Most home repair power, hand and other tool essentials include a stepladder, miter box, miter saw, 3/8" cordless or corded variable speed drill, 15-inch handsaw, putty knife, utility knife, one inch wide measuring tape, hammer, plunger, large 10-inch groove-joint pliers, four-in-one screwdriver and slip-joint pliers.
As your skills progress, consider purchasing at least a 24-inch level, a caulk gun, framing square, safety equipment including glasses, hearing protection, work gloves and half-face respirator to protect against such things as sawdust, a crow bar, clamps, angle square, chisels, tool belt, block plane, a heavy duty 12 or 14 gauge 50-foot extension cord, chalk line, circular saw and shop vac.
For those of you who really want to attempt heavy duty home improvement and repair, your dream buys would include a jigsaw, power miter saw, router and a bench-top table saw! "Tim, the Tool Man Taylor" would definitely give this his big, manly, trademark GRUNT!