Our Winter Care Guide for Your New Build Home | Redmile Homes

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Winter can be tough on any home, and even a brand-new one needs a little extra care when temperatures drop. While your new build from Redmile Homes is designed for warmth, energy efficiency, and low upkeep, the colder months bring a few seasonal challenges worth keeping an eye on.

This guide shares simple, practical winter home maintenance tips to help you manage your home inside and out. From controlling moisture and heating to protecting pipes and outdoor spaces, use our preparing your home for winter checklist to keep your home comfortable, efficient, and ready for whatever the season brings.

Quick checklist – How to prepare your home for winter:

Keep your home ventilated – use trickle vents, turn on extractor fans, open windows
Maintain a consistent indoor temperature (around 18-20°C), even when you’re out
Turn off and insulate your outdoor tap to avoid damage to your plumbing
Understand your boiler, check system pressure, and book your annual service
If you notice uneven heat distribution in your radiators, bleed them
Check gutters and drains for blockages that may lead to water pooling
Check window and door seals for damage or draughts
Protect your lawn – avoid walking on it, move furniture or pots, aerate it
Sweep leaves and debris from paths to prevent slippery surfaces

For our full preparing your home for winter checklist, read on below.

Why winter brings extra challenges

Winter puts your home under more pressure than any other season. Colder outdoor temperatures meet the warmth of indoor heating, creating the perfect conditions for condensation.

When humid indoor air touches a cold surface like a window or wall, it cools and releases water droplets. At the same time, the air outside is wetter, and your everyday indoor activities – cooking, showering, drying clothes – add even more moisture indoors.

Rain, frost, and wind can also take their toll outside, from blocked gutters to frozen pipes. The good news is that these problems are easy to prevent with a few regular checks and small adjustments to how you heat and ventilate your home.

Why winter care matters for a new build home

Your new build from Redmile Homes is designed to be highly energy-efficient and airtight, so it won’t have the natural draughts that come with an older home. This is great for warmth, but it means moisture needs another way to escape.

In the first year or two, your home will also release small amounts of moisture as the materials used during construction start to settle and dry out. Combined with colder weather, this can lead to more condensation than usual.

If you’re proactive, condensation is temporary and manageable. By using your extractor fans and trickle vents, and keeping up with simple daily habits, you’ll help your home stay fresh, dry, and running efficiently all winter.

1. Inside your home: Managing heat, air, and moisture

Everyday life creates more moisture than most people realise. When it can’t escape, it collects on cold surfaces as condensation, which can lead to damp or mould. Balancing warmth, airflow, and ventilation is key to good winter home maintenance.

Windows and ventilation

Windows are often the first place you’ll spot condensation, because glass cools faster than walls or furniture.

To manage it:

Open curtains and blinds each morning to let air circulate
Briefly open windows to exchange humid indoor air for fresh outdoor air
Wipe away any condensation from windows, sills, or frames

Windows in new builds are also fitted with small vents at the top, known as trickle vents. You should keep these open all year round. If a window doesn’t have a trickle vent, use the night-latch position to achieve the same effect.

Cooking and showering

Kitchens and bathrooms are the biggest sources of indoor moisture. Steam from showers, boiling water, or dishwashing can all quickly raise humidity levels. Your built-in extractor fans can help control this.

In your new build, each fan has an isolator switch above the doorframe. Keep this on, as it allows the fan to run continuously at a low speed. During cooking or showering, turn the fan on fully via the wall switch. When you’re done, leave it running for 15-20 minutes.

If possible, open a window slightly during and after use. Good ventilation helps prevent moisture build-up – a core part of preparing your home for winter.

Furniture and walls

Moisture can easily become trapped behind large pieces of furniture or on walls with limited airflow. This can cause damage to plaster and paint finishes and create musty smells.

Let your home breathe by:

Leaving a small gap between furniture and external walls
Avoid hanging pictures or shelves on external walls for the first 12 weeks after moving in
Don’t overfill cupboards or wardrobes, and ensure laundry is fully dry before storage

Clothes and laundry

Drying clothes indoors releases a lot of extra moisture. You should avoid drying your laundry inside whenever possible, but if you do need to, then:

Put the load on an extra spin cycle to remove excess water
Use smaller loads to free up space on the drying rack
Place your airer in a room with an extractor fan turned on and an open window
Spread clothes evenly and turn them over regularly to ensure even drying
Consider using a heated drying rack, fan, or dehumidifier to speed up drying

And don’t forget about your appliances. After using your washing machine, leave the door and detergent drawer open so they can dry out properly. In colder months, it will take longer for excess water to evaporate, increasing the risk of mould and damage.

Heating systems and consistent temperature

Condensation forms more readily when warm air cools quickly, so maintaining a steady moderate heat is essential. Aim to keep rooms at around 18-20°C, even when you’re not at home.

Also:

Keep your loft hatch closed to prevent warm air rising into cold spaces
Wait until the drying-out period is over before storing items in the loft

Consistency is crucial – it’s one of the most effective winter home maintenance tips for comfort and efficiency.

2. Plumbing, radiators, and boiler checks

Your home’s heating and plumbing systems work hardest in winter. A few simple checks and routine maintenance now can keep them running efficiently and help you avoid costly problems later.

Outdoor taps and freezing risk

If your home includes an outdoor tap, it’s important to protect it from freezing. When water inside the pipe freezes, it expands, and that can cause the pipe or tap to split.

