5 ways to prepare your home for winter

Winter is a tough time for houses. Not only do the shorter and colder days mean we spend a lot more time in our homes, but the adverse weather conditions can take a toll.

Winter is a tough time for houses. Not only do the shorter and colder days mean we spend a lot more time in our homes, but the adverse weather conditions can take a toll.

So, as the coldest season creeps ever nearer, we’ve put together some home advice for winter to help you prepare.

Book a boiler service

If you haven’t already sorted it, it’s not too late to get a boiler and central heating system check-up — before it gets really cold!

Head to the Gas Safe website to find a registered gas engineer. A service will cost you in the region of £80.

Boiler cover can save you hundreds of pounds if your boiler breaks down, and many plans also include an annual service, so if you don’t already have cover, it might be something to consider. Price comparison sites are a good place to start.

Check your pipes

Cracked pipes are a winter nightmare that no homeowner wants to deal with. Cold weather can cause your pipes to freeze and eventually the pressure will lead to cracks and leaks, and even floods.

To ensure your pipes don’t freeze, keep your central heating maintained at a low level, even when you’re not at home. Make sure any exposed pipes are insulated with lagging to protect them from the cold.

Clear your gutters

Family homes in Leeds are popular because of their leafy surrounds, but trees can prove to be particular hazard in wintertime, blocking up gutters with fallen leaves, which in turn can cause water to leak onto the sides of your house. Not only that, if blocked water freezes, it can expand and cause cracks in your guttering.

Before the cold weather sets in, get a tall ladder and a pair of thick gloves and clear your gutters from leaves and other debris. Check there are no tree branches overhanging your guttering and cut any that are. You may need to call in a professional to tackle this job.

Bleed your radiators

Central heating is more or less constantly on during the winter, so you want to make sure that your radiators are working as efficiently as possible.

Trapped air in radiators stops the hot water from flowing around, meaning that your home won’t be heated as quickly. It will cost you more in energy bills as you’ll need to have the heating on longer.

Radiators should be bled every year, but to check whether you need to bleed them, turn the heating on and feel the tops. If they’re a lot cooler than the bottom section, or they’re entirely cold, they will need bleeding.

Make sure to switch your central heating off before bleeding, to avoid boiling water bursting out. Start with the downstairs radiators first and always use a radiator key rather than pliers.

Check your home insurance cover

As we’ve discussed, winter is when a lot of things can go wrong in the home. Broken-down boilers, cracked pipes and flooding, blocked drains and roof damage from extreme weather are all hazards that can affect your home during the winter.

Home contents insurance doesn’t automatically cover these incidents, so if you want to make sure you’re protected, you may want to take out home emergency cover as well.

 

Getting your house winter-ready to sell? We’ve been selling family homes in Leeds for over 20 years and have lots of expertise to offer. Just get in touch and we’ll be happy to help with the sale of your property.

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