10 ways to Prepare your home for Autumn/Fall and winter

I was chatting on twitter today with +Emily Davidson  and +Heather Young about preparing our homes for Autumn and the darker nights.  So I decided to share what we do in The Mad House.

1. Bring out the draft excluders - we have a number of them and I am in the process of making an extra large one for the patio doors.
2. Line your curtains - lined curtains keep the cold out much more and make sure you use your curtains - no point in having them if you do not close them when it starts to get dark.
3. We have wooden flooring and at this time of year we lay traditional rugs over them which really makes our home feel warmer.  Carpetright have a great selection of rugs and runners.  
4. Lag your outside tap before winter sets in and turn it off, the last thing you want is for your pipes to freeze
5. Dig out those hot water bottles and pop a blanket on the bottom on everyones beds and also on the settee.
6. Clean any outside lights and check the bulbs, dark nights are drawing in really fast now.  Replace any broken bulbs with LED bulbs as they are much more efficient in the long run.
7. Now is the perfect time to book a boiler service if you haven't.
8. Also check whether you need to switch your gas and electric provider to ensure you are getting the best deal.
9. Cover or bring in to storage outside toys and furniture.  This will prolong their life.
10. Make sure that your drains and guttering is clear of Autumn leaves on a regular basis to make sure that they drain well.  

Cass from Fugal family is also covering preparing for winter today.