15 Home Improvement Gadgets That Actually Make A Difference

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The home improvement landscape is one dominated by tools. Power tools, in particular, get a lot of attention. These tools help support a wide range of tasks, but they don't act alone. Home improvers seeking to get the most from their collection need to add at least a few important gadgets and other accessory solutions to effectively support those stars of the show. I've experienced my fair share of home improvement demands. Everything from hanging a few pictures to knocking down outdoor walls and installing new hardscaping has come across my to-do list. For these and other tasks, gear like leveling tools, measurement devices, and installation accessories have made my life significantly easier.

Accessory gadgets can make all manner of home improvement tasks simpler, allowing for more room in your schedule and headspace to handle additional jobs or to finish earlier and enjoy some much-deserved relaxation. These pieces of gear are things I've used personally for numerous home improvement tasks, both large and small. Each one is a kind of tool I've gained definite value from, even if the specific model isn't the exact tool I have held and operated.

A thermometer isn't exciting, but it is an essential tool that home improvers should seriously consider adding to their collection. The Secrui Digital Hygrometer/Thermometer features a simple readout with clear information and lots of key data points. The tool offers both moisture content and temperature, with added high and low readings to help capture changes in the environment overnight or throughout the day.

The gadget allows you to take nuanced readings of a room to support the proper resting phase before installing floorboards or walling components. It's also a nice option for use in a greenhouse or elsewhere. I've used one for exactly those tasks. I keep one of these in the cold frame I'm using outside to kickstart growth in my garden at the moment. This unit has also helped me better time my installation of laminate flooring throughout the common areas downstairs in my home.

The Slobproof Refillable Touch-Up Paint Pen is something that nearly every home improver will get value from. Virtually no homeowner looking to handle painting or other finishing touches on their own will have the expertise to rival a professional. Regardless of the task, doing it yourself tends to involve more time and effort than hiring a pro, although it usually comes with a financial benefit since you won't have to pay for labor. 

Unfortunately, it's hard to cut a precise line with a paintbrush if you aren't doing it every day, but a tool like this can help close that gap. I've used a similar syringe-style paint applicator for touch-up work near baseboards and around light switches. The gadget promises the ability to keep paint fresh for up to seven years in vacuum-sealed tubes. This means you can suction up leftover paint during a renovation and keep it safe in the tubes to tackle repair needs for a long time. 

Home improvers seeking to perform installation tasks ranging from shelving to basic picture frame hanging can benefit from the addition of a stud finder. Properly using a stud finder may require a little getting used to, but once you know what you're doing, this is a handheld device that can make an outsized impact on your home improvement workflow. The Prexiso 2-in-1 Stud Finder with Laser Level delivers all the hallmarks of a standard stud finder, with some extra flourishes thrown in for good measure. It's also possible to use studless anchors, and I've had experience with both approaches, but using a stud finder to locate this hardened spot to secure a heavy picture or TV mount with greater stability is easy and my personal preference.

The tool can detect wood and metal studs up to 3/4 inch deep behind drywall, and it can detect AC wires buried up to 1-1/2 inches deep. The gadget also works to find the edges of studs, taking the guesswork largely out of any task that requires you to work from these embedded structural features.

The Symorin 5-Wheeled Furniture Dollies kit is an "Amazon's Choice" product. It's available for $40 and comes with a range of accessories beyond the four dollies. This kind of solution has saved my back more times than I can count, moving appliances, couches, and more. The dollies allow for a load capacity of up to 1,200 pounds and maintain comprehensive mobility with 360-degree rotation. 

They're an ideal set for home improvers who frequently find they need to move heavy appliances to gain access to walls or other spaces behind them. The same can be said for furniture and other heavy fixtures throughout the home or beyond. Moving large or otherwise unwieldy items in the home can be a serious burden, and this kind of tool helps remove much of that strain.

One of the more interesting gizmos that home improvers can utilize involves a natural force that's often taken for granted. The Klein Tools Magnetizer/Demagnetizer is a device designed for a keyring, making it easy to attach to a range of other tools or devices, including the keys you carry around in your pocket. The tool features the ability to add magnetic properties to ferrous metals and remove them when necessary. This is particularly useful for screwdrivers, which are the hand tools the gadget is built to accommodate, although other small metal devices can also be sent through the process. I keep one in my toolbox and have used it a few times to add magnetic qualities to bits that didn't start out that way. It's simple and intuitive to use and adds a bit of novelty to your work.

