One of the first things we decided on when we were planning our home build was the flooring - we have timber floorboards downstairs, and carpet upstairs. While the floorboards look beautiful, they can get a little drafty in winter - so we've invested in wooly rugs and fuzzy socks to help keep warm!

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There's nothing nicer than walking into a warm, cosy home at the end of a bleak wintery day. Keeping your home toasty isn't just about heating. With a few home improvements, you can keep the cold at bay and help retain any heating you use. These five tips will help you to make your home warmer this winter.

1. Carpet

Soft underfoot and kind to the joints, carpet can be one of your home's most effective insulators. Whether it's plush carpet or short pile, carpet helps you retain the heat of your home, eliminate drafts and is a consistently pleasant temperature even, when your feet hit the floor in the deepest darkest depths of a cool winter's night. Even carpeting just your bedrooms can help keep your home warm. You’ll be surprised to hear that carpeting is well within most budgets. If you're considering carpet, make sure you make use of the great online tools available. Carpet experts such as Stainmaster Carpet have a carpet cost calculator. Click here to see just how little the extra comfort of carpet will set you back.

Snuggling up in cozy jammies for warmth!

2. Insulation

The home loses most of its heat through the roof cavity and through windows, so it's important to ensure your insulation is up to par. Investing in extra or better quality roof insulation reduces your heating bills by significantly raising the ambient temperature of your home.

3. Curtains

Quality curtains also keep any heat in your home and stop the cold from entering. Installing curtains or even quality blinds on all windows protects the house against heat loss and also stops drafts. Blackout, heavy duty or multi-layer curtains are particularly good, and should extend beyond the window-frame for optimum results.

4. Draft stoppers

If your home is prone to drafts under doors or windowsills, then it's worth picking up some old-fashioned helpers including door snakes and door guards to cover any cracks. It's amazing how much warmer your home will be without any unwelcome chilly breezes.

5. Natural light

By using available natural light during the day, you harness the warmth of the sun. This is particularly the case with windows that access the bright morning sun or warm afternoon rays. Similarly, sky lights can warm the home and allow additional light in dark areas like corridors. These days, skylights incorporate the latest technology of double glazing and thermal properties to ensure they do not contribute to heat loss. It's also worth remembering that some electrical appliances can incidentally help heat the home, as long as you use them at the right time of day they can quickly warm the house. This includes your oven, dryer and dishwasher.

Nothing like opening up the curtains and letting the natural winter warmth shine in!

Follow these tips and remember that heating your home isn't just about adding warmth: effective heating requires you to stop any loss of residual heat and utilise the warmth you already have available to you without turning on another appliance. These two methods will not only ensure your house remains warm, but will significantly lower your heating bills.

This sponsored post is in collaboration with Stainmaster Carpet - all images are my own. If you are interested in a product review or sponsored post content appearing on Breathe Gently, please email me.