January 25, 2022

How to keep your home warm and cosy this winter

Wear Layers

The most obvious! During the winter you will not see me wearing a T-shirt! These days I am mostly wearing a warm comfortable tracksuit or even a Hoodie Blanket which is a godsend at the moment. This type of clothing is allowing me to stay warm and snuggly, despite other people in my home who may be already feeling warm and therefore not having to turn up my thermostat. If this isn’t enough then I always have several warm blankets in my living room available to to add to those layers!

Boiler Upgrade

If you are one those people who immediately turn to the thermostat to give your home some warmth but is finding that it just isn’t doing enough, then consider an upgrade. When we moved into our home 10 years ago (wow that has flown!) we arrived to a fairly new boiler and didn’t need to consider any changes or upgrades. However, I am fully prepared that this is something that we will need to be considering over the next year or two. Our home is a typical 1940’s semi detached, and whilst our home is mostly warm, it can sometimes take quite a while to warm up! If you are finding that your current boiler is not stepping up to the mark, consider a new boiler installation. Bbright is an amazing online service that can support you on your journey of finding you a new boiler, with various options and choices to consider.

Add a porch

One of the main drafts coming into our home was through the front door. So in 2014 we have a porch fitted, allowing some of our warmth to not escape through the front door and to also minimise any draft coming through from the road that we live on. Having a porch fitted has made the world of difference and has meant that any time we need to go out the front door we have that extra door to keep any cold air coming into our home (taking the bins out come to mind!)

Block up drafts

On the subject of drafts and if your budget doesn’t allow for a porch, then consider other ways of blocking up some of your ‘cold areas’. Prior to us having a porch fitted, we had a draft blocker which was a small runner (almost like a cushion) that we would place at the bottom of the front door. I have also seen some homes have a curtain that could also be drawn across the front door or even french doors if you have them. Curtains are a great way of keeping drafts at bay so if you have blinds, consider having some curtains fitted too as an extra layer of warmth. If you already have curtains, have you thought about pinning up some towels to the top of the curtains on cold nights? It really does offer that extra layer of warmth and whilst it may not look the prettiest, it does the job! Velvet is a great thick material but it is expensive! Perhaps check out your nearest supplier for a velvet curtain sale!

Heaters

If you have any particular rooms in your house that don’t hold much heat (like a conservatory in the winter for example) then how about using a heater. Heaters like these are great as they can warm a room up in minutes and if you need to, you can of course just unplug them and move them around the house if needed. There are some fantastic ones on the market that can also act as a fan too in the summer!

Insulation of your attic

Did you know that a lot of heat can be lost through your roof? Insulating your attic or loft can work wonders for maintaining heat inside your home and keeping your home even warmer during the winter months. This of course can save you money on those ever increasing energy bills too! It can be quite easy to insulate a loft as long as you don’t have a flat roof. There are many insulation materials available and they can be cut to size too, making the job far more manageable.

And there you have it! Do you have any other ideas to add to our list of ways to keep your home warm and cosy in the winter? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Thanks for reading xxx