Preparing your home and garden for the winter is vital, not only for cosmetic purposes, but also for practical reasons. Here are five ways to make life easier in and around your garden this winter.

1. Inspect

Check your home's exterior around entry points for pipes and cables, as well as for any visible cracks and seal them. This will not only keep the cold out, but it will also help keep the heat from your heating system inside, leaving you more comfortable and your home more energy efficient. Cracked windows, exposed wood and the seal between doors and door frames also need to be sealed, so pay attention to any of these that need repairing or replacing.

2. Roof

By making sure your roof is ready for the winter you will be able to optimise your home's heating system, while avoiding potentially costly repairs. Your attic needs to be properly insulated to prevent warm air from reaching the roof as this could result in water that builds up and subsequently freezes leading to severe damage to the building and its contents. Replace any worn, cracked or broken tiles and make sure that your roof is watertight before the winter rains arrive.

3. Gutters

Your home's gutters need to be kept clean and clear during the winter to allow water to flow unrestricted. Any blockages could result in a water collecting and solidifying, which could cause significant damage to one of your home's most important components this winter, its drainage system. Leaf guards and gutter downspouts that lead away from the building are also advised for maximum drainage, that way you should be able to avoid a call to the emergency plumbers.

4. Foundations

Be sure to inspect your home's foundations and remove all debris and vegetation. Entry points should be sealed to prevent animals from crawling under, or even into, your house. Crawlspace entrances also need to be secured to keep animals and the weather out. Preparing your home properly for the winter will not only have a much better chance of staying hassle free during the winter, but you could even save a few pounds in the process. Not only will you not have exorbitantly high energy bills, but you won't need to spend money on 24 hour plumbers any time soon.

5. Preparing your garden

Preparing your garden's trees, shrubs and plants for the winter is important; your first point of call should be trimming any branches that hang near your home or electrical wires. The branches could become heavy as the result of ice gathering on them and should they break, depending on the size, the result could be disastrous, requiring help from more than a 24 hour plumber. You also need to seal your patios, wood decks, driveways and porches to ensure the winter doesn't damage them. Your natural urge will be to remove dead vegetation, but don't. They can act as wonderful almost “ornamental” features when your garden becomes barren, which in the UK, it most likely will.

In order to help you get your garden prepared for the colder months we have two pairs of these eco wellies up for grabs. Beautifully hand crafted from natural, fair trade rubber these eco friendly wellies are extremely comfortable and have a fantastic sturdy sole with grips. All you have to do is email your name, address and shoe size to us (customernews@britishgas.co.uk) by October 14th and we'll pick two winners at random.

What are your top tips for preparing for the changing seasons?