Tools for my tool box

[Alishea B.]

I'm getting my bag ready to go and look at houses to buy for my buy and holds. Besides flashlight, measuring tape, telescoping ladder,outlet tester, and electronic thermometer\ moisture detector what else should I pack. Any ideas? 

[Jim K.]

@Alishea B.

I bring a digital 4-foot level which I rarely use but is sometimes very important, an N95 paper respirator, Makita has a Makita Mobile Tools app which is useful for my phone. I think the most important took I bring that you haven't mentioned is an awl. I actually bring a painter's tool/scraper that has an awl in the handle, Hyde makes it -- it's very useful. I also bring a 3/4 in flexible scraper that I sharpened up to scrape small paint chips, and with it, 3 little containers with screw-on lids.

Other than that, I have a Victorinox Hercules in my pocket. The thin flathead and multiple Philips drivers work better than modern standard drivers on a lot of the non-standard screws I see in some of the older places I look at in my area.