First House Tool Kit: What You Actually Need to Start
I've walked into enough first-time homeowner garages to know what's missing, and it's usually not what people think.
You don't need a garage full of tools yet
When I show up to a job in Ironwood or anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula, half the calls I get are from people who just bought their first place and don't own a single tool that isn't a hammer from their college apartment. That's fine. Nobody starts with a full shop. The trick is buying the handful of things that cover 90 percent of what actually comes up in a house, instead of grabbing whatever's on sale at the hardware store checkout line.
This list is built around real jobs. Hanging shelves, fixing a loose cabinet hinge, mounting a TV, patching drywall before you paint, tightening something that's been rattling since you moved in. You don't need specialty tools for any of that. You need a good drill and a handful of hand tools that don't fall apart the second week.
The drill is the one thing worth spending on
If you only buy one thing off this list, make it a cordless drill. Corded drills are cheaper but they tie you to an outlet and an extension cord every single time, and in an older UP house that outlet is not always where you need it.
The 20V Cordless Drill Set (id 33) is the one I'd point a first-time homeowner toward. It comes with two batteries so you're never stuck waiting on a charge mid-project, plus bits and a case to keep it all together. It handles drilling pilot holes, driving screws, putting together furniture, and most of the light demo work you'll run into. It's not a contractor-grade tool for framing houses, but that's not what a first house needs anyway.
Find the stud before you drill the hole
The number one mistake I see in first houses is stuff falling off the wall six months after it went up, because it was anchored into drywall with nothing behind it. A Stud Finder + Level Combo (id 39) solves that before it becomes a problem. It finds studs, pipes, and wires, and has a level built in so your shelf doesn't end up crooked. Cheap tool, saves you from patching holes twice.
Pair that with a 25ft Laser Tape Measure (id 36). Old houses up here are rarely square or standard sized, so measuring twice actually matters. The laser display is easier to read one-handed than a tape you're trying to hold and squint at while balancing on a step stool.
Screws, bits, and the stuff you always run out of
A 14-Piece Screwdriver Set (id 35) covers the jobs where a drill is overkill, like tightening a hinge or a cabinet knob without stripping it. Magnetic tips matter more than people think, especially when you're working in a spot where a dropped screw disappears into a heat register forever.
The other thing people always underbuy is anchors. A Wall Anchor & Screw Kit (id 37) with a couple hundred pieces in different sizes means you're not making a hardware store run every time you want to hang a curtain rod or a mirror. Drywall, plaster, masonry, it covers the range you'll actually hit in an older house.
Something to carry it all in
This sounds minor until your tools are scattered across three drawers and you can't find the drill when you need it. A Heavy-Duty Tool Bag (id 55) keeps the drill, bits, screwdrivers, and small parts in one spot you can grab and carry room to room, or toss in the car if you're helping a friend move in.
If you end up doing bigger projects later, a step ladder and a work light are worth adding, but they're not day-one purchases. Start with what fits in the bag.
What I'd skip for now
You don't need an oscillating multi-tool or a full socket set on day one. Those are great tools, I use them constantly on job sites, but they solve problems you probably haven't run into yet in a new house. Buy tools when the job in front of you actually calls for it. That's cheaper in the long run and keeps you from owning a drawer full of stuff you used once.
What I would actually buy
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Before you buy
That's the real starter kit, nothing more than what you'll actually use in the first year of owning a house. Buy the drill, buy the stud finder, buy the small stuff that keeps you from making extra trips to the store, and add the rest as the jobs come up. I'd rather see someone own six tools they use than sixteen they don't.
Based in Ironwood, MI. If you would rather someone just do it, book a service or call (906) 767-1196.