The winter brings cold winds, snow, and ice. You will need to prepare your patio before the weather gets too bad out there in order to protect your plants, and make sure that your outdoor furniture does not look too worn before it’s time.

Here are some top tips to make sure that you get your patio furniture ready for the cold snap:

1. Remove and store your outdoor furniture

You may have furniture that is designed to survive the winter, however, if you have the storage space, it is well worth moving it inside your garage for the really cold months. By taking this simple precaution, you will be extending the life of your outdoor furniture as those harsh temperatures can cause some wear and tear year over year.

Another advantage to moving all of your furniture from the patio, is that it makes it a lot easier to clean and remove snow on the ground. If you have furniture in the way it can be time consuming to sweep and shovel around the legs of tables and chairs.

2. Give your BBQ a good clean

Even though you always clean your grill after use, before you finally decide that BBQ season is over, you may want to give your outdoor cooking set up a little more care and attention. It is not enough to simply throw the cover over the top of your BBQ and wait until May to unveil it. Ideally you want to remove all the parts that you can and then use a degreasing agent to thoroughly clean the grill.

If your grill is gas, then you should remove the canister and place it somewhere cool and dry for the winter.

3. A good old-fashioned tidying up

By taking a few moments to give your outdoor space a good clean and sweep, you will thank yourself come the Spring. By removing the remaining few leaves and dirt that has built up, you will be making sure that you give your patio a fresh start when it comes time to putting out all of your outdoor furniture once again.

4. Make sure you have some lights out there

The winter is a dark time, if you have guests over you who will want to pop outside now and again, it is a great idea to have a few solar powered lights so that they can find their way. You could even consider having a full lighting system installed outside to really make your garden into something really special.

Having outdoor lights on at night can really add to the ambiance of those cold winter nights when you have friends and family over.

5. Be prepared to keep an eye on things out there

Now that you have prepared your outdoor space for the winter, it is worth making a habit out of checking to see if the winter has caused any damage out there throughout the season. If you notice a buildup of snow, you should shovel it away, especially if it is on a deck or other raised surface.

6. Move any plants

Bring the plants that you care about inside if you can, if you have space for them that is. The last thing that you want is to start your precious herb garden from scratch again. Or, maybe you do? Just be mindful, that any plants that you leave outside, one cold night could be the end of them

Maintaining and preparing your patio for winter is not at all a difficult task. All you really need to do is remove a few items and keep it clean.