4 Crucial July Home Maintenance Tasks You Can’t Forget About

July is a month for celebration. From remembering our country’s day of independence to spending time in the summer sun at a family picnic, there’s so much to do in July. While it’s great to celebrate all month long, remember to take time out of your schedule to tend to your home.

A home requires constant maintenance in order to retain its overall value and aesthetic appearance. Should you forget to preserve your home via simple chores, you’ll find yourself in quite the predicament when your house is messy, broken, and in need of extreme repairs.

Instead of worrying about the integrity of your home, just make sure you take care of these easy home maintenance tasks in July!

Turn Your Garage Into Something Great

For many Middle Tennessee homeowners, the garage turns into a place where all miscellaneous items are housed. From mementos of events past, to endless amounts of sporting goods and toys, the garage can become a mess rather quickly.

During the month of July, find some time to either organize your garage or to completely remodel and revamp your garage. A garage doesn’t have to be used solely for storage. Turn it into a game room, an in-home movie theater, an in-home gym, a place to relax or whatever you want it to be.

Don’t forget to donate items you find in your garage! PARKS partners with Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee to help homeowners easily donate items from their home.

Repair Your Driveway

Year after year, your driveway bears the load of multiple cars, foot traffic, extreme weather elements and more. After a while, this damage will begin to be apparent by the noticeable cracks, divots, and even holes.

If your driveway is made of concrete, you should contact your local concrete contractor for an inspection and recommendations prior to completing any maintenance work. If your driveway is made out of asphalt, use these DIY tips to get started.

Start Planning Out Your Fall Garden Ideas

While you might not start planting your fall garden for a few more weeks (depending on your flower/plant choices, of course), you can always start planning! Remember, if you plan on using pumpkin seeds or fall vegetables, some of these take 100-140 days to mature. If the next couple of weeks or months are especially busy, take 30 minutes out of a July morning or afternoon to decide which fall plants you plan on using this year.

Check Your Security System, Fire Alarms, and Other Preventative Devices

July is right in the middle of the summer. What do people do during the summer months? We travel, go on vacation, spend long days in the car on road trips, which all leave our houses left behind. Remember to make sure that your home is completely secure prior to leaving on a vacation.

If you have a security system installed, make sure it is engaged before you leave and that all devices, such as surveillance cameras, emergency sprinklers, fire alarms, smoke detectors, etc., are up to date and in working condition. There’s nothing worse than leaving your home for a vacation and coming back to a theft or vandalism situation.

One tip is to alert your neighbors that you are going on a trip. They can water your plants, watch your home, and notify the local authorities if anything suspicious happens.

Make sure to implement these home maintenance (and safety) tips for a fun, happy, and healthy month of July!