Every December someone asks me what to buy a son, daughter or friend who’s just got the keys to their first home. The honest answer is: not the 200-piece tool kit in the shiny case. Most of those come out once, frighten everyone a bit, and go back in the cupboard.

Good gifts for new homeowners are the ones that get used in the first few months, when the list of jobs is longest. Here’s what I’d actually buy, and what I’d leave on the shelf.

Tools worth giving a new homeowner

You don’t need much. A small set of good tools beats a big set of bad ones.

• A cordless combi drill. If you only buy one power tool, make it this. An 18V drill with two batteries means one can charge while you use the other. On the hammer setting it drills into brick and block, and on the screw setting it drives screws. You don’t need the most expensive one, but avoid the very cheapest. They tend to have weak batteries and chucks that slip. Makita are my favourite brand, but head to Screwfix rather than B&Q.
• A spirit level. A 600mm one is the handiest size for shelves and pictures. When it comes to a level, the adage is definitely true – buy cheap, buy twice! Stabila are my favourite brand. Get one with a vial for both level and plumb (upright).
• A decent tape measure. Again, don’t buy a cheap one; its not worth it! 5 metres is plenty for most rooms. A wider blade stays straight further when you’re measuring on your own. I usually buy Stanley.
• Screwdrivers, driver bits and drill bits. Most screws in UK homes are Pozidriv, so make sure there’s a PZ2 in the set. That’s the one you’ll use most. Add a small set of masonry and wood drill bits to match the wall plugs.
• A box of mixed wall plugs and screws. Boring, but it’s the thing everyone runs out of on day one. Again, it’s worth getting better quality ones – I always chuck out the ones that come in furniture kits. Throw in a few plasterboard fixings too, because ordinary plugs won’t hold much in plasterboard.

What I’d skip

• Giant tool kits. Lots of pieces, few you’ll use, and the quality is usually poor.
• A cable and pipe detector. Cheap ones really don’t work well. If you’re worried, come on our course and I’ll show you how to detect cables my sight and sound. As a rule, never drill directly above or below a socket or switch, because that’s where cables usually run.
• Specialist tools for jobs they haven’t got yet. A tile cutter is a great present for someone about to tile a bathroom. For everyone else it’s a doorstop.
• Anything you’d need training to use safely. Circular saws, jigsaws and angle grinders can wait until they’ve learnt the basics.

The gift that makes the tools useful

Here’s the thing I see every week. People are given a drill, they don’t quite trust themselves with it, and the shelves never go up. The tools aren’t the problem. Confidence is.

That’s why the gift I’d recommend most is a day (or a few) of learning to use them properly, with someone standing next to them.

A gift voucher for a hands-on DIY course

Our courses run in the workshop at Poplar Farm, Fenton, near Lincoln. People come on their own from all over England, Wales and Scotland, and nobody needs any experience. Everything is hands-on: they do the jobs themselves rather than watch me do them. Tools, safety kit and materials are provided. Lunch isn’t, so they’ll want to bring their own.

Which voucher to choose:

• Taster Day, £170. One full day. Day 1 (Basic DIY) is the place to start: choosing and using tools, drilling safely into walls, the right fixings, and dripping taps.
• Two-Day Skills, £300. Our most popular gift. Day 1 plus Day 2 (Basic DIY & Tiling), where they’ll repair walls, put up a shelf straight, and practise tiling and grouting. For someone with a list of jobs in a new home, this is the one I’d pick.
• Full DIY Week, £560. All four days, adding plumbing (fixing leaks, fitting a sink) and basic carpentry (skirting and dado rail). Best for someone with a whole house to sort out.
• Carpentry courses, from £300. For someone who wants to work with wood: skirting, architrave, hand tools and hanging doors.
• £50 or £100 value vouchers if you’d like to put something towards a course and let them choose.

How it works: we email you the voucher and its code soon after you order (we send each one ourselves rather than by machine). They use the code to book the dates that suit them, any time in the 12 months from when you buy it. If they’d rather do a different course, they can put the value towards that instead.

Ordering for Christmas? Order by 20th December and your voucher will be with you before Christmas Day.

Our next DIY course weeks start on 12 January, 9 February and 22 March 2027, and they can pick any dates within the 12 months.

Common questions

How long is the gift voucher valid? 12 months from the date you buy it. They choose their own dates within that time.

Do they need any DIY experience? None at all. Every day is built for complete beginners, and plenty of people come on their own.

Can they use the voucher on a different course? Yes. They can put its value towards a different course if they’d prefer.

How do I give it? We email the voucher and code to you soon after you order, so you can print it, pop it in a card, or forward it on Christmas morning.

---

Give them a day of DIY confidence

For someone with a new home and a list of jobs, I’d choose the Two-Day Skills voucher. That’s Day 1 and Day 2 of our DIY Course: drilling safely into walls, fixings, repairing walls, putting up a shelf and tiling. It’s £300, valid for 12 months, and they choose their own dates. If you’d rather start smaller, a Taster Day is £170.