The winter weather should be all about hot drinks, cosy movie nights and counting down to Christmas. However, if your home isn’t up to scratch then winter can be incredibly uncomfortable- which is even more of a worry when you have young children or elderly people living with you. Older houses tend to have more of an issue since they weren’t built to the same standards of today’s homes. Unless they’ve been renovated, old properties can be drafty and struggle to keep the heat in.
Replace the windows
The windows are one of the main places that houses lose heat. Older houses that haven’t been renovated are especially bad, the frames might be loose and they might not even be double glazed. New windows will add to your home security and will also make it easier to keep the place warm. Double or even triple glazing in new frames will massively improve the efficiency of your heating and are a worthy investment.
Look into insulation options
Cavity wall and loft insulation are two ways that older homes can be made more energy efficient. These prevent heat from escaping, meaning it’s cheaper for you to keep warm as well as less damaging to the environment (the less energy used, the fewer fossil fuels are being burned). Often councils have schemes available that can reduce the cost of these renovations, so do look into this when you’re considering having it done.
Fill in gaps and cracks
Older homes can develop cracks from settling and subsidence. Gaps can form under windows and doors where wood warps or lifts and other cracks and holes can appear. These might not seem like much of an issue during the spring and summer, but when the colder weather sets in they can be a huge problem. Not only will the heat from your home escape, but drafts can get in. Use silicone sealant or caulk to fill these in- cheap, easy and can make a huge difference.
Fit new radiators
Even if your home is very old, at some point (probably in the nineteen seventies or eighties) they were probably fitted with central heating and radiators. While these can do wonders heating up your home, old radiators don’t actually perform as well as newer ones and so it can be worth having them replaced. New radiators will convict the heat into the room better and are more energy efficient. It’s a simple job for a plumber as all of the pipes are already in place, and isn’t too expensive. Along with radiators, it’s always sensible to have a backup source of heat. A home generator or wood burning fire, for example, can keep you warm if your gas is disconnected due to something like a bad storm.
Keeping any home warm in winter is a struggle, but in an older property, you have your work cut out for you. Do what you can to keep the cold out and the warm in, it will save you money as well as help protect the environment.
32 comments
I’ve been really lucky to live in a brand new property but I know when we move and get a house it will be older and we’ll want to do some work to it x
Our house is not that very new and we definitely need to check the windows so thanks for the reminder! Sometimes I can feel the draft from the windows so we definitely need to sort it out asap and before winter!
We live in an 18th Century house and the plus point is that our walls are so thick it stays cool in summer and kees the heat in, in the winter but the windows need attention. Mich x
It’s surprising how much heat you can keep in your property once you make a few small changes.
These are some really good ideas, we’ve had extra insulations put in this year and it will be interesting to see if it helps keep us just a little bit warmer this year.
We used to have a beautiful old house which was just soooo cold in winter – you could see the curtains moving in the draught!
We’re doing everything we can this winter to try and keep the heat in! x
Really great tips, as the cold snap has deffo kicked in. Filling in the gaps is a good one and often overlooked x
we have done all these things in the last few years and thankfully this winter we will be snug for the first time in this house 🙂
We changed the windows in our old house, it was a 1930s house, and oh my it made the world of difference. Would really recommend!
Great tips, these. We had new insulation and new brickwork installed a few years ago and it’s made such a difference.
We have just moved into a new build so luckily don’t have any of these issues, but something we found helpful in our old property which sounds a bit odd was to fit a heavy curtain by the front door to help exclude the draft!
We’ve had some new windows at the back of our house, and it’s amazing how much warmer it is now
I’m always so cold in the winter but I can’t sleep without my windows open, I’m terrible!
Good tips. It can be tempting to resist the initial cost of making improvements but you really do save in the long term, and it’s better for the environment.
These are really good ideas to keep your home warm during winter. Replacing the windows would be a good start.
These are some great ideas. Our house is relatively modern but my mum’s is a really old house so I will be passing on these tips to her.
I’m going to have to show this post to my dad, he always tells me off in winter because I constantly put the heating on, I’m always cold haha! x
Great tips . Our house isn’t old but I think our windows might need replacing. We have had insulation in the loft but not sure about the walls. Would be good to look in to it.
We did this a couple of years back and now our old home is a lot warmer, especially with the double glazing.
My old house was an absolute freezer in winter time so I can totally relate to trying different things to heat it up more 🙂
These are all great tips. Ours is an older, drafty house and the last few winters haven’t been great! I’m doing little bits at a time, all the gaps that can be filled are and I got a new boiler and radiators in the summer. Windows and doors are next on the list (but I need to save up again now haha)
These are really good ideas not just for keeping the house warm but not to let the heat escape and save energy.
Im a sucker for blankets and candles so my rooms is always warm – tends to help that i have the heating on all day too! I know!!
These are great tips – luckily my house is quite cosy, I love being indoors in the Winter. Kaz
We could really do with new windows and doors as we have a wooden front door that has a gap and let’s in a draft. Problem is we private rent and it’s up to the landlord 🙁
I want us to get a porch and conservatory to provide more insulation downstairs. With the terrible wind this week, our letterbox keeps rattling and letting the cold air in 🙁
We’ve been looking into new radiators as I’m sure the ones we have installed aren’t the right size for the room
I would love an older property and remember loving my real fire in the last one – great tips
Older properties can certainly let the heat out. These are great ways to cut down on your energy bills and feel warmer!
Some really great tips her, thanks so much for sharing. Sometimes its paying out to save money in the long term huh.
These are all really useful tips, thank you. I actually need to remember to replace the door between the living room and the kitchen soon as it won’t close properly and we lose a lot of heat because of it.
Louise x
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