Home Hacks to Keep You Warm this Winter

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As the days get a little colder and the nights get a little longer, we inevitably start to think about heating up our homes for the winter. While it might not be time to turn your heating up just yet, there are many things you can do to prepare your home for the oncoming cold. By following these tips, you can make sure that your home retains more warmth and heats up easier, which will save you money as well as keeping you cosy all year round.

Do an Insulation Audit 

We all know about getting free cavity wall and loft insulation, but there are actually many places in your home that could be letting heat out without you knowing. Before the cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to do an audit of your home, looking for any holes or gaps that could be creating a draught. Frequent offenders include damaged door frames, holes in exterior walls, chimneys, single-glazed windows and loft doors. Make a list of any and all places that you think could be better insulated, and then do some research on how you can fix the problem. Placing weatherstripping on door frames, making sure windows are always locked, and covering single glazing with plastic film are all simple ways to improve insulation in your home. Open chimneys can also be insulated using a chimney balloon, which prevents heat from escaping when the chimney is not in use. This could make a big difference to the temperature of your home in the middle of winter.

Keep Living Spaces Small 

One unfortunate fact about open-plan living spaces is that they are much more difficult to heat. Smaller rooms heat up quicker and are often better at retaining heat, providing that they have good insulation. This is why it is advisable to close the doors in your home when you want to heat it up, and to keep them closed when possible. If you prefer an open living space in summer but want the option of creating a smaller space in the winter, you could install internal bifold doors, which allow you to completely change the size of your rooms at the drop of a hat. This could be an ideal option if you’re looking for ultimate flexibility when it comes to the layout of your home. We recently added bifold doors between the kitchen and living room which have made such a difference to the space, it feels so cosy now!

Bake Off 

Ever noticed how hot in can get in the kitchen when you’re baking? In the winter you can use this to your advantage by leaving the open door open when you’ve turned it off, thereby letting the heat escape into your home instead of being sucked out by an extractor fan.  It's an excellent way to harvest the heat you’ve already got and potentially save money in the process.

Get Some Rays 

Many of us forget that the sun is indeed still around during winter and that we can use it to our advantage. The sun’s rays can have a surprising impact on the temperature of a room with large windows, especially on that is south facing. To make sure that you let the sun in, keep the curtains open in rooms that get a lot of sunlight. While this might go against the accepted wisdom that you should close curtains to keep your home warm, the heat from the sun will have a much larger impact than your curtains will. Once the sun has gone, close the curtains to keep the heat in and make the most of energy that is completely free and natural.

Upgrade Your Thermostat 

An inefficient or old-fashioned thermostat can prevent you from getting the most out of your central heating. If yours doesn’t have a programmable function that allows you to keep your home at a constant temperature, or change it depending on the time of day, then it’s likely that you’re wasting both heat and money. Luckily, high tech thermostats are no longer expensive, and many can even be controlled using an app on your phone or tablet. Taking advantage of this means that you can make sure your home is warm when you get home from work, and that you can change your thermostat timer remotely to suit your schedule.

I'm definitely more of a 100 blankets kind of person rather than putting the heating on! Are you? Do you have any winter home tips? 

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