Home Repairs and the Tools Worth Owning
Most household repairs are one of about a dozen jobs, and most of them need the same handful of tools. The gap between a household that fixes things and one that pays someone $180 for a callout is mostly knowing which is which.
There is also a hard line in Australia that matters more here than in most countries: electrical work and most plumbing are illegal for unlicensed people, including in your own home, and the penalties and insurance consequences are serious. That line is not a suggestion.
The 10-minute version
- Twelve tools cover almost everything. Around $250 buys the lot, and the first callout you avoid pays for it.
- Turn the water off before you start any plumbing job. Find the mains tap now, in daylight, and check it actually turns.
- Electrical work is illegal without a licence in Australia — including replacing a light fitting or a power point. Changing a plug top on a lead and swapping a light globe are among the very few exceptions.
The twelve tools
- Cordless drill/driver, 12V or 18V, with a bit set. The single most useful tool in a house
- Screwdriver set — Phillips and flat, several sizes, plus a stubby for tight spots
- Shifting spanner (adjustable), 200 mm. Taps, bolts, gas fittings
- Multigrips, and a pair of long-nose pliers
- Claw hammer
- Tape measure, 5 m
- Utility knife with spare blades
- Spirit level, 600 mm. Nothing looks worse than a crooked shelf
- Hacksaw, plus a wood saw if you have room
- Stud finder. Cheap, and the difference between a shelf that holds and one that pulls out of the plasterboard
- Silicone gun and a tube of neutral-cure silicone
- Allen key set, metric
Plus the consumables: assorted screws and wall plugs, gaffer tape, electrical tape, plumber’s tape (PTFE), cable ties, sandpaper, WD-40, a tube of gap filler, and a torch.
Add later, if you use them: an angle grinder, a jigsaw, an impact driver, a circular saw, a socket set, a ladder that reaches your gutters.
The repairs worth learning
1. A dripping tap. Usually a perished washer or a worn ceramic cartridge, and both are a fifteen-minute job. Turn the water off at the mains, plug the drain so nothing small vanishes, take the old part to the hardware shop for a match. A dripping tap wastes thousands of litres a year.
2. A running toilet. Nearly always the inlet valve or the outlet seal in the cistern. Both are replaceable kits, both are straightforward, and a running toilet can waste enormous volumes of water.
3. A blocked drain. Plunger first, then a drain snake. Avoid caustic drain cleaners — they frequently fail, they damage some pipework, and they turn the blockage into a hazardous liquid that the plumber then has to work in.
4. Hanging things properly. Find the stud, or use the correct anchor for plasterboard. Toggle bolts for heavy items. This is the difference between a shelf and a hole in the wall.
5. Silicone in wet areas. Failed silicone around a shower or basin is how water gets into a wall, and water in a wall is a five-figure repair. Cut the old out completely, clean and dry thoroughly, apply neutral-cure silicone, tool it with a wet finger. Genuinely a beginner job with a large payoff.
6. Gutters and downpipes. Clean them before storm season and before fire season. Blocked gutters cause water into ceilings and provide fuel for ember attack. See flood-proofing your house.
Also worth knowing: replacing a door handle, adjusting a sticking door or cupboard hinge, patching a small hole in plasterboard, replacing a flyscreen, bleeding a radiator, and re-tensioning a loose fence paling.
The line you do not cross
Electrical — illegal without a licence in every Australian state. That includes replacing a light fitting, changing a power point or switch, extending a circuit, and anything inside the switchboard.
Legal for an unlicensed person: changing a light globe, replacing a plug top or an appliance cord fitting in most states, and resetting a tripped breaker.
Why it matters beyond the fine: unlicensed electrical work can void your home insurance entirely, transfers liability to you personally if someone is injured, and must be disclosed when selling. This is the single most expensive false economy in home maintenance.
Plumbing — most work requires a licensed plumber. You may generally change a tap washer, replace a shower head, clear a blockage, and replace a toilet seat. You may not alter pipework, replace a hot water system, or touch anything connected to the sewer or the water main beyond simple fittings. Rules vary by state, so check yours.
Gas — licensed only. All of it. Do not attempt gas fittings, and if you smell gas: no flames, no switches, open windows, turn off at the meter if safe, get out, and ring the gas emergency line on your bill.
Also call a professional for: anything structural, roof work at height, asbestos (in anything built or renovated before about 1990 — do not cut, drill or sand it), and tree work near power lines.
