Image CreditFall is here, and winter is coming, meaning it’s time to get ready for darker nights and colder weather. Whilst that sounds quite grim, in reality, this season can be one of the cosiest and most romantic seasons of the year – indeed, the prospect of battening down the hatches as the chilling breeze howls at your windows whilst you cuddle up to an open fire, watching your favourite film with some warming soup is one to be savoured.
However, in order to have such a cosy time, there are certain things that need to be taken care of at this time of year. For instance, if you want a nice warm house then now is the time to visit here and sort out replacement windows as drafty windows can be one of the leading causes of heat loss and energy inefficiency.
We often leave home maintenance tasks to the very last minute, for instance, you’ll notice in many stores that it’s only when the snow storms hit that people go out and buy grit or snow shovels whereas it makes much more sense to have this in the garage ready for when it comes.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll want to do around your home and garden to prepare for fall.
- PREPARE YOUR OPEN FIRE
If you’re lucky enough to have an open fire, then you will want to get a chimney sweep to come in an clean it, as if there are any blockages these can cause chimney fires.
The reason to consider doing this task now, rather than later is that everyone puts this off – so there’s an influx of demand when the cold weather hits; meaning you might have to wait for a while before you can safely light your fire. In addition to this, fall can be a great time to gather firewood, so now is the perfect time to gather up fallen branches and chopped down trees so that you can dry it out before using the wood in winter.
- TAKE CARE OF YOUR GARDEN
There are certain things within your garden that are much better to take care of when the temperature and weather is still reasonable. Gardening in these months is much more pleasant than in the wet, cold, dark days of late autumn and there are a number of preventative measures that are worth taking in the run up to the winter weather.
For instance, it would make sense to take care of any broken tree branches now, in order to avert disaster should a storm come. There are also certain plants that need to be planted now, in order to flower for Spring and Summer.
- ORGANIZE YOUR SHED
If you’re anything like most people, your shed is a mess, filled to the brim with all sorts of things that were used in summer – for instance, you might have a paddling pool, bodyboards, wetsuits, and all sorts of other summertime instruments… the last thing you want, if you’re having to go out into the garden in freezing conditions, is to have to plough through loads of stuff to get to the snow shovel or grit that’s kept at the back of the shed. The point, therefore, is not just about clearing out your shed but organising it so that the items you’ll need for winter are easy to access.
- INSULATE YOUR HOME
There’s an idea that you can never have enough insulation within your home, as insulation is what saves a lot of money in the long run… indeed, being more energy efficient not only saves money but also the environment, as the less energy we use the better.
- CHECK YOUR CENTRAL HEATING
It pays to check your central heating before the cold weather strikes, as often we don’t use this for many months in summer, meaning there might be unknown issues – which it pays to resolve when we don’t need the heating on rather than be stuck in an icy cold house. It can be a good idea to bleed your radiators at this time of year too.
In summary, getting your home prepared for fall and winter requires forward planning in order to ensure smooth running when the cold weather does hit. The last thing you want is to be without central heating, or scrambling for winter readiness equipment in a cluttered garage, battling inflatable crocodiles and surfboards to get to the de-icer spray. Therefore, like the scouts and girl guides tell us – we just need to be “prepared”.
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