Ideas and opinions:
Firstly, one of the DIY encyclopedias. Readers Digest and Which do good ones. you can borrow one from the library as they are quite expensive. This will also show you what tools you need for each job the first time you do it.
Get one or two large plastic (not metal) toolboxes with lift-out or cantilevered trays. Metal ones tear your trousers and bruise your leg, and are heavy.
Don't buy a socket set or large set of spanners unless you want to mend cars.
You'll need a small, light drill/driver and a medium sized percussion or hammer drill. You'll appreciate the light one when you have to hold it above your head for curtain rails and light fittings.
Small spirit level
Long steel tape measure
Large set of screwdrivers - surprisingly cheap at the sheds - made of chrome vanadium steel and with rounded (not ridged engineers) handles. Ridged ones give you more blisters.
a club hammer and an electricians bolster.
A claw hammer (I'd go for a steel-handed one)
Good quality masonry drills (you'll probably only ever use one size for wallplugs (use brown ones mostly) so don't waste your money on a set of ten. Large sizes for pipes are expensive, so buy one when you need it.
Twist drills for wood and light metal (buy a set, but you'll break the small sizes and have to replace them)
Large box or brown plastic plugs and an assortment of galvanised pozidrive screws, and some sectional plastic boxes to keep them in without being mixed up.
Multimeter
set of adjustable spanners (always try to get chrome vanadium steel for tools that need to grip and might wear)
Then consider what your first job will be and see what tools you need for it. Generally avoid cheap ones at the street market or cheap shop.
Don't get carried away into buying lots of electric tools or gadgets before you have a particular need for them. If buying rechargeables, the batteries can be the most expensive thing, see if you can buy several tools that use the same battery. Cheap, low power rechargeables are handy for doorstops but not much else.
