How to get your house winter ready

Here’s my personal confession for the week, my new apartment is cold.  It’s very very cold.  I mean we’re talking don’t want to get out of bed type of cold.  As you know Nick and I just moved into our apartment Oct 1 and we’re already freezing as fall gets closer to winter, I’m afraid to see how cold the temperature in our apartment is going to get in February.

Trying to stay warm in a cold apartment

Our apartment building was built in 1870 and up until last year it was always used as office space.  A year ago a real estate developer bought the building and turned it into apartments.  The renovation is gorgeous with brand new appliances and granite countertops; however all that glitters isn’t gold.  Yes the inside of the apartment is beautiful but the functionality isn’t great because the contractor decided to keep some of the original features.  I’m not sure if the cold is coming from the exposed brick wall or the old windows but either way our apartment is chilly.

Of course I can always warm up our new apartment by turning on the heat, but I can’t afford to do that.  So I’m trying to find other ways to stay warm such as drinking lots of hot beverages, layering up on sweaters and working out.  However there’s only so much I can do to keep my feet from freezing off this winter.

As the weather turns colder I am trying to find budget friendly ways to stay warm, because there is nothing like the earth shattering cold when you have to change clothes, get out of the shower or get out from under the covers in the morning.  It’s mid November and I think Nick and I have lived in the cold long enough.

5 budget friend ways to heat up your house:

Invest in area rugs.  We have hardwood floors and that translates into “looks good but they’re cold”.  Even in October when we moved in we were wearing slippers, now a month later we are wearing socks and slippers.  Area rugs are a great way to add some color to your home and keep your feet warm at the same time.

Insulate.  If you’re renovating your home keep the materials behind your walls in mind.  Having good insulation will keep your home warm and help save on your heating bill.  If you’re installing new widows please learn from our mistakes and make sure they’re well installed and energy efficient.  Silicone is a great way to fill any gaps and ensure the cold air stays out.

Blackout blinds.  We just discovered black out blinds and even though we’ve only had them for two weeks I can tell you they work, I promise.  If you need to buy new blinds or drapes ask the sales person about the blackout feature.  It adds a layer of vinyl to the back of your blinds or drapes and acts as a sealer for the cold air. Make sure to give  yourself some extra length and width to ensure the blinds really block out the cold air.

Wood burning fireplace.  I love the smell of real fire places.  Gas fireplaces are a lot less maintenance, but they don’t give the crackle and smell of real wood burning.  My dad has a real wood burning fireplace and my mother has a gas fireplace and I have to say the heat from a real wood burning fireplace is a lot warmer.

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.