This is the time of year when you just about have time to improve the look of the outside of your house before the bad weather hits. During wintertime, you might have snowstorms, rain, hail and wind – but right now, it probably isn’t too bad yet. Use this opportunity to walk around the outside of your home to take a look at what you could improve, and make some changes to update your home ready for the festive season.
Improve Your Front Yard
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Make sure you rake the leaves off your lawn – this time of year can be extremely beautiful but trees tend to leave a lot of debris around! Make sure you have all your winter plants in place – vegetables that grow well in winter include broad beans and asparagus. Make sure that your lawn and shrubbery are all cut back neatly – not only will this make your home look neat, but ensuring that your shrubbery doesn’t cover the doors or windows will also deter intruders. If you want to get a big job done, look at the condition of your paths and driveway. If they’re crumbling or suffering from unsightly osmotic blistering, consider having them redone before the weather gets harsher. Make sure you enjoy your yard this winter.
Clean Out Your Gutters
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Make sure that your gutters are clear of the leaves that have collected there during fall in order to stop you having to get them repaired at great cost in the future. If they become broken or clogged, it can result in leaks, which can end up inflicting structural damage on your home and giving you and your family an unsafe damp environment to live in. The best way to check and clean your guttering is to call in the professionals. If you want to do it yourself, make sure you have gloves, bags, sealant to close up any cracks in the pipes, and someone very reliable to hold your ladder!
Repaint Your Front Door
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Make sure your door is shiny and repainted. Not only will this give you a great sense of pride in the appearance of your home and a perfect setting for your Christmas wreath, but well-maintained front doors also often deter opportunistic thieves from approaching your front door. Make sure your locks are also shining and in good condition. On the inside, make sure that there are no draughts coming through your door. If there are, invest in a draught excluder. You could also hold up a candle to window frames – if it flickers, chances are there are cracks and draughts, so ensure that you get those fixed before the weather gets too cold.
Check Your Roof
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Make sure that your roof isn’t missing any tiles. Over the winter, missing or broken tiles are a much bigger issue than they are during the summer. Rain hammering down on an imperfect roof might cause leaks, which could cause a lot of water damage to your home. In addition, it’s a lot harder to repair your roof over the winter – with wind, rain and ice it makes it considerably more dangerous to get up there on a ladder.
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