This accessory makes it easier to use hand tools and bits connected to a drill or driver when performing basic installation tasks. On the other hand, when working with electricity or other complex systems, you might want to demagnetize your bits or screwdrivers to prevent interference or unintended attraction of metal debris. This is also possible and, importantly, reversible with the Klein Tools accessory unit.

Long-distance measurements are a real headache. Dragging your tape measure along the ground over a lengthy target area can be physically painful, and if the distance goes beyond your tape's length, you'll lose accuracy while resetting midway through the process. It's time-consuming and frustrating, and even if you're already using your tape measure like a pro, this is a nuisance that feels like it should be avoidable. With a tool like the Bosch 100-Foot Blaze Laser Distance Measure, it often is. The tool takes accurate measurements with a single button press of up to 100 feet, with precision rated within ±1/16 inch. Laser measurement tools are amazingly simple to use, and I can't overstate the amount of time and energy that they save. I've used mine for wardrobe installations, baseboard measurements, patio paver calculations, and more.

The device features a backlit display, and the tool can measure in feet and meters, using both fractions and decimals for its subunits. The tool can fit in a pocket for easy use on the go and offers a rounding button to make readings simpler when the job calls for it, with options ranging from 1/32 inch up to 1/2 inch.

The Holstery Clip-On Tool Belt Drill Holder is a device that can make using your drill far less time-consuming. It's not an accessory that speaks loudly, but what it does accomplish works silently in the background to make your day using this power tool more efficient. The clip-on holster unit sits on your tool belt or the belt worn around your pants. It allows you to easily and quickly seat a drill or other tool's attached belt clip into the holster, letting it hang right off your waist when not in use. 

It's easy to place on your belt and features quick adjustability to support placement changes on the fly. It utilizes an aluminum frame that's durable but lightweight, giving you the flexibility you need without adding unnecessary heft that might otherwise limit mobility. The impact is immediate. After hanging drills and other tools off my pants for years, adding a clip-on holder unit like this to my own collection has made a big difference. The change is a small one, but the added stability makes you feel far more secure throughout the job you're handling.

The DEKEones Double-Edged Razor Blade Scraper delivers multifunctional scraping capabilities in a single unit. The tool might look a little gimmicky, but it's a serious sleeper pick when it comes to functionality and value. It comes with replacement blades in two styles, with a metal razor blade attaching on one end and a plastic scraping edge on the other. I found immense value in a dual-scraper like this when removing grout residue from my bathroom, in particular.

Both sides include a plastic cap to keep the scraping edge clean and protected when not in use. The unit also introduces a slight wave in the body design to help give users a few angles of attack with either scraping edge to support nuanced material removal needs. This is a tool that can help remove stubborn residue and gunk from a range of surfaces. It's a useful accessory solution for any home improver seeking a properly finished look and feel across a project.

Painting and other renovations can get messy in a hurry. An accessory gadget like the Socket Blocker Outlet Cover for Drywall and Painting makes protecting your electrical systems simple when performing demanding or messy jobs nearby. This is also a valuable tool for those who might be doing sanding work in the room, since the task frequently involves throwing a surprisingly heavy cloud of dust into the air. The accessory device comes in a 60-pack, giving you plenty of covers for numerous outlets around the house or across multiple renovation projects. 

These outlet protectors feature a peel-and-stick backing that's designed to fit neatly over the outlet without extending too far out and creating the need for touch-up work later. They can be painted right over without worrying about the covers coming loose or moving, and then once you're finished with the work, they come right off. I've been burned numerous times trying to just tape over outlets and eventually moved toward dedicated covers to support better finished products. The difference is stark and yields a faster, more precise end result.

A 75-pack of Wobble Wedges Rigid Plastic Leveling Shims can be found at Amazon for $27. The set features significant flexibility as an accessory solution across countless home improvement tasks. The shims feature a transparent construction to allow for a hidden look when you want to use them in a permanent installation. They can be positioned to support appliances, furniture, and more on a semi-permanent basis, or utilized during the installation process of cabinetry, door frames, and more, and then removed once the structure is set in place. I've used shims in both manners. They're easy to stick into position and can be removed from a set placement with relative ease. I've had particular success getting cabinets perfectly positioned with temporary shims. 

These accessory gadgets can support up to 2,000 pounds, making them a viable solution for large and small projects alike. They're made from durable plastic with industrial-grade strength. The shims resist deformation and sizing shifts that might otherwise result from temperature changes and deliver an interlocking capability with a non-slip grip.

