How To Keep Your Home Cool In A Heatwave

Phew what a scorcher! Love it or hate it the heat of summer seems to be here to stay (at least for a little while!) but do you know how to keep your home cool in a heatwave?

It may seem a little off topic for a property blog but bear with us, keeping your home cool in the summer months could help you secure a quick sale even in a heatwave!

According to figures from Rightmove, properties tend to sell quicker in the summer with July being one of the hottest months to get your house sold. With activity in the market picking up and lots of buyers out and about in the sunshine, keeping your home cool and following a few simple tips could see you staying a step ahead of the competition and turning that heatwave into a hot sale!

If the sun is blazing and your viewers have been in and out of a hot car all day, they will love to find themselves being welcomed into a cool oasis of calm, away from the heat and stress of the outside world. And as we know, getting the right feeling about a potential home can be as important as price, condition and location! So follow the tips below to keep your home cool for viewings even if the heatwave lasts all summer long!

1. Close the curtains.

This may sound like bad advice seeing as almost every other property blog or how to guide will advise opening all the curtains to create a light and airy atmosphere in your home, but during the heat of the day, keeping those curtains closed and blinds down will help keep the hottest sun rays from coming through the window and heating everything up. Just remember to open the curtains and blinds before the viewers arrive!

2. Turn your fans around.

Fans can do a good job in mild heat, but when the mercury really rises they tend to just push hot air around the house. If you strategically place them by pointing them towards a window instead of into the room, they should help to push some of the hot air out. To take this tip a step further, you can try to create a cross breeze by placing one fan by the window and another slightly further into the room so they both push the cooler air around. Another trick is to place a bowl of ice in front of the fan, as the ice melts the breeze from the fan circulates the cool air.

3. Switch off!

Electric appliances and even household lights all give off heat, even the energy saving bulbs, so try to keep lights off as much as possible and turn off the T.V, DVD Player and all the other tech gadgets to stop them radiating even more heat in to your home.

4. Make the most of the outside.

It’s only natural that people want to be outside on a sunny day, so make sure the exterior of your home is up to scratch! Start with the front garden by having a good tidy and making sure the lawn is mowed, the hedges are trimmed and the paths are clear. When it comes to the back garden, try and make the most of whatever space you have. The key is neat and tidy, but try to stage the garden with a nice patio set, a parasol to give your viewers some shade from the sun and why not set up a nice jug of iced juice to offer your viewers? It is sure to go down a treat on a hot day of viewings! For inspiration on how best to present your garden to make the most of the summer months, have a look here.

These are just a few tips to try and keep your home cool in the hot weather and help to make your home stand out in the mind of those all-important potential purchasers!

If you need any help with the marketing of your home, or any advice about the property market in general, just click here and get in touch with your local Hannells branch!