As the cooler months are rolling in, now is the time to prepare your home for the winter chill. We spoke with Armando of Jim’s Mowing, Botany (0421 142 349) to find out what jobs he suggested for the garden:
- Remove weak tree branches and prune shrubs; most leaves will have fallen by now offering a perfect opportunity to access areas of the garden.
- Clean out your gutters! A painful job but keeping on top of this can prevent blocked pipes or leakages.
To ensure your home is toasty and safe, we also suggest that you:
- Book a service call for your heating system to check that all is in working order. This not only keeps you safe, but also saves you money by ensuring that your system is working efficiently.
- If possible, set temperatures for specific rooms; the laundry doesn’t need to be as warm as the family room for example. With energy prices set to rise, this is an area to consider wisely.
- Reverse your ceiling fans; hot air that has risen will be circulated back down to warm the room.
- Check smoke alarms are all in working order.
- Start airing the flannelette sheets and woolly blankets! Consider what you no longer need or want and donate to a local shelter such as the Wayside Chapel in Bondi or Matthew Talbot Hostel in Woolloomooloo.
Autumnal colours such as burnt orange, mossy green and mustard are very much on trend, so it you are looking for a cosy update, a few new cushions or a soft knitted throw could be just the answer.
All you need now is a delicious soup recipe and a good book – curl up on the sofa and enjoy your new found cosy!