Windows
Did you know, a single pane of glass can lose almost ten times as much heat as the same area of insulated wall? If your home has sash windows and you want to maintain their character as well as keeping warm, you may want to consider adding bespoke secondary glazing. This will copy the window’s structural line and can prevent heat loss by up to 70%. You could also replace the original thin glass with thicker glass to reduce heat loss. If that sounds like too much hard work, make sure you have thick curtains to keep the cold out.
Clear a space to make room for winter coats. Inevitably, your home’s hallway will become a dumping station for larger jackets, coats, boots and scarves as the temperature begins to drop. This is the first space you and your guests see when entering your home and so you should consider adding storage solutions such as hooks behind your door to make it as organised as possible.
If you have a porch that is on view for all to see right at the front of your home, we recommend investing in built-in storage to keep your porch looking neat. Just make sure your porch fits the feel of your home so it doesn’t look like a bulky add-on.
Check the roof
It is important to clear off any debris that has landed on your roof during the summer months. This will also be a good chance to make sure no tiles have blown off or become loose. Just make sure you have a sturdy ladder, a reliable spotter and make sure your shoes have good grip – safety is crucial here!
Keeping your roof in good repair now may well save you serious headaches further down the road.
Gardening
Bulbs can make a beautiful display planted in containers or borders, especially daffodils, snowdrops and tulips in spring. They are one of the easiest and most rewarding garden plants to grow. You should plant spring-flowering and hardy summer-flowering bulbs in autumn to reap the rewards later.
The Royal Horticultural Society recommends planting spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, crocus and hyacinths, by the end of September, planting hardy summer-flowering bulbs, such as lilies, alliums and crocosmia, in September and October and planting tulips in November.
Check your boiler
You may want to consider changing your boiler if it is more than eight years’ old. The older the boiler, the less effective it is at warming your home. According to Sedbuk, the latest estimates suggest that you could save a staggering £652 a year by installing a new boiler. So in short, despite the initial outlay cost, you could save money by being environmentally friendly – win-win!
What is more, you don’t want to wait until winter to replace your boiler as that is when it is most difficult to find an available gas engineer. Imagine if your boiler broke down suddenly in January and you were left without heating or hot water for days on end? These tradespeople also tend to charge a little less in the warmer months than they do in the winter months.
If you have a new boiler, you should still consider servicing it to make sure everything will run smoothly this autumn when the temperatures drop. Regular boiler inspections not only ensure everything’s in working order it can also help keep your energy costs down, saving you money as well.
You’ll thank yourself for planning ahead now when the cooler temperatures set in. These top tips will make your home stay cosy and warm throughout autumn and winter. They will also keep your your home looking beautiful and organised throughout the cooler months and your garden will then burst into life in spring.