Why the perfect time to prepare for the cold weather is now?

Once the leaves start changing colour and the days get shorter you know what's ahead - cold weather spells.

While autumn is arguably the best season there is - with reasonably warm weather, refreshing wind and inspiring colours - once it arrives, we know the cold season is not far off.

In fact, the majority of UK's households turn their boiler on for the first time in October. With its mild weather, and plenty of sunny days, autumn is the best time to start getting ready for plummeting temperatures.

Here is why the perfect time to start working on your winter home is now:

Boiler season is coming.

If you're like the majority of the UK's population, once the strong winds hit you'd want to turn on your radiators. Make sure your boiler is ready for the added pressure, and book your boiler service now to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Can you trust your radiators?

Admit it, no one waits until the official start of the winter to turn on their central heating (astronomical winter begins on the 22nd December). More often than not our radiators are on before the end of October. But before the start of the season it's a good idea to bleed them to make sure there is no sludge and dirt in the system. Bleeding the radiators is not a quick job, so make sure you do it when you have some spare time. Follow our guide on how to bleed your radiators.

Use the weather to repair windows.

You probably don't want to wait till the first autumn rains hit to discover if you have any cracks and gaps around the windows and doors. Take advantage of the last dry, sunny days and caulk the gaps where necessary.

The children are busy.

Kids are just back at school, which is the perfect time to do some quick home renovations and repairs. Use the free time to repaint the walls, get a professional to install the new washing machine, or have electrical work done.

Get a home cover.

If your home insurance doesn't offer adequate protection for boiler breakdowns, or frozen pipes, now is the right time to invest in a home maintenance covers. Most cover plans on the market won't cover jobs until you've been with the company for at least a month, so it's worth getting that extra protection now.

When do you start your cold weather preparation? Do you wait till the last moment, or do you prefer to start as early as possible? Let us know in the comments.