For many people, July is a month of vacationing, plus it’s just so dang hot outside, so this month’s list is pretty short.
- Check the locks and deadbolts on doors and windows. Burglars love it when you go on vacation, so you want to make sure your locks work. A tip that my inspector taught me: for your door jambs, replace the itty bitty screws that come with the strike plate (the part that actually goes onto the frame) with 3 inch screws. It’s scarily easy to kick through a door that has the standard screws, but switch those babies out and that strike plate ain’t going nowhere.
- De-clutter your garage or shop and donate items. I added this one for July because it’s a good break in the summer while you’ve been using all your outdoor equipment to get a little more organized. You now know what you have and what you need, so take the opportunity to get things straight. It’s also a great time of the year for early morning yard sales.
- Exterminate and stay on top of pest prevention. In North Carolina, it’s hot, it’s buggy, and fall will be here before you know it. Stay on top of pest prevention during this season when the ticks, mosquitoes, spiders are multiplying. You’ll thank yourself in the fall when you realize how much less buggy your yard and home are.
If you have any more July suggestions, please let me know! And of course in the blazing heat there’s plenty of things you can do to keep your home’s interior clean and maintained. Personally though, I’d rather be by the water or gardening in my spare time. What are your favorite things to do or get done during July?
From my home to yours,
Mary Allison
At Home With Mary Allison Yancey 