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How to keep your home cool in summer

Most UK homes are not blessed with air con, so keeping your home cool in the hot weather is a dilemma lots of us face every year.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to keep the heat out, at a fraction of the cost of installing AC – here are some of our top tips.

Keep windows and blinds closed

It may seem like a good idea to open all your windows to lower the temperature inside, but in fact, this does the opposite. Opening windows and doors lets the warm air in, making your living space even hotter. Keeping all windows and blinds closed is best to stop hot air from circulating and your home becoming a greenhouse!

You can block out most of the sun’s rays by using light-filtering shades or blackout blinds. Venetian blinds also allow you to adjust the amount of light coming into the room. Reflective window film is another solution that’s fairly inexpensive and can reduce heat and glare by up to 99%.

Once the heat starts to drop in the evening, you can open the blinds and windows for cool air to come in.

Buy more plants

If you’re looking for an excuse to buy more indoor plants, this could be it! These can help cool a house in warm weather as they consume hot air.

They cool down their surroundings through a process called transpiration. When the temperature rises, plants release excess water from their leaves, which drifts into the air and cools it down. Some of the best ones include rubber plants, Chinese evergreens, palms and ficus benjaminas.

Open the loft

Heat rises, which is why people who live in townhouses and flats will struggle to keep their home cool during the summer months. One way to move heat away from your rooms is by opening up the loft hatch – so heat can escape upwards.

This also creates an airflow that draws the colder air from the ground floor of your house towards your first-floor rooms which will make the space feel cooler.

Think about your flooring

During summer months, rooms in your house with carpeted floors can get hot quickly, as carpets are known for absorbing heat.

Wooden floors are much cooler and they have the added benefit of retaining heat in the winter, which makes it ideal if you’re looking to save on heating costs.

Get a portable AC unit

Fitting air conditioning in your home is possible, but can be challenging depending on the structure of your home, plus it’s expensive. Portable AC units still do the job, and are much cheaper.

Unlike fans, which simply blow air around the room, air conditioners actually lower the temperature. They work by taking air, passing it through a compressor before blowing the cooled air out. Good quality portable AC units start at about £200.

Don’t forget about your extractor fans too. These capture the hot, humid air before it circulates through your house. A good tip is to leave it running for a while after cooking or showering to remove the excess moisture and heat – don’t turn it off straight away.

Switch off heat generating appliances

Many of the appliances you have at home will be generating significant amounts of heat when they are turned on. If you can, turn off lights and other electrics when you’re not using them and avoid turning on during the hottest points of the day.

Your oven, dishwasher and washing machine can raise the air temperature, so it may be best to run these in the evening when it’s cooler outside.

If you’re looking for a new home with some of these features we’d love to help you find one.

Please reach out to our team on 01722 336 422 or take a look at our sales and lettings listings.