Skip to main content

Is Your Home Really Ready for Winter?

If you live in a climate that gets pretty chilly in the winter, you’ll know just how annoying it is when your home isn’t keeping the heat in and the cold out. Winter can be extremely enjoyable when it comes to cosy blankets, fuzzy socks and scented candles but before you dig any of those out, it’s worth checking whether your home is ready for the colder months ahead. Let’s take a look at a bit of prep work you can do now to save you hassle and money later on.


https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-gray-ceramic-mug-846080/ 

Check your heating

There’s a good chance your heating hasn’t been on since last winter. If that’s the case, don’t wait until it’s extremely cold to turn it on again. Give your boiler or furnace a quick test run now so you can check if it heats your home properly. Be on alert or any weird noises, cold spots and how long it takes to heat your home up. If there are any issues at all, get someone in to take a look at it so you and your family aren’t struggling to keep warm when the cold snap hits.

Look at your insulation

Heat escapes quickly and if there are any gaps around your windows, doors and in your loft, you’re going to be spending a fortune on keeping your home warm this winter. Take a walk around your home on a windy day to see if you can feel any drafts. If you feel any, now’s the perfect time to take action. It might be something as simple as a draft excluder for the bottom of your doors, but you might find that your loft needs re-insulating. Again, it might be an expense you don’t want, but it’s better than being cold and miserable all winter.

Get ready for power cuts

When the weather turns bad, power cuts aren’t unusual. Having a plan in place can make it less stressful if it happens. Keep a few torches or candles handy, charge up power banks for your phone, and if you live in an area that’s prone to outages, you might want to look into backup options. If you’ve been considering ways to make your house more self-sufficient, it’s worth reading about solar backup power and how it can keep essentials running even when the grid goes down. It’s one of those smart upgrades that pays off long term and gives you peace of mind when the lights flicker.

Protect your pipes

Frozen pipes are a nightmare to deal with, so it’s worth putting some effort in now to avoid it altogether. Start by making sure any outdoor taps are drained and sealed, and if you’ve got any pipes in your garage or basement, add some insulation to them. Also, keeping your home at a steady temperature will help prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting. If you don’t already know, find out where your main water shut off valve is because you never know if you’ll need to use it quickly.

Post a Comment

Latest Posts