The days are already getting shorter and the evenings are starting to get chilly. So, now is a good time to get your home prepared for the autumn and winter seasons.
Sort out your warm bedding
Get all of your winter quilts, throws and bedspreads out and check that they are clean and in good repair. It is a wise to do this now so that you have time to get them dry cleaned or washed should you need to. If you do decide to wash them at home bear in mind it can take a couple of days to get them properly dry if you are planning to hang them up outside. Always check the weather forecast for the next few days before putting your quilts through the wash.
Test your boiler
Testing your boiler now will give you time to get it repaired before the cold weather actually arrives. Leaving it until the first cold night is always a mistake. If you do that you are likely to discover that all of the heating engineers in your area are swamped with work. You really do not want to have to suffer through a week or two without heating, when it is really cold.
Book a service
Check the due date for your boiler service and book one if you need to. Do this a couple of weeks in advance, especially if it is due from September onwards. Naturally, heating engineers tend to get very busy between the months of September and March. Therefore, you really do need to get in before the rush.
Servicing your boiler will help you to heat your home more efficiently. In addition, a properly serviced boiler costs a lot less to run. This means that you can potentially afford to turn the thermostat up a degree or two, which will keep everyone warmer.
Check for drafts
Go around your home draft-proofing. Check each door and window. If you use sausage dog style draft excluders get them out and give them a wash. The fact that they are on the floor means that they tend to get a bit grubby.
If you have wooden floors consider laying some large rugs. These will stop drafts coming up through the floorboards.
Consider updating your insulation
It is important to realize that some insulation materials degrade over time. Therefore, you really should periodically check the state of your insulation.
Over time, new insulation products are launched. Therefore, it is worth periodically checking what is available and working out if you could benefit from installing more insulation. You can use the information contained in this article to quickly work out how much money you could save on your heating bills.
If you are planning to upgrade your insulation, getting it done during the summer months should save you a lot of money. Because insulation firms are not as busy at that time of the year they tend to offer more discounts, to drum up more business.
Check the roof and guttering
As well as keeping the warmth in and the cold out you want to keep the rain out. Before the cold weather sets in, get your gutters cleaned and fix any roof tiles that may have come loose. That way your home should remain watertight.
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