7 Ways To Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather

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Although summer is just coming to an end, it’s time to start planning ahead when it comes to prepping your home for autumn and winter. 

Whilst you may feel as though you’re prepared in terms of keeping your house warm, you need to consider how you’re going to be looking after the exterior of your home. 

With bad weather and cold temperatures, the outside of your home needs just as much attention as the inside. Whether that means thinking about your roofing or replacing your windows, you need to be as prepared as you can be when the temperature starts to drop. With that in mind, here are 7 ways to look after the exterior of your house during winter. 

Consider How You're Going To Look After Your Garden 

One of the hardest things to do during the winter is looking after your garden space. 

The bad weather makes it almost impossible to stay on top of cutting your lawn and as soon as the temperature drops, you’re going to notice a lot of your flowers and plants do the same too. Although it may seem impossible to look after your garden, there are a number of different things you can do to ensure the winter damage is at a minimal. 

There are lots of tips and tricks when it comes to looking after your garden during winter, so have a Google for how to care for your specific plants.  It depends on what exactly you’re growing and where you are, but it’s important to...you know...no murder your plants when it gets colder

Protect Your Home from the Cold

Another way to ensure the exterior of your house is in good condition when the cold weather hits is to make sure you have strong and sturdy windows. 

Although most new-build houses will come with double glazing already installed, there are still a number of houses that need to make the switch. If you’re unsure of the benefits it can bring, here are a number of reasons you should be switching to double glazing this winter. 

If you’re worried about drafts getting in your house elsewhere, you can always get some super cheap draft blockers that you can install yourself.  These will not only keep your home warmer, but they’ll also keep your heating bills down.

Not sure if your house even needs help?  This bad boy is the coolest gadget I’ve seen in a while.  You can literally point and shoot to see if you have any thermal leaks that need handling.  (Very useful and you hear the Mission Impossible theme song in your head while you use it.)

Protect High-Value Items During The Bad Weather

If you have high-value items in your yard (or anywhere outside your house) you need to ensure you’re doing everything you can to protect them during the winter. 

Whether that means bringing them inside or covering them up, this should be one of the first things you do when you notice an obvious drop in temperature. 

Think About Your Roofing And Tiles

Another important thing to consider when it comes to looking after the exterior of your house this winter is your roofing and tiles. Although they may be in good condition now, it’s important you’re keeping an eye on them during bad weather. If you do need to replace any, you might want to consider looking into a roofing company like DNA Roofing & Siding, or whoever might be roofing experts in your area. 

Get Rid of Trash Before the Bad Weather Hits

Although it may not be intentional, you may find that your yard becomes a bit of a storage ground during the winter. 

Whether you’re storing old cardboard boxes or furniture you need to get rid of, it’s important you’re getting rid of them before it starts to drop in temperature. Not only will this prevent it from freezing over but it will also prevent it from becoming mouldy and damp. 

Nothing is quite as gross as a pile of stuff you stored over the summer, forgot about over the winter, then have to de-gunk after a season of being snowed upon and thawed repeatedly.

Prepare for Severe Weather Warnings

If you know there is going to be a lot of bad weather, you need to ensure you’re preparing as best you can. 

Whether that means bringing your belongings inside or weighing things down, the more prepared you can be the better. If you don’t have time to make arrangements before the bad weather arrives, make sure you’re managing the situation as best you can. 

Take a look at the most common types of severe weather for your area (floods, storms, and hailstorms...oh my) and make a quick emergency preparedness kit for whatever situation you are most likely to encounter.

Hire Help If Needed

Finally, if you think you’re not in the best position to look after the exterior of your house during winter, you might want to consider hiring help. 

Although they won’t be able to do everything for you during the bad weather season, they will be able to help you keep on top of the jobs you’re unable to do. Whilst it might be pricey, it’s a great way to ensure you’re not facing any major damage at the start of spring. 

If you do face major damages to the exterior of your house during the winter, it’s important to know that you should be contacting a professional right away. The longer you leave an issue, the harder it is going to be to fix. 

Do you need to prepare the exterior of your house for winter? What can you do to ensure it's protected?  Let me know your own tips for preparing for cold weather in the comments.  What’s the worst you face in your area?