An outsider may not understand it but the world of DIY is an intoxicating one.
Whatever the task - from wallpapering and adding wall panelling to learning to tile - the sense of accomplishment gives you a heady rush, propelling you up the next level of the (telescopic) ladder.
Even mistakes, frustrating as they may be at the time, offer an opportunity to learn, problem-solve and improve. In a world where life can be lived, from dawn to dusk, in front of a screen, it’s refreshing to give your eyes a break and do something with your hands - even if you have to refer to an online how-to video now and again.
Plus, knowing some level of DIY means you can save cash that you would have used on hiring a handyman or woman (sorry TaskRabbit).
A great starting point? Some basic tools to help you tick through your DIY to-do list.
Tools can seem scary to the uninitiated but once you begin using them, your confidence will grow. And while power tools can often run into triple figures, some basic and manual options will barely make a dent in your pocket yet see you through untold home improvement tasks in years to come.
Basic DIY skills are such a useful thing to have, whether you own your home or rent it. According to HIPPO Waste, 52 per cent of us side-step DIY because of a lack of knowledge, with both a lack of tools and confidence serving as big contributing factors. Knowing how to complete simple projects allows you to fix minor issues or save cash on bigger renovations by doing part of the work yourself.
Major construction, electricity and plumbing tasks are best left to professional tradespeople, but there are plenty of small jobs you can DIY - with the right gear.
We’ve put together a list of crucial kit that all homes should have to help you get started.
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Bosch Professional 25 cm spirit level with magnet system
Available in 25cm, 60cm and 120cm sizes, a spirit level is essential for all kinds of jobs: think hanging pictures and mirrors, measuring angles up stairs and putting up shelves.
The compact design, which has integrated magnets so it can hang unsupported on metal surfaces, features three vials filled with UV-resistant fluid so you can check whatever you're putting up is on straight. Shock-absorbing end caps protect the tool from accidental knocks and drops.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
RockSeed Cross Laser Level
This upgraded level device uses lasers to help you level things like wallpaper, panelling and installing bespoke cabinets. There are two modes - self-levelling and manual - which you can switch between depending on the task. The high visibility laser offers excellent accuracy, even at 110° wide angles.
It’s anti-splash and shockproof to one metre, handy if it gets knocked off a ladder or surface when you’re working.
Buy now £19.99, Amazon
Jorgensen Mini Clamp Set
Clamps are useful in all kinds of scenarios, from holding cabinets together while the glue between them dries to securing materials to a workbench to be cut.
Jorgensen's set includes bar clamps, spring clamps and wood clamps, all made from hardwearing nylon.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
Command Medium Picture Hanging Strips 12 Sets Value Pack
Got pictures to put up but don’t want to blemish the walls? Command Strips to the rescue!
These Velcro strips come with a sticky back that sits between the wall and your picture frame or clock, bearing an impressive level of weight while keeping your surfaces drill-free. When it’s time to change pictures or remove them, pull down the wall tabs to remove them without leaving behind any trace.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
SEISSO Wood Furniture Repair Kit Wood Filler
All it takes is a little chip or dent in your wood furniture to make it appear shabby - and not in a chic way.
If you’re into a more polished aesthetic, there are ways to rescue your beloved chairs, cabinets, doors, beds, tables and floors from the tip. Seisso’s kit of 12 touch-up colours to the rescue! With shades to fit painted wood as well as walnut, sandalwood, teak and cherry wood, you can repair surfaces and have them back to looking brand new.
Simply clean your furniture, add the paint filler and scrap it flat with the provided spatula. Leave to dry and play ‘spot the blemish’. Magic.
Buy now £14.98, Amazon
Polycell PLCMPP330GS Multi-Purpose Polyfilla Ready Mixed
Cracks, dings and dents on the wall are nothing to cry about when you've got this 330g of pre-mixed wall filler in your tool kit. Simply apply small dots around the flaw and smooth it over with a flat tool so that it is level with the wall. Allow it to dry before sanding down and repainting if required.
Buy now £3.49, Amazon
Tilswall Hot Glue Gun for Crafting
Broken vase? Cracked flower pots? Or just want to give your flatback a bit of extra reinforcement? A hot glue gun is your best DIY pal.
Perfect for arts and crafts as well as minor repairs, the gun heats glue sticks until they’re lava-hot and pushes them through a no-clog nozzle so you can make precise applications. This is such a versatile bit of kit, and the glue connects everything from wood, glass and metal to stone, ceramic and even more delicate things like paper, lace and most fabrics. Plug it into the mains and it’s ready to go in three minutes.
It comes with 70 glue sticks so you can get started right away.
Buy now £20.78, Amazon
Harris Trade Big box Micropoly Roller set, 19 pieces
If you’re redecorating entire floors, it’s best to get one painting kit to see you through the entire job rather than nipping to Amazon or B&Q every five minutes to get a fresh set. Harris has it in the bag with its Big box roller set that comprises an astonishing 19 pieces.
They’ll work well with both gloss and emulsion paint and there are roller extension poles to help you reach all the way up to the ceiling.
Buy now £35.00, B&Q
Tolsen Mitre Box & Fine Tenon Saw
Wall panelling is enjoying a renaissance. If you've had it with watching other people install decorative trim to their walls and are ready to have a go yourself, you'll need this mitre box and saw. The grooves allow you to cut 45 and 90 angles perfectly. This bundle comes complete with a carbon steel handsaw too, making it an even more attractive option - especially for this price.
