You don't need a garage full of gear to handle most jobs around the house. You need a short kit of good basics and to know what each one is for. Here's the list.
You don't need a garage full of tools to handle most jobs around the house. You need a small, honest kit of good-quality basics, and knowing what each one is for. Buy these once, buy them decent, and store them where you can find them, and you'll be set up for the great majority of homeowner repairs, including most of the guides on this page.
Start here. This short list covers more repairs than you'd guess:
If you buy a single power tool, make it a cordless drill/driver. It drives screws, drills pilot holes, and with the right bit it'll set anchors and mixers too. An 18 or 20 volt drill with two batteries and a basic bit set will handle almost anything a homeowner throws at it. Add an impact driver later if you do a lot of deck or heavy screw work, but the drill comes first.
Buy the tool, not the brand hype: for a homeowner, a mid-priced drill from any of the major brands is plenty. What matters more is having two charged batteries and a good set of bits so you're never stuck.
A tool you can't find is a tool you don't own. Put the kit in one place, a tote or a small box near where you tend to work, and put things back when you're done. Keep the drill batteries on the charger so they're always ready. This one habit is the difference between a five-minute fix and a project that never gets started.
Owning tools doesn't turn a licensed-trade job into a DIY one, and it's worth being honest about that. Working inside your electrical panel, running gas, opening up walls, or anything structural is a pro job no matter what's in your toolbox, both for your safety and because Indiana licenses those trades for a reason. The right kit lets you handle the everyday stuff with confidence, and knowing the line, that's part of doing it right too.
That's exactly what we're here for. Send a photo and a few words and we'll tell you straight, DIY-able or time to call us.
Some folks just want the house handled without owning a single wrench, and that's what our Home Plans and Property Concierge are for. We keep the whole place maintained on a schedule so the small stuff never becomes your problem.
From a one-time fix to a Home Plan that keeps the whole place handled — we're right here in Columbus.
The Blue Collar Crew, LLC provides home-improvement and repair services in Southern Indiana. The do-it-yourself guidance on this page is general homeowner information for common, non-hazardous tasks — it is not professional advice and is not a substitute for a licensed trade where one is required. Do not attempt electrical wiring, gas, structural, or in-wall plumbing work yourself. Indiana does not issue a statewide general contractor license; licensed-trade work is performed by Indiana state-licensed plumbers (IC 25-28.5) and locally licensed electricians. For homes built before 1978, work that disturbs paint follows EPA's lead-safe RRP Rule (40 CFR Part 745). Work at your own risk and follow all product and tool safety instructions. A quote request is not a contract; no work is authorized until a separate written agreement complying with IC 24-5-11 is signed. Insured.
The Blue Collar Crew