My kitchen faucet has developed a slow but annoying leak, and I’ve decided I want to tackle replacing it myself instead of paying a plumber, mainly to save money. I have very little plumbing experience—I've swapped out a shower head, and that's about it.

My biggest fear is the part underneath the sink; it looks cramped and rusty.

Can a total beginner realistically do this without flooding the kitchen?

I'm buying a standard pull-down faucet (single hole mount). Could someone break down the essential steps and, most importantly, tell me the must-have tools I need, especially for those hard-to-reach nuts? I want to make one trip to the hardware store and not get stuck halfway through the job.