Winter is Coming! 

As the nights close in, the leaves fall to the ground and the temperatures start to head south, there are important jobs we need to take care of to ensure our homes are warm, and safe and we can slide in to the cold months knowing our house is ready to be a cosy haven to see us through the depths of our Northern Ireland winter. 

 Here are our top 5 tips for getting your home winter ready!

1. Clean out your drains & gutters
   
   According to How to Clean Out Gutters & Drains for Dummies October is the best time to get started on this task. Its not the most glamorous job but super important to protect your drains and gutters from getting blocked over the winter. Get your gloves on and ladder up and get all the debris removed. Such a satisfaction in knowing that all the rain we get has somewhere to freely flow.
   
   
2.  Protect your pipes
   
   If you were around for the superwinters of 2010 and 2011, you’ll remember the frozen pipes at Christmas fiasco! To make sure you don’t have to collect bottles of water from friends and family just to flush your toilet and that you don’t have an unplanned repair bill for burst pipes after Christmas the best way to protect you pipes is by protecting them with a foam layer called lagging. NI Water has a handy guide on everything to do with protecting your pipes, you can find it here: Insulate your pipes properly this winter
   
   
3.  Insulation
   
   Staying warm can be expensive enough in winter without losing all your precious heat through drafty doors and windows. Small fixes can save a ton of money over the winter allowing you to keep your money for next summer’s margaritas on the beach instead! Ideal Home have just published a great list of hints on how to block your drafts by insulating against the cold in your home. 
   
   
4.  Get your Chimney swept
   
   One of those jobs that gets put off sometimes but is super important for your health and the safety of your home. Chimneys need to allow the free passage of dangerous combustion gasses.
   Some of the dangers of not getting your chimney swept include:
   Can case breathing problems, brain damage, heart problems,
   Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
   Chimney Fire
   Smoke Damage
   
   Don’t wait, get your chimney sorted today! 
   
   
5. Get your boiler serviced
   
   Like the chimney its absolutely imperative that your boiler gets serviced regularly. A broken boiler can waste money on energy bills and even leak poisonous carbon monoxide into your home. Some of the checks an engineer will do as a part of a boiler service include:

• A visual check of the boiler and flame,
• checks on the flue
• check the operating pressure and/or heat input
• checking safety devices
• check case seals for an effective seal
• Check all boiler components
• boiler fired safely to identify and working faults
• boiler parts cleaned if necessary
• a service report showing everything the engineer has done

You can pay a Boiler Servicing company a once off fee to service your boiler or you can get boiler cover on a plan check out the which.co.uk guide on boiler servicing here. Getting the Best Boiler Service

After finding and buying your perfect building site, one of the most significant decisions you’ll make in your home building project is choosing an architect. 

But what are the first steps to take to ensure you find an architect who can design your dream home. 

Are you Experienced?

The first thing to make sure when choosing an architect is to ensure that they are qualified, experienced and accredited. All architects must be registered with the Architects Registration Board http://www.arb.org.uk, by law, so make sure you shortlist an Architect who is registered.

This guarantees a certain basic standard of work, and means they will have professional indemnity insurance in case anything goes wrong and you need to pursue compensation

I Like Your Style

Architect practices come is all shapes, sizes and styles, from traditional approaches to ultra modern and they may specialise in certain types of build or materials. If you know what overall style you are looking for then is should help narrow down your choice. 

The Cost of a Dream

Its always worth remembering that the cheapest options may not be the best and its important that you speak to your architect about what costs are involved. 

A good portion of your budget will be spent on designing your home, and being clear and upfront about your budget with your Architect is important for them to be able to plan your project and respect the limits of your budget.

Finding Your Way

The Architects Registration Board have a list of questions to ask your architect when you meet them for the first time, you can find out more here:

http://www.arb.org.uk/public-information/meeting-your-architect-for-the-first-time/

And the Homeowners Alliance offers practical advice for Finding an Architect here: 

https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-improving/how-do-i-find-an-architect/

At Carey Developments Ltd we are well known for our superb quality new build developments across Co Tyrone but we also offer Design & Build, Architectural Services, New Build, Residential & Extensions. Contact us any time to discuss your new project or dream home. 

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