When Winter Comes Knocking - Look After Your Home This Christmas

Posted by Greenslade Taylor Hunt on 14th December 2021 -

Ah, Winter. What’s not to love? The festive season arrives, spending evenings cozied up to the fire, and even the odd snow day (if you’re lucky).

It could almost make you forget about broken boilers, storms battering our gardens and soggy socks. Almost, but not quite.

We’re here to give you a couple of pointers on how to look after your home when winter comes knocking.

Batten down the hatches!
Let’s be honest, how many of us have woken up after the nights’ storm to find something strange in our garden? A chair that’s not yours? A washing line? A trampoline?!

As the weather begins to turn, it’s worth bringing in anything that’s not fixed. If you don’t have the space to spare indoors, consider investing in some weather-proofing or covers for your garden furniture, and weigh it down with some heavier items.

Avoid the damp
We don’t just mean outdoors – many homes face damp in the wetter months. While this can be down to a lot of reasons, a common issue is overflowing guttering.

With the leaves falling and the rain following, our gutters can be prone to clog, causing water to find a way inside our homes instead of being drained away. Cleaning out a gutter is a lot cheaper than fixing damp.

MOT the boiler
Better to be safe than sorry, they say, and that’s definitely true when it comes to the boiler. Don’t get caught out during the coldest months, get your boiler serviced by a professional as soon as possible to have the peace of mind that you’ll be kept cosy all winter.

Going away this Christmas? Don’t forget to leave your heating on a timer to come on at least once a day. If pipes are left to freeze, they can burst when you return home and switch on the heating.

Sweep your chimney
For homes with open fireplaces or wood burners, it’s vital to maintain the chimney. A build-up of soot can lead to toxic gasses being flushed into your living spaces, and is also a fire risk.

This is a job best done earlier in the autumn, but be sure to do it before you start relying on your fires to keep you warm.

BONUS TIP – Power Cuts!
It’s not news that the winter can bring about more power cuts caused by a storm battering. While many outages are resolved quickly, some take longer. The earlier sunset and colder weather also mean power cuts can cause more discomfort in the winter.

Familiarize yourself with what to do in a power cut - check the location of your fuse box, stash away conveniently placed torches, and know who to call or where to report a power cut.