A basic household tool kit

Most household tasks come down to a few basic movements: turning, striking, gripping, cutting, measuring, holding and seeing. A good tool for each is enough. Screwdrivers come with different tips – flat (slotted), cross-shaped and other forms. A set with interchangeable bits covers many screw heads. If the tip does not fit exactly, it slips and damages the screw head.

Combination pliers grip, bend and hold; needle-nose pliers reach into tight corners. An adjustable wrench can be set to different nut sizes. It should fit snugly, otherwise it rounds off the corners of the nut. A utility knife cuts cardboard, plastic sheeting and tape; retract the blade after every cut. A tape measure and spirit level help when putting up shelves.

Then come consumables: duct tape, cable ties, cord, wire, glue and screws and wall plugs in common sizes. With these a lot can be secured temporarily until a proper repair is possible.

A fixed, dry place is half the tool. If you know where the kit is during stress or a power cut, you save minutes that can matter – for example when water is leaking and the tap has to be shut off. Rust is caused by moisture, so do not store tools in a damp cellar, or oil them lightly from time to time.

Quality is worth more than quantity. A screwdriver whose tip bends on the first firm turn, or pliers that do not close, do not help. You do not need the most expensive, but tools should feel solid and sit well in the hand.

And you have to know how to use them. A tool you have never held is of little use in an emergency. Small everyday jobs – hanging a picture, adjusting a cupboard door – are the best practice.

Emergency guides recommend keeping a wrench or pliers to hand to turn off utilities. But for that you need to know where the shut-offs are: the main water stopcock, the isolation valves under basins and the consumer unit. Note these places and keep the note with the tools.

With gas, restraint matters. Gas is only shut off if you smell gas or the authorities or the supplier tell you to – and only as the supplier describes. It is turned back on by professionals. If you smell gas, getting out of the building comes before any other action.

When hammering, drilling and cutting, splinters, nail heads or shavings can fly off. Safety glasses cost little and protect the eye, which cannot be replaced. Work gloves protect against splinters and sharp edges, but do not belong near rotating machines where they can be caught.

Always move blades away from your body and keep your other hand out of the cutting line. Clamp workpieces rather than holding them by hand. Keep tools, especially knives and small parts, out of children's reach.

The most important boundary: tools do not replace expertise. Work on electrical wiring, gas pipes, heating and load-bearing structures belongs to professionals – even if the right tool is in the box.

A head torch with spare batteries belongs in every tool kit, because many repairs happen in the dark or under the sink. Batteries can leak if left in a device for a long time, so check them regularly or store them separately.

A cordless drill makes many jobs easier but needs charged batteries. During a longer power cut it is only of limited use – hand tools always work. Once a year it is worth looking through the kit: replace blunt blades, remove rust, restock what is missing.