces
Who it is for
An apartment with no storage and no plans to hang heavy shelving.
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#4 · An honest piece count
CARTMAN 39-Piece Household Tool Set
Thirty-nine pieces where most are actual tools rather than bits — a smaller, more truthful kit than the inflated 142- and 325-piece sets.
- Beginner-friendly
- 9.0
- Value
- 9.0
- Durability
- 7.2
- Stores small
- 9.0
What we like
- Piece count reflects real tools
- Case is more rigid than the Amazon Basics one
- Covers standard jobs
What to know
- No level
- Fewer bits than the bigger kits
- Tool steel is basic
Specifications
- 39 pieces, mostly whole tools
- Hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, tape, hex keys
- Hard storage case
- Compact
Who it is for
Someone who would rather have 20 usable tools than 142 listed pieces.
Common questions
What tools does a new homeowner need?
About twelve: a 16 oz claw hammer, a screwdriver with interchangeable bits, a 25-foot tape measure, an adjustable wrench, combination and needle-nose pliers, a utility knife, a spirit level, hex keys, a stud finder, a cordless drill, a pencil, and a small parts organizer for screws and anchors.
Is a 142-piece tool kit better than a 39-piece one?
Not necessarily — piece count is mostly screwdriver bits and hex keys. Count the actual tools and check whether the kit includes a tape measure and a level, which smaller kits often omit. A 39-piece kit of whole tools can be more useful than a 325-piece kit of bits.
Do I need a tool kit for an apartment?
A small one, yes. Flat-pack furniture, picture hooks, battery changes and a loose cabinet handle all need a screwdriver, hex keys, pliers and a small hammer. A compact drawer-sized kit for about $20 is genuinely sufficient — see the first-apartment tool kit.
Should I buy a tool kit or individual tools?
Start with a kit — the per-tool price is far lower and you get a case. After a year you will know which two or three tools you reach for constantly, and those are worth upgrading individually. Buying good versions of twelve tools up front costs several times more for no early benefit.
What tool do new homeowners forget to buy?
A stud finder, and a small parts organizer for screws and wall anchors. The first prevents expensive mistakes; the second costs $8 and is the difference between a usable tool kit and a drawer of loose fixings.