Pliers are a tool category that many tool users will have a lot of experience with. Equipment like the Klein Tools Hybrid Pliers feature massive versatility with a wide range of functions. Another option for buyers looking for serious value can be found in the Knipex brand. Knipex pliers are thought of as exceedingly special by owners (myself included). But not all pliers are designed to handle intense gripping demands. In fact, one particular kind doesn't do anything of the sort. Instead of grabbing workpieces with force, the Jelanry Plastic Auxiliary Pliers feature a range of nail holes that hold a fastener in the perfect position to protect your fingers while allowing for easy driving with a hammer.

The pliers feature rounded handles that allow for easy grabbing, with two levels to support a range of nail sizes and stability needs. I don't use this kind of tool often, but they were particularly helpful when I was younger and working with my dad on jobs. When my own little one eventually starts helping with our projects, I'm certain a hand-saving pair of pliers will return to my use.

A classic example of the strangely garbled letter brand names available at Amazon, this tool accessory is a valuable addition to many home improvement toolkits. The Cigotu Right Angle and Wobble Drill Adapter Kit offers enhanced flexibility when access issues would otherwise stand in the way of getting a task completed. The accessory units feature hex connections for use in standard drills and drivers, with 360-degree rotation across the wobble adapters and a 105-degree offset angle in the final unit.

These drill accessories make utilizing sockets in tight recesses easier and can help deliver angled turning force that's essential for building drawers and other furniture items that come disassembled. The four-piece kit is just one option from the brand, with larger bundles featuring additional angled adapters and flexible bit extenders available as well. In my own efforts to put together things like IKEA furniture, angled adapters have been a lifesaver when handling tight areas and vexing instructions.

The Tmacker Magnetic Wristband is the only solution on this list that isn't similar to a device, gadget, or tool I've used before. However, I do frequently use a magnetic tray to support installation and building projects, and the wristband is a very similar solution to that approach. A magnetic tray allows you to stick it to a car or other metallic surface and then lay tools and fasteners into the holding area. It helps keep things contained and organized as you work through many tasks. This alternative accessory sits comfortably on your wrist, making it easy to grab the part you need without having to reach very far. 

It's made from ballistic polyester fabric that's strong but still breathable. It also features adjustability for a comfortable fit while resisting sweat. This is a simple accessory that can go a long way toward improving the speed and ease of your home improvement jobs. Any kind of project involving small parts, from basic children's toy assembly to repair work under the sink or hood, can be made more streamlined with the help of a magnetic part holder like this.

Layout tools are often only considered by home improvers when they fall under the stereotypical categories. The speed square, for instance, is a legendary unit that makes a big splash in any renovation setting. But niche layout solutions are equally valuable, especially for DIYers seeking tools, accessories, and gadgets that can make their lives easier. The Stalishare Picture Hanging Tool with Level is a job-specific unit that's not going to deliver functionality across a wide range of needs, but it can make hanging pictures and other aesthetic elements far easier. I've used a similar tool for picture-hanging tasks for years.

The unit allows for quick alignment of your nail spots, making the task painless and limiting the back-and-forth that might otherwise be required when measuring, marking, and performing the whole rigmarole of installation the standard way. It simplifies all the sub-tasks involved in hanging pictures, from measuring and marking to ensuring a level fit.

A multi-tool is usually thought of as either an oscillating power tool or a foldable solution featuring a wide range of cutting, grabbing, and other classic hand tools. The Kelvin Tools Palm-Sized Everyday Multi-Tool Set is a unique take on the concept of a tool with multiple uses. It's primarily a screwdriver, making it similar to some of the best multi-bit screwdrivers available. A driver with 13 screwdriving bits is only the tip of the iceberg here, however. The tool also includes a level, tape measure, flashlight, and hammer function.

This type of solution works well as a one-stop solution for many requirements. I keep a tool like this under the sink so that I don't have to go out to the shed to grab a specific tool for basic battery changes, repairs, or other tasks. It might also be a good candidate to throw into the trunk of your car to support maintenance needs. It's compact, folding down to fit neatly in a pocket. The driver function can be locked in place at a 90-degree angle or straight out, allowing it to produce force like a standard screwdriver or with additional turning power.

All of these gadgets are similar to or essentially the same as products I've used personally to support one or more home improvement projects. They have each delivered notable value to my own workflow when managing tasks around the house. In many cases, these kinds of accessory tools and gear make working on projects faster and often more fun. I rely on these kinds of additions nearly every time I work on something in the house.