Rental Guide: Being your own handyman

“My mom tried to buy one of these. They’re ridiculous.”

I walked into my room to find my… “My mom tried to buy one of these. They’re ridiculous.”

I walked into my room to find my pink and purple floral hammer/screwdriver — for many, an odd, unnecessary device — dangling off my friend’s pointer finger.

Two days later, however, when the screw came loose on my bathroom doorknob, I unscrewed the bottom of the combination hammer/screwdriver and put the screw back in. I was the only roommate with the appropriate tools to do so.

My father is a do-it-yourself handyman who knows when he can fix something and when to call the professionals. Now that I’m on my own, I utilize the know-how I learned from him with basic home maintenance.

Whether you’re a “girly girl,” a “man’s man” or somewhere in between, there are some very basic tools and skills you should come equipped with when you get your first place. Calling your landlord over a leaking fridge is logical; calling for a loose screw is ridiculous.

Oftentimes, tools and skills go hand-in-hand. Below, I’ve listed a few prominent examples.

Screwdrivers and drills: I cannot adequately express how important screwdrivers and screwdriver know-how are. Often, they’re the difference between an easy job and looking like a chimpanzee trying to crack a safe.

There are two heads that I’d recommend having. A Phillips-head — one that has a tip shaped a bit like an “x” and comes to a point — and a standard tip screwdriver — one that has a flat head that’s longer. One way to get both in one tool is an offset screwdriver — often “s” shaped, it has two heads and is useful in tight spaces. IKEA furniture often requires this kind of screwdriver for assembly.

You’ll want both and, if you have the option, perhaps different sizes. My own hammer unscrews into two of each, which is plenty for basic home maintenance.

If you plan on buying furniture that might require assembly, an electric drill could be handy. Though they’re fairly easy to use, I’d advise you be somewhat familiar with them or work with someone who is — power tools are, well, powerful.

Plungers: There’s a distinct kind of embarrassment that comes with clogging a toilet. And if you and your roommates have one bathroom, it can be awkward and inconvenient too. Fortunately, unclogging a toilet is pretty simple.

First — after allowing some time to pass, to let whatever is clogging the toilet degrade — start by draining any excess water so you don’t risk splashing. There are two simple steps that thisoldhouse.com recommends do-it-yourself handymen follow.

Press the plunger into the toilet slowly, covering the hole and achieving a strong seal.

Pull up quickly to draw up whatever is blocking the toilet.

If this doesn’t work, you might consider either using drain cleaner or calling a friend with a closet auger — a long device much like a drain snake but has rubber to protect toilet porcelain. Don’t try using a drain snake itself or something similar as it may scratch the porcelain. A last resort is to call a plumber or your landlord.

Hammers: There isn’t one specific use for hammers other than the obvious “hitting stuff.” But having one can be incredibly handy.

Generally, it’s advisable to avoid anything that involves a wall — your landlord will not be pleased. A better alternative for hanging pictures and whatnot would be the adhesive wall strips and hangers that can be found in drug stores and superstores.

However, hammers can be useful for putting nails into furniture, sealing the lids of paint cans and unsticking jar lids with a few gentle taps.

Otherwise, hammers are just useful tools for when you need to give something a few good hits.

Pliers: This is yet another tool that doesn’t have one specific use, but remains incredibly convenient to have around.

If an object is missing a knob or something hot or inflexible needs to tweaked, turned or bent, pliers are your tool.

Furthermore, when my car keys fell down a street drain, my dad untwisted a hanger and bent it into a curve using a pair of pliers so I could fish them out — much more efficient than fidgeting with your hands.

While it’s not exactly home repair, fixing jewelry is still highly practical — it’s not unusual to see my father hunched over the table, working on one of my mother’s necklaces. Thankfully, pliers are similar to jewelers‘ tools: if you’ve got a bent-open jump ring — the small metal rings that often connect a clasp to a chain — you can use them to close it. The combination of pliers and a small screwdriver, as well, can be used to untangle knots in delicate chains.

While there is a lot of work you won’t and shouldn’t worry about in a rented place, these tools are essential to any starter tool-kit. A final friendly tip: if you fiddle with something in your house or apartment, make sure it’s okay with your landlord.