When temperatures start to drop outside, you get the first cue to start cozying up your home for wintertime. You start stocking up on high-quality blankets and throws, as well as tons of cute socks to prepare for the many nights you will spend indoors to shelter yourself from the chilly weather. Most people have a checklist put in place to start working on ahead of the colder months. Important and critical tasks like fixing any broken windows, maintenance checks for water pipes, and heating will save you the hassle if you get them done as soon as possible because we all know that during the winter, we get into full hibernation mode and do not get much done even though we want to.
To save yourself from the mental stress, check out some ideas below that you can incorporate into your personal checklist to prepare your home for winter:
Take a Look at Your Roof
Inspect your rooftop for any broken or chipped tiles. You do not want to risk any inexplicable cold drafts; or worse, rainwater dripping on your head while you are sound asleep. If you are not that good of a handyperson, then do not risk going up to your roof and winging it; it is better to contact a professional roofer to come to take a look and do whatever is needed.
Install a Fireplace
If you do not have a fireplace, or if you just moved into a new house and don’t have one installed, you’d better do it now. Apart from its functionality, a fireplace will add warmth and coziness to your home like nothing else. If you do not know what to look for in a fireplace, reviewers at https://www.fireplacelab.com/ recommend weighing the pros and cons of the different kinds and brands of fireplaces you browse to find the right one that suits your needs. That said, you can also purchase electric fireplaces that don’t require a professional to install.
Carpet Your Floors
Carpeting your floors will bring comfort and warmth to your home. Luckily, you do not need a considerable sum of money for this renovation since you will only need to carpet your bedroom and the living room. You will be thankful when you wake up early in the morning to step out of your warm bed onto the luscious carpet. You will also be more encouraged to comfortably walk barefoot, which will maintain the cleanliness of your home. Choose high-quality hypoallergenic carpets if you want to feel like you are walking on clouds. These kinds also provide the much-needed warmth in the cold.
Send Your Patio Furniture to the Storage
Even if you live somewhere where it does not rain often, strong winds can still blow away your chairs and cause serious damage to your garden flowers. Accordingly, it is better to stow everything away until the sunshine reappears. If you do not have any storage space, you can cover the chairs and tables with protective layers made of waterproof material and then pin everything in place.
Call the Plumber
Call your plumber to insulate any exposed water pipes around your home with a rubber insulator specifically designed for pipes. This will prevent your pipes from freezing during the winter, which can cause some serious problems to your whole plumbing system. Ask the plumber to check around and fill any gaps that might allow cold air inside your home and freeze the water pipes.
Find Winter-Food Recipes
After you are done with all of the hard work of preparing your home for the winter, it is time to embrace the fun side of the season. You can prepare hearty winter food recipes like soups, steak, mashed potatoes, hot spaghetti, and thick stews, as well as delicious hot beverages. Look for inspiration on Pinterest and YouTube cooking channels to always be ready to whip some yummy meal for your Sunday family dinners. Being at home will keep you motivated to try out new dishes and get creative in the kitchen since the idea of taking the kids out to eat when it is freezing outside will not be that tempting.
With snow and rain setting the backdrop for a winter wonderland, winter can be so magical. However, from what you see above, you cannot underestimate how bothersome this season can be if you are not well prepared. Work on your winter checklist beforehand and start scheduling for any appointments that you may need. Once you have all of the tasks listed and crossed off, you will be unfazed when everyone around you starts fretting that “winter is coming.”