A dry Southern Highlands home is a healthy home. Plus, when your home is dry it is easier to heat, which means it's a more comfortable place to live. It can also save you money on your power bill since your heaters won't have to work so hard to keep you nice and cosy.
Follow these 5 simple tips to keep your Bowral, Moss Vale or Mittagong home dry, warm and healthy:
1. Get the air moving
Fresh air helps to keep your home dry and makes it easier to heat. The key is to let fresh, clean air into your home by opening windows for a least a few minutes every day.
Alternative option: Install a continuous exhaust fan in your bathroom. You can program these to run continuously, at a low level to keep air moving, which provides a similar effect to leaving a bathroom window open.
Plus: Make sure your kitchen has an adequate ventilation system in the form of a rangehood or extractor fan. Many homes fail on this front, and cooking adds a lot of moisture to your living environment.
2. Bring in the plants! A 2007 study showed that people with more plants in their workspace took fewer sick days and were more productive on the job.
So why not add them to your home as well? Indoor plants purify the air in your home and remove common pollutants causing allergies and asthma. Plus, they are nice to look at!
3. Check your insulation
Over time, gaps can develop in your insulation - leaving space for heat to escape. When was the last time you checked the insulation in your roof space and under your floor? It's also worth investigating whether adding more insulation would help your home retain more heat. Often a 'blanket' can be added to your roof, to help you retain extra warmth. Don't overlook: A ground moisture barrier is a smart way to help keep your home dry. It's a black polythene sheet that covers any bare ground below your floorboards. It stops any rising damp from coming into your home, thereby making it drier, healthier and easier to heat!
4. Check and clean your gutters.
When was the last time you checked your spouting system?
Make sure your gutters are kept clear so rainwater can flow easily away from your roof. Blocked gutters can result in water seeping into your roof space or walls. Cut back trees and shrubs that are close to your home to stop leaves from getting into your spouting system in future. This will also increase airflow and let more sunshine (natural heat) in.
5. Draught stoppers
There is a reason why healthy home standards include rules around draught-stopping. Small holes that let heat escape are often overlooked but can make a massive difference to the comfort level of your home. Visit your local hardware store for solutions to cover space at the bottom of doors, or to buy draught-stopping material for windows with small gaps.
Final thought...
If you are keen to maximise the comfort of your home, a good place to start is making sure it complies with current healthy homes standards. This checklist, provided by the NZ government was written for rental properties, but it's also a handy tool to see how your personal home stacks up. https://www.raisethestandard.nz/assets/Raise-the-Standard/hhs-landlord-checklist.pdf
How can we help?
Does your current home still suit your needs? Would you be better off in something smaller? Or bigger?
If you think a move could make life easier, we are here to help. The best place to start is with a free consultation to discuss your options. We can talk about what your home might fetch in the current market, provide tips on maximising value, and answer any other questions you have. Give us a call today to schedule a no-obligation chat.
