5 Ways to Winter Proof Your Home
One thing I have noticed with the weather getting colder is the bungalow isn’t as warm as the old flat, we have to have the heating on more and I am already snuggling up under a thick wool blanket to try and stay a bit warmer. So I have been trying to think of some ways, other than extra layers and blankets to winter proof the home just a little bit more.
Check your Insulation
We had an inspection last week into the energy efficiency of the bungalow and while we are still awaiting the full results we do know that they loft insulation is coming in at a lot less than the recommend amount. So that is definitely something I will be looking into and seeing if we can get fixed and I would definitely suggest checking out your own as well.
Have your Boiler Serviced
Making sure your boiler is in the best condition it can be, before winter sets in, is a must. Not only will it help keep your home as warm as possible, but it will be more energy efficient as well.
Clear Gutters and Drains
This is one that perhaps people don’t always think of, blockages in your drains over winter can cause a lot of water damage to your home, so before it gets too chilly, make sure you check if they need clearing out. It is also worth insulating any pipes that run on the outside of your home, such as outside taps and those for your central heating.
Switch Energy Providers
With winter comes your highest energy usage of the year, so there is no better time to check out if you are on the best tariff for you and see if in the long term you could save some money, by switching energy providers.
Check Windows and Doors
It is worth having a check of your doors and windows and seeing if they are letting in any extra drafts. If they are, then using things like draught excluders and thermally insulated curtains can at least help a little, if you can’t afford to completely replace.
Of course there are a lot more things you can and should do to winter proof your home but hopefully this small list well help set you on the right path. It is also worth keeping a note of emergency electrician and gas engineer numbers should the worst happen and you need someone quickly.
What is your top tip for winter proofing your home?
*This is a collaborative post.
These are all great tips Sarah 🙂 We had a new boiler fitted during the summer but I honest to god think it’s colder in the house now than it ever was before! It was supposed to be the best one you could get as well. Oops! 🙂
Louise x
while I enjoyed winter photos, we don’t experience this season in my country.
These are great tips. Winter proofing your home can really save a lot of money in heating costs.
GREAT TIPS THANK U
I loooooove winter!!! you get to dress all comfy and sleep like a baby. hhaha. Great winter proofing tips, its very important to sort out early.
I need ot get to work on winterproofing. It’s pretty cold here in the midwest already.
Nothing worse when winter rolls around and your house isn’t winter proof!
We bought cold blocking blinds a few years ago and they definitely have helped us.
The boiler one is just so important, not just for energy but for safety too.
Great tip to have the boiler serviced! You never know when it might go out and better safe than sorry for sure.
These are good tips. I am moving house in a few weeks and looking at the best tariffs for energy providers as this time of year can get expensive.
Great tips! We’ve started to notice drafts around the windows and doors so need to invest in some more sealant and draft excluders. Thankfully our boiler was checked a couple of months ago xx
We have insulated pretty well and use draft excluders in the winter to help keep out the cold a little more. I better get hubby to get the boiler checked.
It really is important to get those gutters cleaned. We always did that before the frost came when I lived in a cold state.
Such a good advice! I did check my boiler this year, but normally I don’t use to do all of this and then… you can get a surprise…
This is a great checklist to have on hand.. Thanks for sharing!
— DT
Great suggestions!!!! When we first moved into our home we learned the hard way that our doors and windows leaked all the cold in!!
We should really need to get ready on winter, I’m glad that we already fix anything before the winter.
This will be our first winter in our new home. The weather is starting to chill off, definitely finding some drafty areas.
Our home is so cold in the winter and literally eats the central heating! The insulation is so bad xxx
very helpful tips here. Its very important to winter proof your home
Some great tips here Sarah – its so important to winter proof your home
Winter proofing your home is so important and not many people know you need to! Great tips especially on checking the windows!
We’ve been doing most of these over the last few weeks. Winter here in Canada can get pretty brutal so it’s a must! Thanks for the reminders!
These are such great tips, we always make sure there are no draughts coming from the windows and doors! Sadly my flat is always cold as I live with communal heating meaning someone else controls as and when they think the heat should go on… Portable heaters are my life saver! xx
These are fantastic tips that are very helpful, thank you 😀
Thank you for the reminders! I have spent the last 8 years in California, I completely forgot about some of these things I need to remember to check!
These are great things to check. I always make sure to check my windows and doors for drafts.
We have just moved to a new but bigger house so we are now finding what things can be done to keep our home warmer. I think I need to invest in some draft excluder’s we keep the heating on when we are out but turn it down low so it doesn’t waste as much when it flares up again when we are home.
We were just talking about doing some winter proofing for our home. Thank you for the great tips.
One of my top tips is just to put fleecey blankets all around my house to snuggle up with haha. I’m quite lucky being in a new build all the boiler systems etc are very new x
Yes blankets are the best – I got a new one today and it perfect!
