Tips To Help Get Your Home Winter Ready

Published: 19/10/2022

Record summer heatwaves and warm summer evenings are becoming a distant memory as the nights start to draw in early and we begin to welcome in the autumn season. Now is the ideal time to consider winter-proofing your property.

Whether you own a property or currently live in a rental, it’s essential that your home stays warm as the colder weather hits.

An energy-efficient home will not only help you achieve your goals of keeping the property warm, but also save you money, and could eventually see you fetch a higher fee should you look to sell down the line.

Below are some tips to help you get your home winter ready:

Avoid frozen pipes

Lagging your pipes (wrapping your pipes to stop them freezing, to avoid blockages and prevent them from bursting) is easy and effective. You can buy lagging online or from DIY stores. Areas to focus on include the garage and any area where pipes run outside. If the pipes are already frozen, using a hairdryer is a handy tip to unfreeze them.

Clear your gutters

It’s important to keep checking on your pipes during autumn and the winter to ensure they aren’t blocked with leaves. Unblocking the gutters means water will flow freely, meaning you won’t be affected by dampness and leaks down the line.

Loft insulation

If you consider loft insulation, then it will help you and your house in a number of ways both in the short and long-term. Such as helping you stay warm in the winter, cool during the summer, making your home more energy efficient and blocking the noise pollution outside. It will also add some value to your property, should you look to sell it down the line.

Service your boiler

Annually servicing your boiler will help reduce the fuel bills. Making sure you check your boiler pressure is also a good habit to get into each winter. It should be at around one bar, however if it is lower than that, then it’s worth consider contacting an engineer to come and take a look.

Upgrade your windows

If you haven’t already, it’s definitely worth considering double or triple glazing your windows to help improve the temperature of your home. Although it might be costly in the short-term, the long-term reward is that it will help reduce your heating bills.

Be sure to close doors throughout the property to help reduce draughts from flowing throughout.

Repair windows and doors

Doors and windows left in a poor state of repair can result in letting in cold air and rainwater. Check the woodwork outside of the property for any rot or damage and fix any minor issues as soon as possible before they potentially become bigger and more expensive to repair in the future.

Get rid of cracks and leaks

Have you checked your home to see if any water or cold wind could creep through? If you haven’t, it’s worth checking the likes of your chimney and corners of rooms. An easy way to check for cracks or leaks is by moving a lit incense stick along the walls (avoiding anything flammable!) and seeing if smoke moves into any cracks where cold air can come in, and warm air can leave. If you find any cracks, you can seal it shut with sealant.

Cover bare floors

Although hardwood and tile flooring can look the part and make your property standout, it also means enduring cold toes as homes start to lose their summer heat. One solution to prevent this from occurring is to carpet the property throughout, or something as simple as adding rugs in different rooms for both autumn and winter seasons. This will help the property retain some heat and keep your feet feeling nice and toasty.

Check the roof

If there are any cracked or missing tiles on your roof, there is a chance that rain could start seeing through, causing damp and rot down the line. You may want to enlist the assistance of a professional to check for you, to ensure you prevent this from happening.

Rearrange furniture

Rearranging furniture throughout the property can help keep the warmth in during the autumn and winter season. It’s worth placing the main pieces of furniture such as desks, sofas and beds close enough to radiators to feel the benefits of the heat. At the same time, it’s worth keeping them away from doors and windows so you don’t feel the draught come in.

Although closing the curtains of a night is important, just as equally important is making sure they stay open throughout the day. This is because any sunlight that occurs throughout the day will help keep the rooms warm with natural heat. It’s worth keeping in mind that at the height of the winter season, the sun tends to set at around 4pm.

How we can help:

Whether you require conveyancing services to help complete a property purchase or sale, or help navigating the complex rules associated with being a landlord of a HMO, we can help! GWlegal has well over three decades of property experience. Our team of property experts and dedicated admin staff is well equipped to help assist you and your needs with all residential property law matters.

Who are GWlegal?

GWlegal are a property solicitors based in Liverpool, specialising in buying or selling, remortgage, declaration of trust, bridging and buy-to-let landlords.

If you have a legal matter you wish to discuss don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call us on 0345 373 3737 email us discuss@gw.legal with your question.

Who are GWlegal? We’re a national firm with local values.

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Content correct at time of publication.

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