According to experts, the ideal temperature for living quarters should be somewhere around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius. If your house’s temperature tends to go below the recommendation in winter and you find yourself scorching hot during summer, you have a lot of room for home improvement. Read on to find out how to make your living situation cooler or warmer depending on the season!
- Install insulation
If you just have a little budget to work with, consider starting with insulation as your first step towards a more energy-efficient house. The ceiling, the walls, and finally the floor, are the places where homes can lose heat. The cheapest option is to insulate your ceilings first. It will make a really noticeable difference, especially if you had no installation prior. The 24-inch insulation can be a huge game-changer in both warm and hot climates.
- Check your radiators
If you are having trouble staying warm during the coldest months, maybe your radiators are not pulling their weight. Many people also forget that you cannot barricade your radiators and expect them to heat up your space. Therefore, if you have a wardrobe or a sofa blocking the heater, try to rearrange your furniture! You can also call a professional and have your radiators moved, but this is a more costly option.
- Close your blinds
The easiest and most cost-effective way to insulate your home from both cold and heat is to close your blinds. This method does wonders in the summer since there’s no sunlight coming into the room and heating you up alive!
- Rugs are your friends
You may dislike rugs because sometimes they can be a menace to clean, but they are a great insulator! You can get some gorgeous ones from your local flea market and not break a bank. However, make sure to get them cleaned before you put them into your room. You can never know whether they are contaminated with bed bugs or fleas.
- Seal the gaps around your doors
If you are trying to save money and only use the AC or your heater in one part of your house, you should make sure that the doors between the rooms are closed off and properly sealed. You may think that the tiny gaps around the door don’t make a lot of difference but you’d be wrong! Go to your local DIY store and get a nice sealant with which you can carefully fill in all the cracks.
- Aluminum foil is an easy fix
When you are having trouble staying toasty in the winter just place some aluminum foil behind your radiator if it is connected to a wall. The foil’s reflecting properties will prevent heat from escaping through the wall and instead reflect it back into the space where it was originally intended to go. Do not let that precious heat run away.
- Open your windows at night
During the summer, shutting your blinds and closing the windows is a must. However, this is true only during the day! As the evenings become cooler, you may want to consider opening your windows to let fresh air cool your home. Just be careful to lock your door overnight! You can also make use of your balcony or garden and have a barbeque when the temperatures go down. Beware of the mosquitoes though.
- Hot water bottle
Whenever you feel cold in the winter months, you should have a companion — a hot water bottle. If you have tried all the tips from our list and you are still feeling too cold, this is a budget-friendly solution to all your issues. Place the bottle on your bed next to you and hold it close. The heat from the bottle will keep you warm even on the coldest of nights.
