Apartment Toolkit: 15 Tools That Fit in a Drawer

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You do not need a garage full of tools to live in an apartment. You need about 15 things that fit in a shoebox. This kit handles hanging pictures, assembling furniture, tightening loose hardware, minor repairs, and the occasional flat-pack emergency. Total cost is under $80 and everything fits in a single drawer or a small tool bag.

The Core 15

These 15 tools cover the full range of apartment tasks: furniture assembly, wall hanging, minor plumbing fixes, electrical safety checks, and general repairs. Buy them individually rather than as a pre-packaged kit. Pre-made kits pad the count with tools you will never touch while cutting quality on the ones that matter.

Multi-bit screwdriver with Phillips #1, #2, flat 1/4-inch, flat 3/16-inch, and two Torx bits. One tool, six drivers. Around $12. The Megapro 15-in-1 and Klein 11-in-1 are both well-reviewed options that store extra bits in the handle.
Tape measure, 16-foot. A 25-foot measure is overkill for apartments. Sixteen feet reaches across any room and fits comfortably in a drawer. The Stanley PowerLock 16-foot ($8) is a solid choice.
Hammer, 12-ounce claw. Light enough for picture nails, heavy enough for wall anchors. A 16-ounce hammer works too, but the lighter weight is easier to control in tight spaces and less likely to damage drywall.
Adjustable wrench, 8-inch. Handles faucet aerators, toilet bolts, and furniture hardware. One wrench covers most of the fastener sizes you will encounter in an apartment.
Needle-nose pliers. For pulling nails, bending wire, and grabbing small things in tight spaces. Also useful for holding picture wire taut while you hammer.

Utility knife. Box opening, wallpaper scoring, carpet trimming. Replace the blade when it dulls rather than pushing harder with a dull one. A retractable model with blade storage in the handle runs about $5.
Level, 9-inch torpedo. For hanging anything straight. The phone app is not accurate enough for picture frames or shelves. A bubble level has no battery to die and no calibration to drift. Around $6.
Allen key set, SAE and metric. Every piece of flat-pack furniture uses Allen bolts. IKEA alone accounts for most of the Allen key usage in a typical apartment. A folding set from Bondhus or Tekton costs $6 and takes up almost no space.
Voltage tester, non-contact. Confirm an outlet or wire is dead before you touch anything. The Klein NCVT-1 ($15) beeps and lights up when it detects voltage. This is the one safety tool that is non-negotiable if you ever change a light fixture or replace an outlet cover.
Flashlight, small LED with magnetic base. Power outages and under-cabinet work. The magnetic base sticks to junction boxes and appliances so you can work with both hands free. Budget about $10.

Painter's tape, one roll. Protects walls when you are hanging things or touching up paint. Blue painter's tape from 3M or Frogtape removes cleanly from painted surfaces without pulling up the finish.
Picture hanging kit with assorted hooks and wall anchors. A $5 variety pack from the hardware aisle covers everything from lightweight frames to heavier mirrors. Read our stud finder modes glossary if you want to understand the different anchor types.
Duct tape, one roll. Emergency repairs, temporary fixes, and sealing drafty window edges in winter. One roll lasts years in an apartment.
Zip ties, assorted sizes. Cable management behind the TV, securing items to closet shelving, and temporary fixes that end up being permanent. A pack of 100 assorted zip ties costs $3.
Stud finder, magnetic. No batteries, no calibration. Swipe it across the wall and it sticks when it finds a drywall screw or nail in a stud. Slower than electronic models but reliable and compact.

Total cost for all 15 items: approximately $75 to $85 bought individually. That covers every common apartment task for years.

The Optional Power Tool

If you can stretch the budget by $50 to $80, add a compact cordless drill. The Ryobi ONE+ HP compact drill ($59 with battery) and the DeWalt XTREME 12V ($79 with battery) are both small enough to store in a drawer and powerful enough for wall anchors, furniture assembly, and shelf brackets. Neither one is a serious construction tool, but neither needs to be. The 12V DeWalt weighs about 2.2 pounds, which is less than most hardcover books. See our cordless drill buying guide for a full comparison of compact options.

If you go this route, get a small drill/driver bit set with Phillips, square, and Torx bits plus a few common drill bit sizes (1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16). This replaces the multi-bit screwdriver for most tasks and makes furniture assembly three times faster. A 20-piece bit set from DeWalt or Milwaukee costs about $10 and fits in the same drawer as the drill.

The compact drill also opens up a common apartment project that is difficult by hand: mounting a TV on the wall. Drilling into a stud with a hand screwdriver is technically possible but slow and exhausting. A cordless drill makes it a 15-minute job. The magnetic stud finder from your core 15 locates the studs, and the drill drives the lag bolts.

What Renters Specifically Do Not Need

You do not need a circular saw, a miter saw, or a table saw. You do not own the walls, the floors, or the structure. A jigsaw is borderline but unlikely to be useful in a rental. A socket set is unnecessary unless you also work on your car. A shop vac is great but too big for most apartments. A pipe wrench is landlord territory; if the plumbing needs a pipe wrench, that is a maintenance request, not a DIY project.

If a project requires tools beyond this list, you are either doing something the landlord should handle, or you are doing something ambitious enough to borrow the right tool for the day. FriendsWithTools lets you see what your friends and neighbors have available and request specific tools for one-time projects. One-time projects do not justify permanent tool storage in a 700-square-foot apartment.

The same logic applies to corded power tools. Even if you wanted a corded drill or a corded jigsaw, finding an outlet near your work area in an apartment often means running an extension cord across the room. The convenience argument for cordless is even stronger in small spaces. If you do need an extension cord for any reason, our extension cord sizing guide explains how to pick the right gauge and length.

Storage

Everything listed here fits in a zippered tool bag ($10 to $15) or a small hard case ($15 to $20). The entire kit weighs under five pounds. Store it on a closet shelf, under the bathroom sink, or in a kitchen drawer. Label it. Tell your roommate where it is. The worst tool kit is one you cannot find when you need it.

If you add the compact cordless drill, the total weight goes up to about seven pounds and the kit still fits in one bag. A canvas tool bag with a zip top and a few internal pockets keeps everything organized and accessible. Hang it on a closet hook or slide it onto a shelf next to the cleaning supplies.

One storage detail that matters: keep the drill battery charged. Lithium-ion batteries self-discharge slowly, but if your drill sits in a bag for six months without use, the battery may be dead when you reach for it at 10 PM on a Sunday to assemble a bookshelf. Plug the charger in once every two to three months for a top-off. See our cordless battery care guide for more on maintaining battery health over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Really Need a Voltage Tester in an Apartment?

Yes. If you ever change a light fixture, replace an outlet cover, or troubleshoot a dead outlet, you need to know whether the wires are live. A non-contact voltage tester costs $15 and the alternative is guessing, which can be fatal. This is the one safety tool that is non-negotiable regardless of whether you rent or own.

Is a Magnetic Stud Finder Accurate Enough?

For apartment use, yes. Magnetic stud finders detect the drywall screws or nails that attach the drywall to the studs. They are slower than electronic ones but never give false positives, never need batteries, and cost $8. For hanging a shelf or a TV, they work fine. If you want more detail on how different stud finder types compare, see our stud finder modes glossary.

Should I Buy a Tool Kit or Buy Tools Individually?

Buy individually. Pre-made kits pad the count with tools you will not use (a 6-inch ruler, a pencil, a wire cutter) while skimping on the tools that matter. The multi-bit screwdriver in a kit is always worse than one you choose yourself. You also end up with a blow-molded case that takes up more space than a simple tool bag. Individual tools let you pick the right quality level for each item.