The Tiny Apartment Toolkit
A first apartment needs about ten tools — screwdriver set, hammer, tape measure, level, pliers, utility knife, Command strips, picture hooks, a flashlight, and a wrench — for roughly $30–60 total.
Hardware stores would love to sell you a 200-piece mechanic's chest for an apartment where the heaviest job is hanging a mirror. You don't need that. You need about ten tools, most of which come in one small starter kit, plus a couple of renter-specific extras. Here's the whole list, and what each one actually gets used for.
The ten tools
- Screwdriver set (flathead + Phillips, a couple sizes each) $6–10
Furniture assembly, outlet and switch plates, battery compartments, loose cabinet hinges — the single most-used tool on this list.
- Hammer $6–10
Picture hooks, tapping stubborn furniture parts into place, and the occasional 'why won't this go together' negotiation.
- Tape measure (16 ft is plenty) $4–6
Furniture fit, rug size, curtain length, and the 'will the couch clear the doorway' question — answer it before delivery day, not during.
- A small level $4–8
The one tool standing between you and a crooked gallery wall. Cheap torpedo levels work fine for apartment-scale hanging.
- Pliers $5–8
Assembly nuts and bolts, a stripped screw head, a stuck zipper pull, and any packaging clamshell designed by someone who hates you.
- Utility knife $3–5
Moving boxes, stubborn packaging, trimming shelf liner or peel-and-stick anything to size.
- Command strips & hooks, assorted weights $8–15
The actual hanging system for a rental — holds real weight without a single hole, if you match the strip's rated weight to the item.
- Picture-hook kit (small nails included) $3–6
For landlords who allow a few small nail holes — check the lease first, and keep this separate from the Command-strip approach above.
- Flashlight or headlamp $5–10
Reading the breaker box, finding what rolled under the couch, and the inevitable first power blip.
- Adjustable wrench $5–8
Faucet aerators, sink connections, and the flat-pack furniture bolts a screwdriver can't get enough grip on.
Cost note: the first seven of these usually come bundled in one small homeowner tool kit for $20–35 — cheaper, and it comes with a case that keeps everything together. Add Command strips, picture hooks, and a flashlight separately for another $15–25. All in, that's the whole apartment toolkit for about $35–60.
Do you actually need a drill?
This is the honest debate, and the answer is usually no — at least not right away. Most renter-friendly hanging (Command strips, leaning frames, adhesive hooks) needs zero holes, so a drill sits unused for months. If your lease allows some drilling and you know you'll be mounting curtain rods or shelf brackets, check first whether your building has a tool library, or whether a friend or the building's maintenance staff will lend one for an afternoon — a drill is one of the most commonly borrowed tools that exists. If you're planning to rent for years and expect to hang the same kinds of things in every future place, a basic cordless drill ($30–60) pays for itself; if this is a short-term lease or you're not sure yet, skip it and revisit the question at your next apartment.
If you'd rather buy the whole thing in one go, a pre-assembled apartment tool kit usually works out cheaper than piecing it together — the tools section of our starter picks covers the boxed kits, the Command-strip variety packs, and what each should cost.
What not to buy
The toolkit stays small on purpose. Skip these — they solve problems a first apartment doesn't have yet.
- A full mechanic's tool chest — you're outfitting an apartment, not a garage
- A tool belt — you own ten tools, not a job site
- A stud finder, on day one — most renter-friendly hanging (Command strips, leaning frames) doesn't need one; add it later if you're drilling into walls regularly
- A full drill-bit and driver-bit index — the handful you actually use fits in a sandwich bag
- Duplicate hammers, screwdrivers, or wrenches 'just in case' — one of each does the job