5 things that people with consistently cool homes in summer always have – heatwave essentials that will keep your home comfortable when it gets hot

While it's lovely that summer weather has finally arrived in the UK, I do hate when my house gets too hot for comfort. As someone who's not very heat tolerant at the best of times, works from home and has a pet, not being able to find respite in the heat can be really difficult.

While a home's orientation and insulation levels will play a big part in how susceptible it is to overheating, there are a few key things that those with consistently cool homes during the summer have that can be applied to any home to keep unwanted heat out.

This year, I'm determined this year to do everything I can to prevent my home from overheating, especially if that means I can stay cool in bed overnight. So I've done my research and quizzed my friends whose homes always seem to be comfortably cool when the heat hits, and these are the tricks they swear by.

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1. A decent fan

Having one of the best fans ready to go in your home when the heat hits is absolutely essential. But not all fans are created equal, and if you've still got the same inexpensive fan that you've had for 10 years it might be time to upgrade.

Many of the newer fans on the market are more powerful, more energy efficient and offer much better oscillation than their older counterparts, which means they are much more effective at getting the air circulating around your home. That air movement across your skin helps you to feel cooler and, if you position your fan correctly, can push hot air out and help you draw cooler air in.

2. Blackout curtains or blinds

Blackout or thermal blinds and curtains are not only useful for keeping your home warm in winter, but they can also help keep it cool in summer by effectively blocking the sunlight from coming in to your home.

But for this to be most effective you have to be strategic about when you open and close them. Having the curtains (and windows) open overnight can help release the warm air that has built up in your home during the day, and let in the fresher air during the coolest hours of the day.

It's a good idea to then close your blinds while your home is at it's coolest, and before the sun has chance to stream through your windows again.

3. Outdoor shade

If you have large windows or patio doors to your garden, then you might be enjoying beautiful views of your outdoor space, but you're probably also making your home hotter. Especially if you have a south-facing garden.

But those with cool homes have embraced either permanent or temporary garden shade ideas to prevent overheating, while maintaining views and connection with the outdoor space.

Sun sails, awnings and pergolas attached to, or placed close to your home, can offer additional shade around large patio doors, and help to ease solar gain. Even fast-growing climbing plants can help to provide a bit of additional shade to keep your home feeling cool.

4. Smart plugs

Leaving appliances on standby not only means that you could be wasting energy, but they could also be emitting heat which is making your home hotter (and which means you have to work harder to cool it down).

Investing in smart plug that will allow you to use your phone to turn off any vampire appliances that you aren't using will mean that they stop generating any unnecessary heat without you realising it.

It could also prevent the appliances themselves from overheating.

For those appliances that you do use more regularly, like ovens, switching to an air fryer during a heatwave can help keep your kitchen cool.

5. Air conditioning

For those with the most consistently cool homes during summer, air conditioning is arguably the biggest game changer. With summers seemingly getting hotter each year, more and more people are turning to portable or even fitted air con options to maintain their comfort levels at home.

The easiest and most affordable option is to invest in a portable air conditioner. While these units can be noisy, using them to pre-cool a room before you use it can make it much more bearable.

The quietest option, however, is to opt for fitted air conditioning. But with these units fixed to your wall, you can't move it around with you, so you'll need to pick which room or rooms you want cooling most. This is also a more expensive option. Where a portable air conditioner could cost around £400, fitted air con in a single room could cost around £2,000.