The ultimate guide to preparing your home and garden for winter

Prepare your garden for winter weather

From September onwards, the weather begins to change. The evenings draw in darker and we are treated to fiery sunsets full of burnt orange and vibrant pinks. The autumn and winter weather brings with it some additional challenges when it comes to looking after your home. As the end of the growing season approaches, you may find that vegetable beds and areas where flower and crops are grown will need extensive weeding and clearing out. As the plants die off, they can often leave your garden looking dull and messy. Pull up anything that isn't going to come back year upon year, and throw the contents into your garden waste recycling or onto your compost heap if you have one. You can then cover the soil with mesh, or plastic in order to prevent it freezing rock solid during the frosty months ahead. You can still keep a couple of vegetable beds for growing winter veg such as carrots, garlic and onions.

Check your boiler and central heating

Now is the time to start checking that your boiler and central heating are in good working order. This will help to prevent having to call out professionals during one of the busiest times of the year. Bleeding your radiators will help them to work more efficiently by removing any air bubbles that may have been trapped.

Do a deep clean throughout the house

Before it gets too cold, it is a good idea to undertake a big deep clean of the house. This means that when the cold winter months come, you won't have to spend quite as much time on daily chores. Think about cleaning your windows, washing curtains and insulating any areas where you may lose heat. Stylish draught excluders can now be purchased in a variety of different colours and designs and are an inexpensive way to keep the heat in.

Stay on top of any general maintenance issues

Rather than letting general maintenance issues pile up, you may want to ensure that you stay on top of them before the cold weather makes things difficult. A few things to check include:

• Ensure that your guttering is clear and free-flowing - over the year, guttering can become backed up with moss, leaves and general debris. Now is the time to hire a company to clean your gutters for you, or to get the ladder out and do it yourself before the high-winds and freezing temperatures set in.
• Check any outside taps or pipes that may freeze - check any outside pipes or outdoor taps which have the potential to freeze in hard frosts. These can be insulated cheaply and efficiently if required.