The seasonal change is coming and, whether you rent or own your home, you’ll want to be ready for when the chill of winter hits. In order to keep the cold out, there are simple steps you can take to stay nice and toasty.

While it’s important to keep your blinds and curtains open during the day to let that precious sunlight in, closing them at night is a sure-fire way to retain the day’s heat and keep you warm at night. A single pane of glass can lose almost ten times as much heat as the same area of insulated wall.

During winter, using the heater is a fantastic way escape the cold. When heating a room or specific area of your house, closing the doors of unused rooms is an easy way to prevent the loss of heat.

For those using central heating or reverse cycle air conditioner, be sure to clean the filters in the months leading up to winter.

Gas heating units tend to be room specific in the way they heat. Therefore, is important to get the right size gas heater for your home. You want to select the heater that suits your needs. If it's too small, it will not work adequately. Heaters that are too large can be unnecessarily costly.

Gas appliances, like heaters, should have regular maintenance conducted by a licensed gasfitter. If not, they may be a health risk.. To reduce any potential gas safety risks, Consumer Affairs Victoria states you should:

•  Use appliances appropriately and in accordance with the instructions.
• Report any fault or malfunction to your landlord, owner or agent.
• Immediately stop using any appliance that is obviously faulty.
• Allow reasonable access for gas safety checks.
• Do not illegally install, remove or tamper with any gas appliance.

If your home has polished floorboards, the floor can get mighty chilly in winter and even provide a way for the heat to escape.

If you live in a house and have safe access to underneath it, under-floor insulation can be an option. Talk to your property manager about potential installation if the property doesn’t already have it.

If there is no access, then a good set of explorer socks offer an easy option to make sure your feet and toes stay snug on those chilly floorboards.

Similarly, investing in some warm blankets and having them available in your living room is a good way to save on heating bills. Keep the people warm, not the property.

By taking these steps you are ensuring your home will be a warm escape from the cold as the winter approaches.

For reliable information on home improvements and the property market, contact us today. As Australia’s largest independently owned real estate company, Little Real Estate strives to give customers a consistently exceptional level of service and better results.