Whether you are moving into your first apartment or downsizing due to an empty nest, there are certain tools every home should have for regular maintenance and upkeep around the house or even for those little projects that pop up while you’re spring cleaning.

We’ve compiled a list of the top ten tools we recommend for every home regardless of the person’s natural talents as compared to Tim the ToolMan or Bob Vila.

1. Duct Tape – It is considered by many to be the most versatile and important tool you can have at your disposal.  With a little creativity you can fix almost anything with duct tape. Beware of cheap imitators because this is one product in which it pays to buy the brand name.
2. Screwdrivers – You want to have at least one of each – flathead and Phillips – on hand. It’s a plus if you have a couple of different sizes of each.
3. Scissors – Cutting open a box using your good steak knives is not the best of ideas.  A good pair of multi-purpose scissors can come in handy in all types of situations. Some people opt for a utility knife; which works just as well.
4. Tape Measure – Lining up your kids’ ruler to try to measure any distance over 10 inches quickly turns into a best guess as opposed to an exact measurement.
5. WD-40 – The perfect solution for that squeaky office chair, stubborn bike chain, or noisy garage door opener is WD-40. Many people don’t know that WD-40 is also great for removing that sticky residue after removing a label from a package or will get gum out of your carpet.
6. Hammer – Hanging pictures, assembling new furniture, tacking speaker wires up, or pulling that pesky old nail out of the wall are all jobs made easier with a hammer.
7. Ladder – Take it from experience, standing on your rolling office chair to try to hang something up can lead to real tragedy!  Step ladders don’t take up much space or cost that much.
8. Level – All your friends can tell if you didn’t use a level to hang up your curtains, mirrors, and pictures.  Levels are also great for adjusting the legs of your new washer or fridge to the right place.
9. Flashlight – Sometimes you just need more light!
10. Pliers – Pulling stripped screws, leveling out your fridge, tightening the water lines on your washing machine, or opening that pesky jar of olives are all made easier with a mulit-size set of pliers.

You don’t want to find yourself without the tools you need during an emergency, so be proactive and head to the home supply store with your list of the top ten tools every home should have!