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Top DIY Gadgets Every Home Should Have

Whether you are a DIY enthusiast or not, there are some gadgets and power tools you really should invest in. You don’t necessarily need to be skilled at DIY to use them, but if you do decide to undertake a DIY project such as removing a vertical designer radiator from the wall in order to strip off old wallpaper, a few handy tools will make life so much easier. So what tools and gadgets are worth investing in?

Screwdriver Set

A Multi Purpose Screwdriver Set

Every home should have a set of screwdrivers stashed away in a drawer somewhere. Screwdrivers come in handy for all kinds of things. From opening a plug to change a fuse to tightening up a hinge on a door, there will come a time when you need a screwdriver, so make sure you have at least one of each variety available.

Wallpaper Stripper

Steam Wallpaper Stripper

Scraping off wallpaper by hand is a backbreaking job if you are tackling decades of ugly woodchip painted in magnolia. By contrast, most wallpaper will come off pretty easily if you use a steam wallpaper stripper. The only thing you need to be careful of is that if you get a bit too enthusiastic with the steam, you might notice chunks of plaster falling off too.

Power Drill

Power Drill

You can’t put up a shelf without a power drill. Well, you could, but it might not stay up for more than five minutes. Electric drills are cheap and easy to use. Choose from corded economy drills or upgrade to a cordless drill for outdoor projects. For simple DIY projects, go for a cheap and cheerful brand, but if you plan on building an extension, look at quality brands such as Makita or Bosch.

Electric Screwdriver

Electric Screwdriver

If you are a big fan of flat-pack furniture, an electric screwdriver will make your life an awful lot easier. Instead of sweating away with an old screwdriver, you can get the job done in half the time. And the good thing about electric screwdrivers is that they often come with a selection of multi-functional accessories, such as corkscrews, so if you are struggling to uncork a bottle of wine, pull out your trusty electric screwdriver and get Happy Hour off to a fine start.

Mini Sander

Mini Sander

In order to achieve a professional finish when painting skirting boards and doorframes, you need to sand the wood down to remove lumps, bumps and imperfections. To do this by hand takes ages and the end result is not always that great. Investing in a mini sander will make life a lot easier. You can also use mini sanders to renovate wooden furniture if you fancy introducing a bit of ‘shabby chic’ into your home.

Chop Saw

Chop Saw

Chopping sticks for the fire is a pain when you have to do it by hand. A far easier way of chopping small sticks for kindling is to use a chop saw instead. Chop saws are great if you have a huge pile of timber off-cuts. It takes minutes to zap through a stack of wood and turn it into kindling size pieces. For larger pieces of timber (for example old pallets), a circular saw is a better choice, although this requires more strength to wield for any length of time.

Universal Cutter

Universal Cutter

A universal cutting tool is like a penknife on steroids. With one of these little gadgets you will be able to cut through just about anything: carpets, vinyl flooring, electric cabling, and anything else you need to sever in two.

This is just a small selection of the many DIY gadgets you will find at your local DIY store, but with one or two of these in your garage, you should have most DIY projects covered.