With November about halfway finished and the official start of winter only about a month away, it is time to start preparing for the cold! Cold weather can sneak up on us any day now; we’re already feeling it in New York City, so don’t wait too long and be late in your preparations. There are many ideas for prepping your apartment for the winter. 
Six Ideas for Prepping Your Apartment for the Winter
Consider following these tips to help keep your apartment warm and safe this winter.
1. Switch the Bedding
One of the first things to do when the seasons start to change and the temperature starts to drop is to change your bedding. Whereas most people might use light cotton sheets in the summer, it is a good idea to switch to a flannel or other thicker bedding before it gets too cold. In addition to staying warmer at nights, and during naps, this can also be a good excuse to give your room a bit of a makeover. If you live in a fairly moderate area of the country, this might not be something you need to do, but if you live in a colder area, this is something you should definitely do.
2. Check Your Windows
Of course, preparing your apartment for winter is largely about staying warm and protected from the outdoor conditions where you love. One of the biggest sources of cold air getting into your apartment will be the windows, especially if they aren’t working well. Before it gets unbearably cold, you should closely inspect your windows to make sure there are no drafts coming in and make sure they can properly close and be sealed. If your windows are letting in cold air, heating your apartment will become very difficult, which is the last thing you want in the cold winter months. Of course, fixing the windows won’t be up to you (as you are a renter), but who knows how long it will take the landlord to fix the issue, so it’s best to let them know about it earlier than later.
3. Check for Holes and Cracks in the Walls, Floors, and Ceilings
Unfortunately, humans are not the only ones who head inside to seek refuge from the cold conditions in the winter. A variety of crawling critters will look for any way to get away from the cold, including squeezing through the cracks and/or holes in your apartment. Unless you like sharing an apartment with bugs, mice, and other rodents/insects, you should be doing frequent checks of the walls to make sure there are no easy ways for them to get in. If you are higher up in an apartment building the chances of these coming in are fairly low, but it can still happen, of course, so you should always be vigilant.
4. Test Your Heating Systems
Having your heating system be in working order before the cold weather hits is instrumental in preparing your apartment for the winter. Whether you have baseboard heating from a boiler or central heating through vents, you need to ensure they are in fact working. This is as easy as testing it for a day or even a few hours to ensure it is successfully heating your apartment. If they aren’t working or not working as good as they should be, you need to speak to your landlord ASAP to make sure it is fixed before the really cold weather hits and you are left with no heat. While you won’t have to pay for the fixes, it can still be quite annoying to deal with the repairs while you are freezing your butt off in the middle of the winter.
5. Buy Indoor Plants
Winter can be a little bit of a depressing time for some, as things are often more gloomy, and the sun sets much earlier. The green grass and lush trees are replaced by white snow and barren sticks and logs in the ground that used to be full of leaves. If you miss seeing the beauty, colors, and foliage of summer or fall, invest in an indoor plant! It can not only be a great decoration to improve the atmosphere of a room, but it can also help remind you of warmer times. There are a wide variety of different types of indoor plants, so you are sure to find one that you like for your apartment.
6. Look for Creative Ways to Stay Warm
While it is important to stay warm, constantly having your heating system on full blast will be expensive. There are more creative ideas for prepping your apartment for the winter. Instead of this, look for blankets and candles to help you stay warm while also conserving money and energy. Blankets are outstanding in the winter for staying warm and candles are a must-have for all seasons. While they might not give off a ton of heat, candles are better than nothing and also help your apartment smell great. However, be aware of where your candles are lit, as accidentally knocking over or hitting a candle can be an easy way to start an apartment fire.
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.
