How to get your Spanish house ready for winter

Winter is coming to Spain and it's important to know how to control the air temperature in your house, so you can enjoy a warm home when the temperatures drop and not pay too much. Here are some practical tips on how to keep your property warm during the winter:

1. Check the windows and insulation: Find out where the heat escapes from your home. You should plug any cracks or holes where hot air can escape and cold air from outside can enter. To fill the gaps, you can use silicone, for example.
2. Use weatherstripping for the doors: To avoid small draughts of air coming in through the doorjamb and to obtain a more effective insulation, maintaining a more suitable temperature in each room of the property, weatherstrip underneath and around the doors with rubber, silicone or foam tape. It’s a very simple and effective trick.
3. Choose the right heating system: Nowadays, most Spanish houses use gas boilers or heat pumps, which will probably be the same device that you use during the summer to cool your home. Remember that both the boiler and the air conditioning machine need periodic servicing. If you're thinking about changing or installing a new air conditioning machine, remember to check whether you need a special permit. If you’re renting a flat, always check with your landlord before making any changes. Electric radiators are also quite popular, especially in apartments that don’t have a system installed, since all you need to do is buy the radiator and plug it in. In addition, we recommend installing programmable thermostats in each room – this way only the spaces that are used will be heated.
4. Use radiators properly: Before turning them on, it may be necessary to bleed the radiators in your home to remove the air that has accumulated inside. It’s simple to do: you only need to turn a small key in the radiator. Once turned on, avoid covering the radiators with any sort of objects or placing furniture in front of them. In this way, you can make the most of the heat your heaters give off.
5. Maintain a moderate temperature: Avoid raising and lowering the temperature too much in the house. Instead, try to maintain a constant, moderate temperature; this is the best solution for both your home and your pocket.
6. Put curtains in the windows: The thicker, the better. Although it’s not common to find them in Spanish properties, you can hang curtains to reduce heat loss through the windows. In addition, you could add an extra insulating layer to them to increase the warming effect. Leave them open during the day so that sunlight can enter and heat the place up, and then close them at dusk.
7. Cover floors with carpets and rugs: Fitted carpets or temporary mats will also help keep the temperature in your home pleasant. Bare floors are one of the main sources of heat loss in homes and there is no better way to avoid this and keep floors warm than by putting down a nice rug.
8. Light a fire: If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace at home, light it! Not only is it the cosiest and way to heat a house, it’s also the cheapest. Remember to clean the hearth and chimney and check them each season before the first use.
9. Don't forget to ventilate the house: Even if it’s cold, it is very important that you ventilate the house every day to clean the air. It’s enough just to leave the windows open for 5 minutes.