If you are going to become a homeowner, then you should take up general home repair up as a hobby along with it. Calling out a plumber or an electrician not only costs a lot of money, but they are not right there for you if an emergency pops up. Learning basic repair skills not only saves you from bringing out a professional but can save you thousands of dollars in damages since you can begin fixing the problem immediately. Lets take a look at some of the skills you’ll need to get the job done.

Electrical: Electricity is a very dangerous thing to deal with. One wrong move could give you a serious shock that might result in injury or even death. Whenever doing electrical work, the very first thing you want to do is make sure that the main power source to your house is turned off. All wiring should be grounded to help stop any electrical shocks from happening, and make sure the wiring will have enough voltage going to any new outlets or fixtures.

Some tools you’ll need include: needle nose pliers, wire cutters and stripper, fish tape, electrical tape, screwdriver, and electrician tool pouches.

Plumbing: A plumbing disaster can be the worst. They are usually unexpected, and cause a ton of damage to your house. When dealing with plumbing, just as with electricity, you want to shut off the main water supply first. Also shut off the gas to your house to help prevent any leaks.

Here are some plumbing tools you’ll need: plunger, toilet snake, pipe wrench, threading tape, sub pump, and extra PVC and galvanized pipe to replace any damaged pieces.

Storage: Of course you’ll want to store all these tools in a place where you can grab them at a moments notice. Get a metal garage cabinet so you are organized and ready the next time you need to spring into action!

Written by Jack Arrigucci