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.
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.