WE ARE now half way into the month of October, and winter is just around the corner.

Central heating is being turned on around the country, and summer duvets are being swapped for their warmer counterparts.

There are a number of different ways you can prepare your house for winter before the colder weather really sets in, ensuring you don’t get left out in the cold this year…literally.

Have your boiler checked

When the cold weather kicks in you are going to be relying heavily on your central heating.

It is therefore crucial to get your boiler checked out before you need to use it every day.

Make sure you use a Gas Safe registered engineer when you book a service, and consider investing in boiler cover if you don’t already have it – this will ensure an engineer will quickly attend your home should your boiler break down at any point during the winter.

Get your chimney swept

If you have a working fireplace, then it’s important to maintain it throughout the year.

A dirty chimney is actually quite dangerous as it could potentially catch on fire each time you light a fire beneath it.

Pay for a professional chimney sweep to come round to your house and thoroughly clean your chimney – this way you can enjoy a warm, roaring fireplace throughout the winter, worry free.

Check for draughts

According to The Energy Saving Trust, draught proofing your house could save you between £20 and £50 a year.

You will find draughts in a range of different places, including under doors, round the edge of windows, and through your letterbox.

Use draught excluders at the bottom of your doors, and fill any holes and gaps around your windows that may be letting the cold air in.

You can also change your letterbox to one with bristles or a plastic inner flap to stop any warm air escaping through your front door.

Stay warm

The central heating is obviously a great place to start when it comes to staying warm during the winter months, but there are lots of other ways you can boost the temperature in your home.

Leave the oven door open after you have finished cooking, light candles during the evening, keep all doors closed in unused rooms, and put down rugs on cold, bare floors.

You could also just use a portable heater to keep the room you are in warm if you don’t want to turn your central heating on every day.

Organise your closets

The majority of us have clothes that we wear in the summer, and others we wear during the colder months of winter.

Autumn is the perfect time to go through your wardrobe and work out what you will need for winter.

Start with your summer clothes and work out what you will still wear during winter, then put the other items of clothing into storage.

Dig out your woolly hats and scarves, and find those fleecy boots you hid at the back of your closet last March.

Max Firks-Matthews

Hunters, Stroud