Top five home maintenance tips for winter

In anticipation of the winter months to come, preparing your home and perhaps doing a bit of extra maintenance throughout should be a consideration to ensure you and your house are winter-ready. Although you likely take care of your home throughout the whole year, the cold winter elements can carry with them some additional dangers which may require an extra keen eye to minimise any issues.

With the colder months slowly approaching, this blog will cover some of our top home maintenance tips to make sure that your house is prepared for the weather to come.

Take measures to avoid damp

Whilst damp can accumulate within a property throughout the entire year, the colder air throughout winter can make walls, ceilings and other fixtures more prone to excess moisture. However, there are measures you can take to decrease your chances of it accumulating.

Whilst opening windows and using extractor fans throughout the property will help excess moisture to escape, it’s also a good idea to keep your home at a suitably warm temperate throughout the colder months to help regulate moisture. This can help prevent the build-up of damp, which could form into mould if left untreated. It may also be a good idea to wipe down excess moisture on and around windows to prevent rot.

Check your roof

In anticipation of the windy and rainy weather that often comes as part of the winter package, ensuring the roof of your home is prepared for the elements is certainly something to consider – especially if it hasn’t been inspected in a while.

Keep an eye out for any broken or cracked tiles on the roof of your house. Fixing any defects before winter is in full swing is likely to benefit your home and even save money in the long run should the problem get worse in the event of poor weather.

Maintain the garden

Your garden can take a beating throughout the winter months, especially when facing high winds, rain and possibly snow. Checking over your garden before the winter is in full effect may save you time and money later on, so it should make its way on to your maintenance checklist.

Inspect garden fences (both at the front and back of the property) and trees for any damages from storms, which could pose themselves as a potential hazard. You may also want to consider storing loose items in the garden (such as trampolines and toys) in a safe place, so they can avoid being thrown around by the wind.

Consider servicing your boiler

Our boilers quite literally can be considered our lifelines throughout the cold months, so it’s important to make sure its fit to see us through the winter.

If your boiler hasn’t been serviced for a while (perhaps within the last year), consider booking one in before winter comes into full effect. Your boiler is quite possibly the last thing you would want to break down on you during this period, so don’t leave it until it’s too late to fix any issues it may have.

Clear and repair drains and guttering

Drains and guttering throughout the exterior of a home can often be overlooked, with maintenance often being untaken once a visible and immediate problem arises. Checking them beforehand, especially during the rainy winter is likely to prevent these kinds of issues presenting themselves at a bad time.

With the Autumn leaves having fallen, check for any blockages in your drains and guttering which may have accumulated as a result. Blocked drains can cause havoc if left untreated, such as causing water to leak into the house, damp and more. They can also present themselves as a hazard as they may collapse under the pressure of the water, or other material causing the blockages – so make sure to maintain them throughout the winter.

We hope our tips will help to keep your home in tip-top condition during the colder months! If you need any general property advice or are thinking of selling your home – do get in touch with us here.