Preparing your home for winter: a room-by-room checklist

As temperatures begin to drop, the steps you take in October can make a real difference to how your home performs through the colder months. Whether you own or rent, most of the checks below are straightforward and take only a short amount of time. For renters, a few of these are your landlord or letting agent's responsibility rather than yours, and we'll point those out along the way.

Living room

Radiators should heat evenly from top to bottom. Cold patches near the top usually mean trapped air, and bleeding the radiator will restore full performance. Most radiators can be bled with a simple radiator key; if you rent, your landlord or agent can arrange this for you.

Fit draught excluders along the bottom of external doors if you can feel cold air at floor level, and check that any thermostatic radiator valves are turning freely and responding to temperature changes. Move large furniture away from radiators to let heat circulate properly.

While you're in the room, check the smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm if either is present or replace batteries as needed.

Kitchen

Check that the extractor fan above the hob is working. Poor kitchen ventilation contributes to condensation and damp throughout the home, and the problem only worsens through winter. If the fan isn't working, report it to your landlord if you're renting, or arrange a repair if you own the property.

Check any exposed pipework under the sink, particularly if the cupboard sits against an external wall. Pipes in unheated spaces or against cold walls are vulnerable to freezing, and foam pipe lagging is inexpensive and quick to fit. The Energy Saving Trust recommends insulating exposed hot water pipes for exactly this reason, both to reduce heat loss and to guard against freezing.

Bathroom

Check the sealant around the bath, shower tray, and basin for gaps or wear. Failed sealant lets water get behind tiles and into the wall, a problem that only gets worse in a damp winter. If you spot any gaps, a tube of bathroom sealant is a low-cost, easy fix.

Make sure the bathroom extractor fan is working properly. A fan that isn't clearing moisture effectively contributes directly to condensation and mould on walls and ceilings.

Bedrooms

Check windows for draughts by holding your hand near the frame on a cold or windy day. Secondary glazing film, thermal curtain linings, or draught-excluding tape can all help reduce heat loss through windows that aren't double-glazed. One thing to leave alone: the Energy Saving Trust is clear that trickle vents, the small ventilation slots on many window frames, shouldn't be sealed, since they provide essential ventilation even in winter.

Hallways and doors

The front door is often the single biggest source of draughts in a home. A brush draught excluder fitted to the bottom, and a seal around the frame wherever gaps are visible, can make a noticeable difference. Check the letterbox for cold air too and fit an insulating flap if one isn't already there.

The essentials for every home

Know where your stop tap is. If a pipe bursts in a cold snap, being able to shut off the water supply immediately limits the damage considerably. Arrange a boiler service if one hasn't been done recently. Homeowners can book this directly; tenants should request it from their landlord, who's legally required to have an annual gas safety check carried out.

Finally, clear your gutters of autumn leaves before the first heavy rainfall or frost. Blocked gutters send water backing up against walls, and that's a direct route to damp.

Talk to our team about your property this autumn.