How to make your home "winter fit"

Online lettings platform lettingaproperty.com recently shared tips for landlords on getting their properties ready for winter. Now, the firm is sharing its advice more widely, to ensure that all homeowners can get their properties “winter fit” before the next cold snap hits. Jonathan Daines, Founder and CEO of lettingaproperty.com advises:

“Preparing a property for winter can prevent problems cropping up throughout the colder months. Doing so not only ensures your home stays cosy all winter long, it can also help you avoid unexpected bills and disruptive, stressful emergencies. Not to mention long waits if you have to call out a heating engineer at their busiest time of the year.”

Here's everything you need to know, to make your home fit for winter.

It’s a good idea as a homeowner—and a legal requirement as a landlord—to have your boiler serviced once a year. However, even if your boiler was serviced a few months back, it’s still worth having an engineer give it a bit of TLC before the winter weather really kicks in. Doing so ensures that everything is working as it should be, ready for you to put your boiler through its paces, and hopefully avoiding any eye-watering callout charges as a result.

Remember to check your outside flue as well, to make sure it’s not blocked. And if you don’t already have a carbon monoxide detector fitted, get one as soon as you have a chance, so that you have an immediate heads up of any leaks. 

When it starts getting cold outside, it's important to make sure your home stays warm. One way to do that is by making sure your heating oil tank is full. That way, you have enough fuel to keep your heater running all winter long.

Now, you might be thinking, how can you refill your heating oil tank? It's easy! Contact a heating oil company in your area. However, if you run out of fuel, don’t worry!  Companies like Romeo's Fuel often provide convenient online emergency oil deliveries on short notice. And that’s not all! They also provide convenient and affordable oil tank monitoring service right from your smart phone.     

When did you last bleed your radiators? Doing so once a year can ensure they operate more efficiently. You’ll end up with a toastier house and potentially lower energy bills, as well.

You can tell if a radiator needs bleeding by feeling all over it when your heating is on. If it has cooler patches at the bottom than the top, it’s likely you have air trapped in the system. Bleeding your radiators—a simple process that takes just a few minutes—should be done at the start of every winter to release any trapped air.

The cost-of-living crisis saw many households wait longer before turning heating on last year. For some, however, this was a painful false economy. Figures from Zurich UK show that the average cost of repairing water damage caused by burst pipes was £12,791 in 2022. That’s a significant increase compared to 2021, when the average cost was just £8,663. Data from the Association of British Insurers backs up the finding. It observed a 15 per cent increase in claims relating to the escape of water in 2022 compared to 2021.

Leaving your heating off can increase your chances of a pipe bursting, caused by the water in the pipe freezing then thawing. The water expands as it freezes, which is what causes the pipe to burst. Then, when the water thaws, it leaks out of the damaged pipe.

To prevent your pipes from bursting, wrap any exposed pipes in protective lagging. If you have outdoor taps, use stop valves to turn off the supply to them over winter, then turn the taps on to drain the pipes and leave them empty over winter.

Remember to protect your pipes even if you go away over winter. Leave the heating on about 10-12°C even when your home is empty, to reduce the risk of returning to a flooded property.

Another great winter prep tip is to caulk the inside and outside of windows before the colder weather really kicks in. Doing so can help prevent air leaks and draughts, keeping warm air in and cold air out. You’ll be warmer and your energy bills could be lower.

Applying window film can help keep heat in your home too, as well as providing a stylish decorative finish that adds to the ambience of the room.

The final tip from lettingaproperty.com is to add rugs to hardwood or tile floors. Doing so helps trap heat and can keep your toes toasty all winter long. The benefits are particularly striking when you climb out of bed in the morning and curl your toes in a plush rug, rather than wincing as they come into contact with an icy cold floor. Rugs also provide plenty of scope for brightening up a room. Opt for machine washable rugs to make life easier.

With these handy tips, you should be ready to stay cosy and warm all winter, no matter how low temperatures dip before the warm sunshine returns in the spring.