A visit to a hardware store can be quite intimidating for newcomers. Familiarity with specific types and sizes of tools comes with experience, so it’s hard to know exactly what you’re looking for when starting your own tool set.

While the staff members in your local store would be glad to help, you could end up purchasing more than you’d actually intended to or may ultimately need. A tool kit is a collection that you can easily add to or customize at any time, so it doesn’t necessarily have to take up a lot of space or be particularly expensive. You’ll want to make practical choices that can grow with your confidence and won’t be left gathering dust, though.

Developing your own tool set and keeping it stocked and cared for is exciting for any budding garage-tinkerer, and we’ll take a look at how to do just that. From deciding on the particular type of tools you’d like to buy to to organizing their storage, and alongside some of the toolbox essentials, here are some simple tips that’ll help you get started.  

As with anything you start from scratch, the key is to consider the basics first. These are the items like slide rules, spirit levels, screwdrivers, and hammers, and there can be more to them than you think. Screwdrivers are divided into categories based on the type of screw they’re designed to work with, and attempting to use the wrong type could damage the screw and make it difficult to extract. 

Different varieties, such as the Phillips head, have their own advantages. This particular type is easy to grip and work with because of the cross-shaped head of the screws designed for it, which makes it difficult to accidentally overtighten. There are also less familiar models like ratcheting screwdrivers, which boast a motion that takes some of the force required out of their use. 

With more specialised models on the market too, there will be tools with unique applications that you may never have to use at all. Researching different types of tools and the jobs they’re used for is invaluable, but you don’t have to own every different type. General purpose, individual, quality items will be an excellent start. Consider this over simply buying an all-in-one tool kit, which might have a lot of smaller attachments and tools that you don’t really need. 

A large set of quality tools can be expensive. To help get your money’s worth from everything, remember that you don’t need to buy everything you ultimately want to have in your collection all at once. 

Plan each home improvement project as it comes. Do you have every tool in your set that you’ll need for it? If not, it’s time to make that purchase. As simple as this piece of advice is, it’s vital to bear in mind, in case your enthusiasm about creating your first tool set sends you way over budget. This way, you know that you’ve only ever bought tools that you’ve actually used. 

As your skill and confidence with DIY tasks develops, you may find yourself tackling more of them. It’s likely, then, that your toolkit will grow accordingly, and you’ll also begin to find that you already have everything you need for later jobs. Just as importantly, you’ll be experienced with how to use the items in your collection, thanks to taking it steadily and being selective.

The previous advice will help to curb excessive spending as you get more comfortable in the world of DIY. It doesn’t mean you need to buy every tool you use, though, and certainly not brand-new. If you don’t know someone who can lend you any tools you lack, you have other options. 

Your town’s community library may have the facility to rent out power tools, at a tiny fraction of the cost of buying them outright. For more of a long term bargain, though, try scouting social media to see if anybody in your local area is selling the tool you need second-hand. Somebody else, after all, might have fallen into the very trap you’ve just avoided — buying a brand-new tool and using it just once or twice.

The usual warning applies with this, however: Be sure that the tool is exactly as advertised before completing a transaction. If you’re not familiar with the specific item, researching new prices will show you exactly how much of a bargain you might be getting. On the other hand, buying new from local hardware stores isn’t necessarily to be avoided, especially when the next big sale is advertised; you might be surprised at what you’re able to pick up. 

You’re well on your way to planning out your tool kit and stocking it with a variety of essentials. Before long, then, you’re going to come up against the question of where to store all of your tools.

There are several elements to this. Firstly, a quality toolbox can be a must. SlashGear has rated the best and worst garage toolboxes, as well as the major portable toolboxes, so it’ll be a big help to take a look and choose the options that best suit your needs. 

You’ve also got to consider where on your property you’ll keep all your new items. Fortunately, new tools are provided with manuals that detail not only the essentials of operation, but safe storage too. Avoiding certain temperatures, keeping them away from water, keeping those items that require it separate from each other, and so on are all vital considerations. 

Then there’s the way you use your tools. Are you expecting to travel a lot with them? If that’s the case, a sturdy yet portable toolbox or other system will be vital. If you aren’t, and will largely be working in your garage, it’s not as much of a concern to have everything travel-ready. An organized storage system may take up a lot of space, but it’ll pay dividends when it comes to knowing that everything is locked away safe and, crucially, where to find it when you need it.

There are a lot of resources available for DIY newcomers. Be sure to double-check SlashGear’s list of home tool kit essentials, for instance, for anything you might be missing. Another great place to start would be the websites of some of the biggest names in home improvement. Lowe’s has created a very convenient guide to the best sorts of items to include in a toolkit, from saw horses to safety equipment.

The outlet recommends a square, which will prove important for accurate measurements and making the types of cuts that can make or break a whole project. In tandem with this, Lowe’s DIY Basics is a series of super brief YouTube tutorials that will show you how to use these new items. For instance, if you’re unsure about your new combination square, the below Lowe’s guide will be invaluable. 

Technique develops with experience, but you need to understand not only which items to include, but why they’re there. Fortunately, if there’s one thing that the home improvement community can relied on for, it’s producing tutorials and advice for newcomers into the fold. Make use of it all. Remember, though, that you don’t have to tackle a job that feels like more than you can handle. You can get quotes for a given task, and then determine whether it’s something you can feasibly tackle yourself.