Maintenance that prevents repairs
The genuinely high-value list, done annually:
- Clean gutters — before storm season and fire season
- Test smoke alarms monthly, replace batteries yearly, replace the units every ten years
- Check and reseal silicone in wet areas
- Clear the dryer lint filter every load — lint is a real fire cause
- Service the air conditioner and clean the filters
- Check the hot water system’s pressure relief valve by lifting the lever briefly
- Flush the water heater if your manual recommends it
- Check flexible braided hoses under sinks and behind washing machines. These fail with age and flood houses — they have a service life, usually stamped on the fitting, and replacing them is cheap
- Test the RCD at the switchboard using its test button, quarterly
- Check downpipes drain away from the foundations
- Look under the house and in the roof once a year, with a torch. Leaks, pests and damage are cheapest when found early
Thresholds
| Situation | The rule |
|---|---|
| Any plumbing job | Turn off at the mains first. Know where it is |
| Anything electrical beyond a globe or a plug top | Licensed electrician. Illegal otherwise, and voids insurance |
| Anything gas | Licensed gas fitter. No exceptions |
| Smell of gas | No flames, no switches, open up, get out, ring the emergency number |
| Pre-1990 building material you want to cut or drill | Assume asbestos until tested. Do not disturb it |
| Roof or gutter work above single storey | Get someone with proper equipment |
| Failed silicone in a shower | Fix it now. Water in a wall is a five-figure repair |
| Braided flexible hoses over ~5 years old | Replace them. They fail and flood houses |
| Blocked drain | Plunger, then a snake. Not caustic cleaner |
What it costs
| Tier | Spend | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | ~$120–180 | Screwdrivers, hammer, shifting spanner, multigrips, tape measure, utility knife, level, allen keys, consumables |
| Solid | ~$250–350 | Add a cordless drill and bit set, a stud finder, a hacksaw and a silicone gun. Covers nearly everything |
| Better | ~$500–800 | Add a ladder that reaches your gutters, an impact driver, a socket set, a jigsaw |
| Avoided | $150–250 per callout | What a tradesperson charges to attend and change a washer. The kit pays for itself quickly |
| Never skimp | Market rate | Electrical, gas, structural, asbestos, height. Paying is the cheap option here |
The drill: the first Saturday
- Find and label the water mains tap. Turn it off and on to confirm it works. Photograph it for the home shutdown checklist.
- Find the gas isolation valve and hang a spanner beside it.
- Find the switchboard, identify the main switch and the RCD, and press the RCD test button.
- Buy the twelve tools in one trip.
- Fix the dripping tap. It is the standard first job and it builds the habit.
- Check the braided hoses under every sink and behind the washing machine, and note their age.
- Test every smoke alarm, and write the date on each in pencil.
Frequently asked questions
What tools does every household need?
A cordless drill, screwdriver set, shifting spanner, multigrips, long-nose pliers, claw hammer, tape measure, utility knife, spirit level, hacksaw, stud finder, silicone gun and allen keys — plus screws, wall plugs, tape, plumber’s tape and a torch. Around $250 in total.
Can I do my own electrical work in Australia?
No. Electrical work requires a licence in every state, including replacing a light fitting, power point or switch. Changing a light globe, resetting a breaker and replacing a plug top on a lead are among the few permitted exceptions. Unlicensed work can void your home insurance.
What plumbing can I legally do myself?
Generally changing a tap washer, replacing a shower head, clearing a blockage and replacing a toilet seat. Altering pipework, replacing a hot water system and anything connected to the sewer or water main require a licensed plumber. Rules vary by state.
What is the most valuable home repair to learn?
Resealing silicone in wet areas. Failed silicone lets water into wall cavities, and water in a wall becomes a five-figure repair — while the fix itself is a beginner job costing about $15.
Why should I replace braided flexible hoses?
The braided hoses under sinks and behind washing machines have a limited service life, usually stamped on the fitting, and they fail by bursting under full mains pressure. They are a leading cause of internal household flooding and cost very little to replace.
What should I never attempt myself?
Electrical work, gas fittings, structural changes, anything involving asbestos in pre-1990 materials, roof work above single storey, and tree work near power lines. In those cases paying a licensed professional is genuinely the cheaper option.
This article is general information, researched from the sources listed below and not reviewed by a professional in the relevant field. Check the sources, and get advice or training suited to your situation. Read our full disclaimer.