These are all great tips for winter proofing your home. It is so important to check the chimney before turning the furnace on and fixing the drafts from windows along with doors. Thanks for sharing the tips.
Great tips, these. We had major house renovations done two years ago – new insulation and blockwork and the difference is amazing. House is toasty warm now!
I need to check the insulation. We just moved into the house over the summer so I have no idea what it’s like during the winter.
Or…. Do what I do and moved back home to Florida. Winter proof! LOL – Just kidding. We still have to do things to save on energy – and we get an annual energy audit from our power company.
I so dislike winter and the cold. Time to winter proof my house.
I definitely have to start preparing now. I want to make sure the boiler is in good shape but I’m excited to use the fireplace too.
Great reminder I need to get this done. Next Thursday our temps drop for the next several months.
These are all excellent tips for winterizing a home. Always so much to think of when you have harsh winter months.
We need to have our system tuned up. We added insulation a couple years ago.
Although we don’t have winter here, I know these are great tips. I love your door mat. I find it sweet.
i’ve never thought about switching providers at this time of year! i’m going to have a look around now lol
Windows and doors can have gaps in them and be heat suckers. I do think programmable thermostats are nice where you only use the heater during certain times of the day that way you save on costs, yet can remain comfortable.
This is great advice for when we become homeowners. Thanks for sharing!
I always check my windows and doors. It is a big deal to me.
We have British gas boiler insurance…my wife and her ex partner had a boiler breakdown over Christmas one year so we have been so vigilant in making sure we don’t have anything go wrong. However, emergency plumber and electrician numbers would come in handy x
As I live in a hot part of Australia I am lucky enough that it never really gets this cold! Hot on the other hand… Its sweltering at the moment and it is not even 8oclock in the morning!
Some simple and effective ideas. Reminded me to get our boiler serviced and gave me the incentive to finally figure out the best way to bleed our underfloor heating.
It is finally starting to get cold around here so I need to start checking out my house to make sure we are prepared. I need a draft stopper for my back door.
I used to do these when I owned my home. I’m now in an apt that used to be an old house and converted into four apt’s. Because it’s an older house, the windows are HORRIBLE! There’s a huge gap in one of them. I now put plastic sheeting over them to keep some semblance of warmth!
Great tips! I agree it’s very important to check your windows.
We don’t have double glazing and our house gets so cold! We need to invest xx
These are great suggestions. We take the time to winter proof our home each and every year. It really pays off.
I will be doing all these things and then some more, I am always cold and struggle to keep warm this time of year. It doesn’t help that my house is rather large so takes some heating up.
Oh no 🙁 I have to admit I’m really cold this year so far – I am so not used to it either which seems to make it worse.
It’s so important to winter proof the home we live in a new build flat but it still gets pretty cold.
I think they often put in the bare essentials when really we could do with more.
For me, it’s remembering to buy heating oil! I totally forgot and went away for a weekend in London leaving my partner and son with no heating. Thankfully we have an open fireplace. So yeah, logs and heating oil lol.
Oh no what a nightmare! Luckily we have gas heating, we should have an electric fire as well but I can’t get it to work without it sounding awful lol.
I need to buy a new draught excluder for my front door, or hang a heavy curtain over it, there is a slight gap at the bottom which creates a right gust of wind x
I definitely need to buy some as well – this place is so much more draughty!
Hmm, we make sure that we get our furnace and duct work cleaned in the summer so when we fire up the furnace in the winter it’s not a dusty mess.
We change out the filters too.
We also make sure to get the outside cleaned so we aren’t tripping over frozen hoses.
Since getting the walls insulated the house is so warm, we have our boiler serviced every few years. Thankfully because my room has the boiler it’s the warmest xo
I think we need to get some more insulation here, it is so cold compared to where we were before.
Great tips, one of the things we do is clean our vents, change the filters and then change their direction for maximum air flow. In the winter we pushed the heat vents down.
Ohh I think we probably need to have a go at the vents, there is more in this place than any other we have lived in.
These are some really great tips! It’s always good to remember that things like heavy curtains and draught excluders really work to keep out the cold too!
I need to try and get my hands on a couple of draft excluders as this place is a lot more drafty. x
Really good advice, I love all your posts like this, so helpful. We learned the hard way how important it is to have good fitted windows, it lets out so much heat. What a difference to have them properly fitted x
It is amazing how ust a little space can really leave you feeling the chill isn’t it.
We just had our gutters cleaned for the first time. The work an found chunks if wood from when the house was built!
Oh wow it is amazing where these builders try and hide things isn’t it!
We always bleed our radiators in time for the Winter months too, good old fashioned draught excluders are helpful also.
It is amazing how the good old things can sometimes be the best things.