Buy now £15.33, Amazon
Bosch Expert Sanding block, Pack of 3
Got a piece of old furniture in your upcycling sights? Any professional will tell you that you must get rid of peeling paint first to create a smooth surface for paint to stick to, just like filing off chipped nail polish before a gel mani. And while a nail file is perfect for your fingers, for furniture, you’ll need a scaled-up version. Enter: the sanding block.
Bosch has this set of three for different jobs, from eradicating paint chips entirely, to gently rubbing over your finished project to create a gently distressed effect. They’re also good for softening shorn-off edges of wood, avoiding splinters. The blocks have enough give to shape to slightly curved and contoured surfaces making them easy to work with.
Buy now £5.00, B&Q
Bosch IXO V Cordless Screwdriver with 10 Bits & Case - 3.6V
No need to find storage for endless screwdrivers with Bosch’s cordless model in your hand.
The electric gadget can be charged with a USB and comes with 10 magnetic bit heads for the most common screws. Whether you’re looking to switch cupboard knobs or want a faster way to assemble flatpack, the single-speed screwdriver is more than up to the task. It’s super light at just 0.3kg and fitted with a soft grip handle, making it comfortable to hold.
On full power, it can go for up to three hours - enough time to finish the most complex upcycling projects.
Buy now £72.99, Currys
Bosch Home and Garden Jigsaw
This corded saw is made to cut wood at awkward angles in a way a traditional saw cannot achieve. It's the perfect thing to reach for if you want cabinets to sit flush against walls, curving over skirting boards or opening gaps for power sockets to poke through. Bosch's jigsaw is packed with helpful features like CutControl to easily track cutting lines and a 530W motor that can cut wood that's up to 8cm deep.
Buy now £59.00, Amazon
Bosch Universal Impact 700 Hammer Drill Driver
Best for: Hammering home on any and all projects
A cunning drill combo, the UniversalImpact 700 from the big boys at Bosch skirts in at under £60, yet offers you the ability to not only drill into masonry like a hot knife been oddly poked tip first through butter thanks to the hammer action, but also an impact function that lets you drive screws and bolts into wood and metal with utter ease and abandon.
Weighing 1.7kg, the Bosch is compact and comfortable in use thanks to the well-thought-out ergonomics of the thing. Featuring a Press&Lock chuck you can change drill bits quickly and free from faff, which provides wrist relief from all that screwing and unscrewing. Also helping make life simpler is Bosch Speed Preselection, which – as it sounds– lets you preselect your speed so that it’s precision-matched to the material you’re working on.
Good to go on masonry, wood, stone, metal and tile, the 700 has an auxiliary handle that affixes to the front to afford greater control and comes with a cable length – yes, this one is wired – of 2.5m, which should be ample for most home uses.
Now on the numbers side of things, the Bosch is a speed demon at 0-3000rpm, while torque sits at 17Nm, making the Universal Impact 700 a great all-round home hammer drill.
Buy now £85.99, Currys
Enventor Mini Circular Saw
Looking for something that you can continue to use once your tiling project is complete? A multi-tool saw like Enventor’s is a brilliant purchase that comes with six blades for cutting through a range of textures. It can cut through everything from wood, soft metal, plastic and tile with an adjustable cutting angle to get the dimensions you need.
There’s no need to worry about dust flying everywhere either; this gadget comes with a dust collection port and a dust hose - simply connect to a vacuum cleaner to get rid of mess.
Buy now £59.99, Amazon
MYLEK 21V Compakt Cordless 2-Speed Drill Driver 29-Piece Accessory Kit
Best for: covering all drill-based eventualities
So, you need to buy a cordless power drill, but you’re absolutely not the kind of person who is a) into power tools in any discernible way, and b) has any intention of ever going through this process again so want to get everything you need the first time. Well, you’re in luck because, another option very much from the bargain end of the hole-boring spectrum, the MYLEK 21V, complete with 29-Piece Accessory Kit, is exactly the hard-wearing, long-lasting, multi-faceted, one-stop online shop you’re looking for.
First up: power. The Compakt’s 21V Li-ion battery gives you up to 30Nm torque and 1400rpm, which makes it more than adept at drilling soft and most hard materials around the domestic scene alike. And that 15Ah battery will give you about 60 minutes of continuous power before the built-in power indicator tells you it’s time to take a break and let the battery recharge for 90 minutes.
A 2-speed gearbox and a variable speed precision trigger allow for complete control no matter what the job, while that 29-piece accessory kit brings together more drill bits, bit sockets, screwdriver bits and other assorted odds and sods than you’ll probably ever need, all self-contained in a tough-as-old-boots carry case.
Bottom line: if you only ever intend to ever buy one cordless drill, buy this one.
Buy now £41.99, Amazon
Bosch PMF 220 CE Multi-Tool - 220W
Bosch’s clever multi-tool gadget can see to several jobs, thanks to an interface to which different attachments can be swapped. The 220W motor can turn at speeds of up to 20000rpm, assisting with everything from sanding, sawing and polishing to slicing tiles to size.
The soft grip handle means it's comfortable to hold for extended periods and it weighs just 1.1kg, keeping the strain off your arms.
Comes with a three-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
Buy now £90.00, Argos
