HOW TO GET YOUR HOME AND GARDEN READY FOR AUTUMN
How to get your home and garden ready for autumn
Summer always feels like the shortest season of all and around mid-August, thoughts turn to a new academic year starting, and the inevitable mists and mellow fruitfulness that follows. The changing season and shorter daylight hours is also a reminder of jobs to undertake around your home and garden to get ready for autumn.
Gardens: autumn is a time for preparation. The soil will still be warm, therefore it’s the ideal
time to move plants and divide perennials. You can also prune shrubs that have flowered, apply mulch to beds for added cold-weather protection, dig in horticultural grit to improve drainage, and lay an irrigation system as your flora dies back and enters into its dormant period.
Exteriors: prevention is definitely better than cure, so now is the time to prepare for inclement weather. Fence panels can be problematic during storms, so check their condition now, replacing, repairing or simply repainting if they’re looking a little sun bleached. Roofs are another place to concentrate your efforts. Look for missing or broken tiles before the seasons change, and remove any moss that’s built up. Ditto drain pipes and guttering – use the last of the fine weather to clear out and secure.
Energy efficiency: we’re all acutely aware of how much it costs to heat and power our homes, so use this time while it’s still warm to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Add extra loft insulation, investigate solar panels and heat pumps, book a boiler service, draught proof windows and doors, and install a smart energy meter.
If you have older white goods and kitchen appliances, check their energy rating. It may be more efficient in the long run to replace them with more energy and water-efficient models. The most efficient appliances are A+++ rated, with G being the worst. Don’t forget you can improve your home’s thermal efficiency by switching to thick, insulating curtains – a good interior designer will steer you in the direction of some truly opulent examples.
Interiors: as the nights draw in and temperatures cool, we find we’re spending more time back inside. Autumn is a great season to redecorate. Perhaps set aside a wet weekend to repaint one room, install wood panelling or wallpaper a cloakroom. If you have an open fire, it’s also wise to get the chimney swept before you light the first fire of the season.
If you’re hoping for a totally new look for autumn, now is the time to consult with an interior design studio in London and plan a new, luxury interior design. Rudolph Diesel can assist with space planning, CGI artwork, specification, structural changes and aesthetic revamps.