6 Ways to prepare Your Home for Winter

Winter is for hot soups, sleep-ins, and watching movies snuggled-up on the couch. But to enjoy those pleasures without guilt, first, you need to make sure your home is prepared for the coldest and darkest season. The start of winter brings an opportunity to get your home in order – ensuring it’s warm and cosy. Here are six ways to prepare your home so you can enjoy a warm winter.

1. Seal in the heat

One window crack the width of a 20 cent coin doesn’t look like it would let much heat out, but combine all the window cracks in your home and you have a hole the size of a basketball that heat is escaping through. Studies show that this costs between 14% and 26% of your heating bill.

Some older homes are prone to developing these gaps in the windows. If you find a window gap with the width of a 20 cent coin or larger, it needs to be caulked. Use a silicone-based caulking agent that will stand up to the winter elements and you can save up to a quarter of your heating bill.

When you build a new McDonald Jones Home, you’re investing in the finest building materials, tradespeople and architectural designs. Our team ensures that your home remains comfortable in every season and for many years to come, without the need for handiwork. If you feel the cold more than some, you can always use heavy curtains and close off rooms that aren’t in use. This will help to keep even more heat inside your home.

2. Boost your lighting

Winter months mean there is less daylight, which can leave your home and your family feeling gloomy and dim. Every McDonald Jones architecturally designed home is created to make the most of free flowing, open plan living space, ensuring an abundance of natural light is welcomed in.

However, you can add to the bright, warm and inviting feel of your home by improving your home’s lighting.

First, check the quality of your light bulbs. If they are not emitting enough light to adequately illuminate the room they’re in - replace them. This will brighten your home and give a warm and positive feeling. If replacing the globes doesn’t work you need to take a more substantial approach.

Many of the home designs at McDonald Jones incorporate interior, square set windows in the floor plan to help lighten up rooms, such as between the main living areas and the children’s activity room. Other elements such as doors with inset windows, standard sliding doors, glass bi fold doors out onto the alfresco and installing task lighting or uplights will help boost the mood and abundance of light in each room.

3. Clean out your gutters

Falling leaves in autumn block gutters, and if they’re left there, prevent your drainage system from working properly. That leads to leaks and costly water damage.

So once the autumn leaves stop falling, grab a ladder and your gardening gloves, and remove everything clogging your gutters - whether it’s a leaf, twig or grime. Once you clear your gutters, check your drainage system by running water through it.

4. Reverse your ceiling fans

In summer, your fan runs counter-clockwise - pulling hot air upwards and away from you. In winter, you can reverse this effect. Flip your ceiling fan’s switch to run clockwise as this creates an updraft and pushes hot air down and towards you.

Hot air rises, so bringing it back down will keep you warmer and save your heating system from overworking.

5. Warm rooms with colour

As winter is the darkest season, counteract this with more colours in your home to provide a refined balance between light and dark. Bright accessories such as pillows, vases and light fixtures, bed spreads, and feature walls will add a splash of colour to your home.

If you’re not sure which colour to choose - take a look in your closet. The clothes you enjoy wearing are good indicators of the colours you will enjoy in your home. And remember, the more open your floor plan, the more your colouring should maintain a constant theme.

6. Heating Maintenance

Hire a technician to inspect your heating system. Heaters sometimes operate inefficiently. If you get them serviced at the start of winter the money you save on heating will pay for the technicians visit. Furthermore, their inspection will ensure you have a safe home for you and your family.

If you follow these six steps, your home will be winter-proof and ready to handle the wild elements while you stay cosy inside with a warm and bright decor.

To build a home that’s designed for all seasons, simply turn to the experts at McDonald Jones Homes.