Category: Winter

Plants to avoid pruning in winter

As the winter days close in, it’s tempting to survey your garden and consider cutting back some of your plants to give them the best chance of weathering the freezing temperatures. It’s an excellent strategy for many trees and shrubs, reducing the risk of winter mildew and encouraging future growth and flowering in the spring. …
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Make buyers feel at home this winter

Winter is always a special time to put your home on the market.  Buyers will often be grateful to come indoors, having battled the elements to arrive at your home for their walkthrough. So, this is the perfect opportunity to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that will cast your home in an incredibly positive…
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Keep your home fire-safe this winter

Winter is a time to make your home super-cozy with a roaring fireplace, the heating system cranked up, throw rugs draped over sofas and holiday decorations to brighten your day against the gray outside. However, what you do to warm your home can also create a fire hazard. American fire departments report approximately 1.4 million…
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Seven ways to winterize your home

Preparing your home for the onslaught of winter weather should help protect your property from damage and save you big bucks on your heating bills. Winterizing your home requires focus on the exterior and interior, where gaps under doors and in baseboards will suck out the hot air you’ve spent serious dollars generating. It’s just…
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Pruning for winter without cutting corners

As the shorter days signal the coming of winter, there is one essential task to complete in your garden: pruning back your shrubs and trees so they survive the coming cooler days. Maintaining a garden makes a substantial difference to the value and desirability of your home when the time comes to sell. Gardens can…
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Seven tasks to welcome winter

It only seemed a few weeks ago that we were enjoying the warm days of summer. But with winter on the way, it’s time to double down at home and prepare for colder days. Now is a perfect time of year to give your home a spruce up and deep clean, so these recommendations will…
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A surprising tip to save on heating bills

One of the domestic tasks many of us forget when we say goodbye to summer and welcome in winter is to switch the operating mode on our ceiling fans. Did you know that your fan rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise? The counterclockwise direction is for summer, as it circulates cool air and pushes warm air to…
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How to say goodbye to winter weeds forever

Winter can take its toll on your garden, especially if it suffers unduly from being in the shade. Weeds pop up as plants struggle for light, and mould and grime hang on to pavers, making them dull and unsightly. Weeds also sprout in the cracks of your pavers and must be dealt with before overwhelming…
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Signs that your home needs better insulation

With winter well and truly here, have you noticed that your home becomes unusually cold overnight, giving you an unpleasantly brisk early morning? If that sounds familiar, you may need to improve the quality of insulation in your home. Compared with properties in Europe, houses and apartments in our part of the world are notorious…
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