To prevent this:

Turn off the isolation valve (usually under the kitchen sink) to stop water flowing to the outdoor tap
Open the outdoor tap to drain any remaining water
Add a simple tap cover or pipe insulation for extra protection

Come spring, turn the valve back on and you’re ready to go.

Boiler service and system pressure

Your new build home’s boiler or air source heat pump (ASHP) is designed for efficiency and reliable performance, but regular checks are important to keep it working at its best. First, familiarise yourself with the controls and error codes. Understanding them can help you address small issues quickly.

Then, check the system pressure regularly. When cold, the gauge should read around 1-1.5 bar (around 2 bar when radiators are hot). If it falls below 1 bar, heating efficiency may be reduced. Most systems can be topped up using the filling loop – your user manual or a short online video will show you how.

Annual servicing is also the cornerstone of winter home maintenance and ensures reliable heating when you need it most – and it’s required to keep your warranty valid. If your service is due in winter, book early. Plumbers and heating engineers are in high demand in the colder months.

Bleeding radiators and ensuring even heat

If you bought from Redmile Homes, your new heating system will have been tested before you moved in, so you shouldn’t need to bleed your radiators straight away. However, over time, air can still build up in the system, leading to cold spots or uneven heating.

Typically, this is something you can fix easily by yourself:

Turn off your boiler and wait for the radiators to cool
Place a small container or towel beneath the radiator valve
Insert a radiator key and slowly turn it anti-clockwise (you’ll hear air hissing out)
When water starts to appear, close the valve again

Bleeding removes trapped air so hot water can circulate properly, helping your radiators heat up evenly. If you find you need to bleed them frequently or notice pressure drops after doing so, it’s best to contact a qualified engineer to check for an underlying issue.

3. Exterior and garden: Protecting your home from the elements

Even the most durable new build homes benefit from outdoor care in winter. Rain, frost, and wind can all affect external areas, but regular checks will help prevent damage.

Roofline, gutters, and drainage

Rain, leaves, and frost can all put extra pressure on your home’s drainage system during winter. Keeping gutters and drains clear helps water flow away properly and prevents damp or staining.

Check gutters and downpipes regularly for leaves and debris, especially if your home is near mature trees. Around doors, driveways, or paving, clear any slot or channel drains too – these can block easily and cause surface water to pool.

And be mindful of what goes down your drains. Avoid pouring fats, oils, or other materials that could cause blockages – when in doubt, bin it instead.

Tip: A straightened wire coat hanger or stiff brush works well for loosening compacted dirt in narrow drainage channels.

External doors, windows, and draughts

New builds from Redmile Homes are well insulated and fitted with high-quality windows and doors, but cold weather can still find small gaps to sneak through.

Keep them in top shape by:

Checking for any damaged seals or minor draughts
Make sure trickle vents are open and clear
Clean and lubricate stiff handles or locks

Garden care and outdoor areas

Your garden might not see much use in winter, but it still needs a little extra care to keep it healthy.

Keep lawns clear – furniture, play equipment, or plant pots left in one place for long periods can cause the grass underneath to die off or discolour
Avoid walking on wet or frozen grass – when soil is soft or frozen, foot traffic can compact it, leading to patchy growth and poor drainage
Rake or sweep leaves regularly – a buildup of wet leaves can suffocate grass and make paths slippery
Aerate your lawn – every so often, use a garden fork to make small holes across the surface (this improves drainage and gives roots access to air, keeping the turf healthier)
Check paving and paths – sweep away debris and watch for pooling water, which can freeze and become a slip hazard

With these small habits, your outdoor spaces will stay in good condition through winter and recover more quickly once spring arrives.

Peace of mind and ongoing support

New build homes are designed to be low-maintenance, but taking a few simple steps over winter will help your home stay in top condition. Redmile Homes provides guidance and support to make sure you feel confident looking after your property, from practical tips to warranty advice.

Your homeowner handbook and warranty period

Every Redmile home comes with the reassurance of a comprehensive new build warranty, provided through the NHBC (National House Building Council). This includes up to 10 years of structural cover, plus protection for most non-structural defects during the first 2 years. Read more about our new homeowner warranty and quality guarantee here.

While your warranty offers peace of mind, it also relies on proper care and regular upkeep. Homeowners are responsible for routine maintenance, such as managing ventilation, servicing heating systems, and following a winter home maintenance checklist, to keep the home in good condition and ensure warranty terms remain valid.

How our team supports you through your first winter

You’re not left to figure it out on your own. At Redmile Homes, we’re here to help you understand your new home and feel confident looking after it through the seasons.

Our team provides friendly, practical support for first-year homeowners, including:

Advice on heating, ventilation, and managing moisture
Guidance on simple winter home maintenance checks, such as gutters, taps, and drains
Assistance with arranging repairs or servicing where these fall within your warranty cover

We’re always on hand to offer reassurance and advice, helping make your first winter in your new build home comfortable and stress-free.

Comfort and confidence – all year round

At Redmile Homes, every property in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire is crafted for warmth, efficiency, and lasting comfort – making winter home maintenance simple. Whether you’re settling into your first new build or looking for your next home, our team is here to help you every step of the way.

Discover the ease of new build maintenance with Redmile Homes

Arrange your visit to our Killamarsh showroom

Author: Redmile Homes

12/5/2025

Preparing your new build home for winter: Our winter home maintenance checklist