- BY Lee
- POSTED IN DIY, Energy efficiency, Handy Tips
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- Have a sort out
To make way for all the extra items in your house such as presents, food and furniture, it’s time to have a good sort out. Be ruthless – sell or donate items you don’t use. Get the kids to sort through their toys and donate the ones that they no longer play with.
The week before Christmas day you won’t feel like cleaning the cooker so get it done early! Clean all appliances that will get more use, including the fridge and microwave. Defrost the freezer. As boring as these jobs may seem, your future self will thank you!
- Illuminate!
With the clocks going back and shorter daytime hours, it’s a good time to pay attention to the lighting in your home. Replace any bulbs and batteries and consider lowlighting such as extra lamps or LED candles to help create a cosier feel.
- Heat it up
If you have a traditional fire it’s time to get the chimney swept! For other gas and electric fires, carefully clean them using the manufacturer reccommended method and make sure there is no dust and the fire is working correctly.
Creating heat of course isn’t the only way to keep warm – old windows and doors will let draught in to your home. Consider better energy rated windows and checking under doors and around glass panes for draughts. This will also help ease your energy costs over the busy festive period.
- Pick a theme
Instead of buying random decorations that catch your eye – save money and effort by picking a theme and sticking to it. Why not go for a rustic theme using natural decorating materials such as pinecones, driftwood, foraged greens and dried oranges.
- Make some space
Every year the Christmas decs box seems to get bigger and the loft seems to get more and more cluttered. If you struggle getting up and down in to the loft you may want to consider a new loft hatch and ladder – they are surprisingly inexpensive. They have great practical and safety features to ensure safe and simple loft clearing. Don’t leave boxes in the loft gathering dust and damp, sort through the boxes and get rid of anything you don’t need.
- Don’t forget about seating
This may seem like an obvious one but people will often forget at the last minute until extra family members and friends arrive. Invest in some fold up seating and make sure the dining room is cleared and ready for all those extra visitors!
- Get the little DIY jobs done
Now is the best time to get those niggling DIY jobs done. At this time of year, lots of tools are on sale so it’s a great time to grab the power tool you’ve had your eye on!
If it’s not done already, make sure any furniture in your garden is weather proofed by repainting, varnishing, cleaning or covering. Alternatively you could invest in no-maintenance furniture to save yourself time and money on those big jobs. Check your gutters are clear and free of debris and clear space in sheds and outhouses for storage.
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