5- Utility Knife: Otherwise known as a Stanley knife, this tool has a thousand uses, from cutting string to trimming wood. Keep one in your toolkit and make sure you have extra blades – it’s no use if it’s blunt.

6- Marking Tools: You’ll need a carpenter’s pencil to mark your cuts (don’t use a pen as it can bleed through paint).

For longer marking, a chalk line is useful. Basically a length of string covered with powdered chalk, it is placed over a surface and snapped against it leaving a perfectly straight line. The novice carpenter is unlikely to have great call for one, but at a later stage and for larger projects a chalk line is a very convenient marking tool.

7- Saw: Carpentry without a saw? Impossible, unless you work only with kit-set furniture. You could buy a crosscut saw to cut against the grain, a rip saw to cut along the grain and a panel saw for finer work. But for a basic tool kit, just go with a universal saw – the disposable kind with hardened teeth give great value for money.

8- Screwdrivers: Although purists might shudder at the thought of joining wood with screws, you’re unlikely to do much work with wood without needing to drive in the odd screw here and there. Buy a small selection of both flat and Phillips head screwdrivers.

And there you have it. With the tools listed above you’ll have the basic equipment to get you through most carpentry jobs around the home. Good luck, and happy carpentering!