Is your home winter proof?

Making your home winterproof is just one of many ways that you can improve the value of your home, but ensuring that your home ticks all the right boxes as far as your energy efficiency is concerned doesn’t just make long-term financial sense, it is also the right thing to do.

Now, there is no time like the present so even if this winter caught you by surprise, there is still time to play catch up.

Image By RachelW1

FIRST, GET INSULATED

As much as we’ve all hated seeing the antics of Insulate Britain, they’re onto something. The Energy Savings Trust has some solid advice when it comes to all-around heat prevention in the winter, but insulating your home is the easiest and most cost-effective way to protect precious heat and energy resources. A solidly insulated home is the first and arguably the most important step to getting your home as efficient as possible.

PREVENT DRAUGHT

Check the seals around your windows, doors, attics and vents as your heating has to work harder to maintain the ambient temperature in your home if there are constant blasts of cold and icy air coming in from outside. This is relatively easily done, and if you’re on a budget you can start by simply placing towels at the base of your doors.

SORT OUT ISSUES WITH DAMP

Damp caused by ongoing rainy days and an overall “wet environment”, can really cause unpleasant and unhealthy conditions at home. So if you have a home that is prone to or currently beset with damp, have that attended to as quickly as possible.

CONDUCT A SERVICE AUDIT ON YOUR HEATING AND BOILERS

You should be testing your central heating and boilers at least once a year, and ideally, this should be done before the cold winter months, but even if you dropped the ball on this one this year, it’s never too late. If you find that your boiler is faulty and you can’t get it replaced or you’re on a budget, consider boiler and heater hire. It will keep your winter home comfortable without killing your finances.

CLEAN YOUR PIPES AND GUTTERS

It’s a good idea to get this done regularly and as thoroughly as possible. Blocked gutters not only has the potential to harbour rotting leaves that can be smelly but left untreated could also cause damage to your home and gutters.

Keeping your pipes clean will ensure that your whole home runs efficiently and this, in turn, keeps everything operating the way it should be.

YOUR OVERALL ENVIRONMENT AT HOME

Making it through the winter doesn’t just take physical work on your home, but creating a clean, healthy and comfortable environment can also be achieved by changing the lights to softer, warmer tones. Keeping bright colours accessible through lighting in certain areas, curtains or paint jobs on some walls and keeping bright colours in living areas with scatter cushions, throws or rugs will help keep the winter blues at bay.

Don’t worry if you’ve left it a bit late this year, we’ve all had quite enough on our plates. But if you’re in a position to get it done now, then do it because investment into your home today, yields instant results and results that last through the season and into the future.

Laura x