5 Top Tips for Making Your Home Warmer This Winter

Let’s face it, not all homes are built particularly warm, so knowing these hacks to stay warm and dry will make a big difference to your comfort, health and utility bills this winter.

Update your window dressings

Curtains are critical for helping to keep heat in. Keep them closed at night – pull them once the sun goes down to act as a form of insulation to keep the warmth from the day’s sunlight from escaping. For this reason it’s also important to let the sunlight in during the day. Even on cold days, letting sunlight into your home will make a difference – delivering light and warmth also helps to remove some of the moisture from your home. This is particularly important in those sun-trap parts of your home where the sun streams in for good portions of the day. If you’re really feeling the cold, it’s a good idea to invest in thicker curtains – these will generally have what is called a thermal backing, which better act to prevent warmth from leaving the room, while keeping the cooler air from window glass out. These gorgoeous EziBuy Velvet Pencil Pleat Curtains in Navy or Silver will add luxe and warmth, $279.99.

On the topic of windows, make sure you don’t have any gaps or cracks around your window joinery, as they’ll cause cold draughts that will really effect the warmth of the room.

Close up the space

Heating up a whole house can be fruitless, not to mention costly. Make things easier by closing doors so that your heating supply only has to work to keep certain rooms toasty warm. For example, if there are rooms that you spend more amount of time in – your living room, your bedroom or your office, close these doors and have a heating source in there – it will heat up in no time. If you have open plan living spaces, you can still use room dividers. It may not seem like much, but any barrier that keeps air from escaping straight away will do its bit to help keep things warmer.

Move your sofa

It might feel warm and toasty to have the heater right in front of your favourite seat in the house, but it’s actually doing you a disservice, as it’s absorbing up all the heat that should be warming your home instead. By repositioning it, it will allow the hot air to circulate freely. The same goes for any other furniture and also clothes drying racks – keep them away from radiators or heaters so that the rest of the rooms stands a chance.

Cover up

You don’t want to have to keep your heating going all night – there’s nothing worse than waking up to a room that is roasting, but it is still important to stay cosy and warm so you have a good night’s sleep. Making sure your bed linen is warm and toasty is not just a luxury, but also a necessity! Flannelette sheets are amazing to climb into on a cold night, and will keep your temperature regulated throughout your sleep. Keep a throw on the end of the bed for those night’s where you need an extra layer – not only a practical but also stylish addition to the bedroom! EziBuy Flannelette Sheet Set, from $59.99 or EziBuy Nile Faux Fur Throw $99.99.

Use your fan

It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you have a fan in your home, it doesn’t need to be left dormant in winter. Many fans have a ‘winter’ setting, which actually reverses the fan, and as heat rises, the fan will push the heat back down (or around) the room, rather than leaving it trapped in the ceiling. This is particularly useful if you have high or sloped ceilings. Only try this on a very low speed, as you certainly don’t want it to be cooling the air instead.