5 Winter Prep Tip? YIP!

Hey Everyone! Boy, did we have a great Summer this year, but as the days start to shorten, it may be time to start getting ready for Winter! Here are 5 tips that can help you stay comfortable and save money on your heating bills for Winter.

1. Seal Air Leaks: One of the biggest culprits of heat loss is air leaks. These leaks can occur around windows, doors, and even electrical outlets. To prevent heat from escaping your home, it’s important to seal any air leaks you find. You can use caulk or weatherstripping to seal gaps around windows and doors. Old, uninsulated ceiling downlight housings also leak air, so it may be a good time to switch to LED.

2. Install Insulation: Insulation is essential for keeping your home warm in the winter. If your home is poorly insulated. Insulating ceiling space and under the house makes a massive difference. While you are under the property throw down a moisture barrier as well. Keep that ground moisture from seeping into your property.

3. Efficient Heat-pump Use: Rather than just turning on your heat pump on high when you are cold and turning it off. A better way to use your heat pump would be to keep it on a low setting over time. I personally leave it on low heat at 20 degrees, and it takes the chill out of the whole area, this has made a difference to the power bill.

4. Trim Plants: Apart from the obvious need to paint and clean your exterior cladding, one area that most people forget about is clearing soil/paving/plants away from the cladding. Anything that is covering your wall cladding or soaking up against it will be creating moisture issues on your property. This is caused by the dampness left on the cladding and condensation inside the walls. Cut it back, and let your house breathe a little.

5. Air out the house! Sometimes it may feel counter-productive, but making sure your house has fresh air is also important when dealing with damp, humid rooms. If you have that teenager that never opens a window, the recycled dampness will be making the room colder than it needs to be. A quick air-out and avoiding drying laundry inside will make a big difference.

Wellington Winters can be harsh, especially when a southerly wind hits, but hopefully if you prepare nice and early this year, you’ll stay cosy right though. If you ever want to discuss the maintenance of your property or the Real Estate market in general, get in touch – love to hear from you!

Have a great week!

Karori Lions and Johnsonville Lions were among many Lions clubs attending their annual District Convention at the Southward Car Museum in Kapiti on 11 and 12 March.

Very topical was the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle across this Lions District, which includes Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay.

Vice District Governor Carol McMillan, from the Hastings Host Lions Club, showed a series of heart-rending pictures of the damage, and provided details of Lions’ hands-on and financial help, including substantial grants from Lions nationally, as well as from the Lions Clubs International Foundation.

The theme for the convention was the environment, and Karori Lions brought along a display of environmental projects undertaken over the past 20 years.

Keynote speaker was Alan Freeth, CEO of the Environmental Protection Authority, who painted a sombre picture of the impact of consumer excess and the failure to mitigate climate change.

A unique and poignant moment was created during the Flag Ceremony, during which a selected number of flags were carried forward and displayed, culminating with the New Zealand flag and the singing of the national anthem.

On this occasion, the assembly of Lions stood while the flag of Ukraine was carried forward against the backdrop of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing the national anthem of Ukraine in the Royal Albert Hall, London.

While Lions International is non-political, it is one of many organisations that have provided aid to the millions of displaced persons and refugees resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Bullying prevention at Churton Park School

Churton Park School has a programme in place aimed at bullying prevention.

Churton Park is a KiVa school.

KiVa means kind or nice and is an approach to bullying prevention that has been developed at the University of Turku in Finland.

KiVa has had a significant impact on reducing incidents of bullying across Aotearoa, helping tamariki and rangitahi grow and develop to their potential.

The goal of KiVa is to prevent bullying and to tackle the cases of bullying effectively.

The programme is based on decades of extensive research of bullying and its mechanisms, and is based on three main elements: prevention, intervention and monitoring.

“We have decided to implement this programme to be proactive and provide our young people with the skills to deal with these issues if or when they arise,” the school says.

The school is also desperately looking for parent helpers for road patrol on Thursday afternoons.

All it requires of the volunteers is to stand at the pedestrian crossing with the road patrollers to ensure the children crossing the road are safe.

The road patrol parent helpers serve for 15 minutes – from 2:55 to 3:10pm.

For more information to join the programme contact mareeg@churtonpark. school.nz.