With winter fast approaching, now is a great time to prepare your home and property for wintery conditions. While snow and ice aren’t of huge concern in Australia, rain and cooler weather can have an adverse affect to the condition of your home. Here are a few preparations you can take to ensure your home survives the winter.
Clean Out the Gutters
Over summer and throughout autumn, leaves and debris from trees will accumulate in your gutters and clog drain pipes. Before the winter rains start, it’s a good idea to clean out your gutters as a clogged pipe can cause water to flow back into your house. It is also best to keep all damp leaves away from your house as this can cause mildew build up and compromise the foundation of your house.
Check Your Insurance
Because mother nature’s destruction can have an expensive price tag attached to it, making sure that your home owner’s insurance is up to date and covers you in the case of natural emergencies, is important. Think about projects that you worked on during the summer that may need additional insurance or will add extra value to your property – perhaps you installed a new back fence or a garage. You should contact your insurance company or consider Budget Direct building insurance as a low cost option to cover your home and other valuables.
Do a Winter Throw Out
Not only will you have branches, leaves and other plant debris to toss out before winter arrives, this is also a good time to clean out that shed or spare room. Make a plan to either sell, throw out or donate any extra items that you own but no longer need. Winter is a difficult time for many in lower socio-economic situations; now is a great opportunity for you to help out someone in need. Donating rugs, food, clothing or other house hold items through charities is a great way to clean out the house and help the less fortunate. Your local council can provide information on how to donate to local charities.
Check Your Heaters
Before the winter chill really hits, it’s a good idea to check the safety and cleanliness of your heaters. After a summer in storage, heaters can fill with dust and become potential fire hazards. Check that your heaters are not faulty or unsafe. There are safety checks on electrical goods at local shopping centres, where you can bring in your appliances and have someone check if they are still safe to use.
Block the Drafts
Many homeowners and renters spend loads of money and energy heating their homes without ensuring that their house is well sealed. A gap under a door or around a window can bring in cold air and can make heating your home less efficient. Check for any gaps now and seal them before winter arrives.
Nothing beats when you prepare for a freezing winter. My husband always check everything is ready before the winter. He usually do it in the fall. I am enjoying the summer and am not looking for the winter 🙁 Thank you for these helpful tips.
These are great tips. It’s very important to clean the gutters before winter.
thanks for the tips. these will come in handy for the coming winter.
Helpful tips and really needed reminders when winter season sets in.
These are all great tips which is very useful for those places having winter season.
we don’t really have trees around us so we are clear from the debris on the gutters and pipes.
I am just glad we don’t live in a country where there’s winter! I hate it, it depresses me.
We always prepare to look for wood before the winter begins. It is a hard work splitting the wood, cutting and stacking it 🙁 but no choice but to help the husband 🙂
These are all very good tips! 🙂
I would so love to experience winter one day. 😛
It’s really good t start preparing early! Nice tips!