Whether you’re renting, a homeowner or a landlord wanting to spruce up one of your properties for a new tenant, the following tips will help you prepare your home ready for the winter nights ahead.

De-clutter

We’re all guilty of hoarding things that we think we’ll need in the future, but now is the ideal time to de-clutter and cleanse your home of unneeded things, especially before Christmas when you’ll be overwhelmed with gifts and forced to find more space to store them.  This can seem like a big task to do by yourself, but if you plan ahead and work your way through one room at a time, you’ll soon be clutter-free. Don’t forget to rid your kitchen cupboards of food and spices over six months old, clean out the fridge, and sort through your wardrobes to recycle or give to charity clothes you no longer need or use.

Dust and polish

It’s surprising how much dust settles on and behind furniture, so grab some polish or a damp cloth and give those forgotten areas such as the TV stand, skirting boards, the mantelpiece and windowsills a good wipe down.   

Vacuum

Wales isn’t exactly known for its sunny climate, but recent heatwaves have no doubt had us all throwing open our windows to let in a little breeze.  But what you may not realise is how much dust and pollen (especially if you live near lots of green spaces in areas such as Llandaf, Pontcanna and Roath), can drift into your home on the wind, not to mention the bits of grass and dried mud you’ll have traipsed in from your strolls in the sun. With the festive season getting increasingly closer, you don’t want to be cooped up all winter in dusty rooms, so get the vacuum cleaner out and suck up cobwebs and dirt from your floors and out-of-reach areas such as ceilings and curtain rails.

Wipe down surfaces

Kitchen counters and coffee tables only need a quick wipe down to give them a clean sheen, but don’t forget to tend to your bathroom tiles. These do take more effort to wipe down but a little bit of elbow grease and the right tools will get them clean and pristine in no time.  A great weapon in your fight against grime is a microfibre mop, which allows you to clean all of those hard-to-reach areas with ease. For those who don’t mind spending a bit more money, a steam cleaner is also a good investment.

Test your central heating and boiler

There’s nothing worse than having your central heating or boiler seize up when you really need it in the colder months, so it’s vital that you get this checked out in autumn to make sure everything is in working order, or can be repaired well before winter.

Check your home’s exterior

When it comes to the outside of your home, you often don’t realise there’s a problem until it starts affecting the interior.  Autumn is the best time to check that guttering is clear of fallen leaves and debris and that there are no missing tiles on your roof which could lead to damp, or worse a leak, in the wetter weather. Calling an expert to inspect the roof may incur a small fee but it could save you thousands in the long run by preventing a bigger problem.

Protect your garden

If you have green fingers, we’re sure you won’t want to let the hydrangeas and geraniums you’ve been tending over the summer wither away as it starts getting colder.  Jack Frost isn’t kind to plants, so it’s important to protect them by moving them into a green house, bringing them indoors or laying down a layer of mulch to act as an insulator. This will ensure that when spring arrives the buds will bloom beautifully and your garden will be the envy of your neighbours.  You should also clean and put away your garden furniture and BBQ so that they’ll be ready to pull out when the sunnier weather makes a reappearance.

Cleaning is an important task and essential to property maintenance, but we understand that this can be time-consuming and difficult, especially if you’re a landlord with multiple dwellings. That’s why we offer to take it off your plate and organise professional cleaning of your property with one of our fully vetted and insured cleaning contractors, to prepare it for the next let.

For more information, pop into one of our four branches across Cardiff to chat to our friendly team or email info@moginiejames.co.uk.