Few experiences can evoke the same wanderlust as overnighting in a vacation home through winter. Whether the location offers a lakeside vista or a mountain hideaway, there is simply no substitute for the romanticism and opportunity to unwind in the presence of nature. At the same time, there are several factors that can make or break such an adventurous outing and cold weather is certainly one of these ominous possibilities.
However, from layered clothing and savvy insulation to smart features and useful gadgets; there are many ways to stay warm in your winter vacation property this year and here are some of the most affordable:
1. LAYERING UP IN YOUR VACATION HOME
Firstly, you need the right clothing and layering up is always the right way to approach particularly cold weather. Wearing several layers of clothing is proven to offer more warmth to the body than a single item. Moreover, this is often true in spite of the material as layering clothing provides the perfect opportunity for warm air to become trapped and hence, offer insulation.
In fact, this is the single most effective way to counter particular cold weather or conditions where the temperature can change from one extreme to another. Instead of search for lighter garments, layers can be removed accordingly which is much more convenient in terms of regulating body temperature.
While this is obviously not the most relevant solution in every circumstance, layers are certainly the best way to stay comfortable and prepared for every eventuality.
2. SEALING WINDOWS IN YOUR VACATION PROPERTY
While your vacation property management is likely to take care of most details, there are still some affordable and effective ways to prepare in advance for a cold snap in a drafty cabin.
Although it may not be the most attractive, bubble wrap is extremely effective when it comes to insulating the windows. In short, when you press the bubble wrap up against the window pane, duct tape is more than enough to hold the insulation firmly in place. One of the great benefits of using bubble wrap is that light can still penetrate the area which makes this a particularly popular choice for garage or basement windows. That being said, the key benefits, in this case, is certainly the overall objective, for the many small bubbles of air offer excellent insulation from the cold surface of the window.
3. INSULATING DOORS ON A BUDGET
As with the windows above, bubble wrap is also useful for squeezing between the cracks beneath any doors in your vacation home. In fact, this particular material is highly flexible which means it can be folded multiple times to offer increased insulation. Naturally, the transparent appearance of bubble wrap does not matter in this use-case, but the soft nature of the material ensures there is no impactful damage caused to either the door or the surface of the floor.
However, it must be said that many purposes built floor stoppers have been produced to cater to this ongoing dilemma. After all, the issue is common with absolutely any door given that there needs to be a space in order to open. For this reason, many hardware stores sell affordable door stoppers which fit snugly beneath the door while appearing a lot more attractive than the above-mentioned bubble wrap.
4. KEEP CLEAR OF THE RADIATOR
Yes, it may seem like a sensible solution, but in truth, placing a sofa close to the radiator is counterproductive. That is to say; placing an object, especially a large one, next to the radiator will only reduce the circulation of warmth throughout the rest of your vacation home. With this in mind, yes, you may feel a little warmer next to the sofa, but while the seating area warms up, this will also mean that the temperature is reducing in rest of the vacation property. Instead, make sure the sofa is positioned so that it is facing the radiator or fire, from a reasonable distance.
5. CONSIDER AFFORDABLE INSULATION FOR THE ATTIC
While we mostly focus on the walls and doors in a home as the reason for losing warmth, the ceiling accounts for more than 25% of this activity. Indeed, this is the reason why insulation is prominent in the attic/loft of every home and inserted amidst the walls of every room. With that said, many homeowners seem to focus on increasing the level of heat being produced rather than reducing the warmth which is most certainly escaping through these areas. As you know, replacing or improving the insulation between these walls is never an option, but this is usually possible in the loft.
As opposed to the rest of the tips on this list, replacing insulation is not always inexpensive, but when you compare this cost to the amount of savings this will account for on the heating bill, this could be the most sensible option for your vacation home.
6. LEARN ABOUT THE POWER THERMOSTATIC RADIATOR VALVES
In spite of the extravagant name, thermostatic radiator valves are relatively cheap and just as easy to integrate to most conventional heating systems. Interestingly, these valves can program the heating of a home with ease, and new technology has ensured this programming can be done from absolutely anywhere, anytime. What does this mean? You can activate the heating en route to ensure the home is nice and toasty on arrival.
Although convenience is one obvious benefit to these controls, recent studies illustrate that heating controls can also produce more than 30% of savings on the home heating bill.
7. FORGET MINIMALISM AND REMEMBER THE CURTAINS
The minimalist design seems to have swayed many people to select blinds instead of curtains in recent times but the nature of curtains ensures they will always offer value regarding warmth. However, to create and then retain heat, these curtains need to be opened and closed accordingly.
In short, curtains should be left open in your vacation property during the day to accept warmth from the brightness outdoors while they need to be closed after dark, to retain this heat and insulate from the oncoming cold. It may sound simple, and it certainly is, but even the most straightforward solutions are sometimes overlooked in such an increasingly busy and fast moving world.
As already mentioned, you can sleep next to pristine lakes and majestic mountain sides but stay warm is essential for the enjoyment of staying in a winter cabin. You can increase the heating and increase the bills or look at ways to minimize heat loss and retain this same warmth.
Either way, smart decisions can quite easily save you some smart money.
Learn more about the value of renting out your vacation rental property with Minnestay.
