As the nights start to draw in and the chunky knit jumpers come out of storage, it’s time to think about how to best prepare your home and garden for winter. With the arrival of colder weather, we’ll all be spending more of our time snuggled indoors, so make sure your space is as cosy and secure as possible – then, all you’ll have to worry about is what to watch next on Netflix.

Ways to get your home winter-ready

Clear gutters

With the autumn leaves falling and stormier winter weather meaning there’s an uptick in rainwater, you’ll want to ensure your gutters aren’t blocked. Clearing them of the usual debris of moss, twigs and leaves means rainwater will drain away from your house and won’t cause any troublesome issues with damp and mould.

Get your boiler serviced

A broken boiler in the midst of a frosty spell is everyone’s worst nightmare, so take some time to ensure yours is in good working order. Test out your heating if you haven’t had it turned on since earlier in the year, and if necessary get in a professional (ensure they are a Gas Safety registered engineer) to give everything a service for ultimate peace of mind.

Check smoke/carbon monoxide alarms

With the heating and hot water being used more, and log burners and fires merrily crackling away, it’s especially important that all your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working as they should be. Test them out, replace the batteries and update any units if necessary – smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms every 5-10 depending on the model.

Bleed radiators

After a while out of action, you might find when testing out your heating that your radiators are cold at the top and hot at the bottom. This means there’s air trapped in the system which prevents the hot water circulating properly. To bleed your radiators you’ll need to turn off the heating, locate the bleed valve and, using a bleed key, turn it 180º anticlockwise. Once the air has been released, it’ll start to drip water (keep a towel handy!) at which point you can close the valve.

Insulate your loft

You know the old adage: hot air rises. If your loft isn’t insulated, up to a quarter of the heat you’ve accumulated in your home will be lost through the roof. As well as keeping your house toasty, adding loft insulation will also bring down your energy bills, so it’s a win-win fix.

Draught-proof

If you live in an older or period property, it’s likely to be a bit draughtier than your average new build. Investing in heavier, lined curtains for winter – particularly in rooms you want to be cosy, like lounges and bedrooms – will stop draughts creeping in from windows. Draught excluders are also a handy fix for the bottom of doors so your toes can remain toasty no matter how miserable it gets outside.

Stock up on firewood/oil

If you have an open fire or a log burner, you’ll want to make sure you have a good supply of kindling and wood dried out and ready for burning. Stock up well in advance and you won’t have to panic when a cold snap arrives. Similarly, if you have an oil tank, make sure this is topped up early to avoid the peak winter prices.

8 ways to prep your garden for winter/spring

Tidy up borders & flowerbeds

The high volume of rain followed by bouts of sun this summer meant most plants and flowers grew like mad – but sadly so did the weeds. Have a good tidy up by pulling up any pesky weeds and digging up annual plants that are past their best. Put in some hardy winter plants such as pansies, heathers and cyclamen to fill any gaps so you’ll enjoy a splash of colour throughout the dingier days.

Feed the soil

If you want healthy, thriving plants come spring, it’s a wise idea to feed the soil now so you have the perfect base for more planting next year. After you’ve had a good weed and tidy up, either use store-bought or homemade compost and spread a generous layer on the top of your borders and flowerbeds. Don’t worry about digging it in – let the worms do that for you!

Clean & store/secure garden furniture

We’ve all seen news reports after winter storms that feature trampolines and wheely bins flying off into the distance. To prevent this happening, this is the time of year to give all your outdoor furniture a good clean and then either store it safely away so it’s still in good condition next year, or secure it so it won’t end up in someone else’s garden in a strong wind.

Re-felt shed roof

If you’ve got a shed and the felt on the roof has seen better days, it’s a good idea to re-felt it before more inclement weather sets in. This will protect the contents of your shed and means you won’t be met with rusty garden tools and mouldy deck chair fabrics come spring.

Deadhead, prune & plant

Dig out your secateurs and deadhead/prune any perennial plants with flowers that are dead or looking scruffy. Autumn is also an ideal time of year to plant bulbs ready for spring and summer, especially those that will flower early on to give you a much-needed burst of colour such as crocuses, daffodils and irises.

Put up bird feeders

If you don’t already have bird feeders up in your garden, this is a good time of year to support your garden’s winged visitors, whose food sources will become scarcer over the colder months. Not only will you be doing your bit for the local wildlife, you’ll enjoy watching their trips to your garden from your window. It’s also a good opportunity to teach little ones (and older ones!) about the different species.

Protect outside taps

Similar to your hot water pipes indoors, outside taps are prone to damage from frost and ice. If you can’t isolate your garden tap, simply insulate any exposed pipes and fit a tap cover to protect it from the harsher weather.

Give your lawn some TLC

If weeds and moss have also accumulated in your lawn, take the opportunity to tackle them while it doesn’t need cutting as much. Use weed killer treatments and rake up any thatch and moss before applying lawn feed to prepare your grass for the winter months. This is also an ideal time of year to lay new turf, giving it time to bed in and establish before summer.