Whatever happens to the housing market, one real-estate strategy is still recession-proof: do-it-yourself home improvements.
Building sweat equity costs just a quarter to half of what you'd pay a contractor for the same job because you only need to buy materials - and the right tools, of course.
Most weekend projects don't require specialty tools, just a few good multi-taskers.
Here are six low-cost and easy-to-use basics that can handle the toughest jobs on your to-do list.
By Josh Garskof, Money Magazine contributing writer
NEXT: Lithium-ion drill