Insulation for holiday homes in winter

June 2025

Is your holiday home insulated & ready for winter? If not, you risk damage that will need costly repairs in spring. Here’s what you have to do to get your holiday rental properly insulated in time for winter.

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The importance of insulation in your holiday home

Insulation is extremely important if you hope to rent out your holiday flat in winter, or your guests will be in for a pretty chilly time. It will also help prevent damage. Properties without insulation are far more likely to suffer from damp or burst pipes, which are expensive to repair.

If you have an older building, then it may need particular attention. Insulation standards have increased over the years. In the past, buildings often had just 120 mm of insulation. Nowadays, new builds in the UK are fitted with 270 mm as standard, which can make a huge difference.

Look at different parts of your holiday home, as each will need different treatments.

1. Insulating walls

Homes lose around a third of heat through walls, so yours will need attention if you want people to rent your house for holidays.

There are two kinds of walls. Cavity walls have a gap inside and will need a professional to inject insulation into them. Solid walls can be insulated by fitting rigid boards to the inside or by adding a layer of insulation material to the outside, followed by plasterwork or cladding. This will usually be done when the property is built, as it is an expensive and time-consuming process.

2. Insulating roofs from the inside

The good news is that insulating a roof from the inside is quite easy, and it’s something that can make a huge difference to your holiday home. Properties lose 25% of heat through the roof.

If you want to know how to insulate an existing roof, it’s not hard. That’s especially true if you have loft access. Make sure there is no dampness or condensation in the loft, or you’ll have to call in the professionals. However, if your loft is in good condition, this is a simple DIY project.

Mineral wool insulation is one of the best kinds of insulation for roofs. You’ll want to install two layers, with the second laid at a right angle over the first. This will ensure that your insulation is deep enough and provides the necessary cold protection. You’ll find step-by-step guides and videos on sites like YouTube, showing you exactly how to insulate a roof from the inside.

3. Insulating roofs from the outside

Don’t have a loft? Thermal insulation for external roofs is trickier and usually requires the help of a professional. Generally, external roof insulation involves removing tiles or slates to expose the roof trusses, inserting a damp-proof membrane, and then covering it with rigid insulation panels. A rainscreen membrane covers this before the tiles are laid again.

You can look for step-by-step guides on how to insulate a tiled roof, but it’s a lot more complicated than internal insulation, and mistakes are easier to make. Roof insulation from the outside will probably need professional attention. In any case, you’ll need to plan this in advance. This work can only be carried out in dry weather.

4. Insulating floors

It’s easy to neglect the floor when it comes to insulation — but a warm, cosy holiday rental can’t have a cold floor. If your property is an upstairs flat, you’re in luck. Floor insulation is usually only required on the ground floor.

To install floor insulation, you’ll first need to consider what type of floor you have. Rigid insulation boards can be added on top of a concrete floor, but older homes will often have suspended floors with a gap under the boards. In this case, you’ll have to lift the floorboards to install a thick layer of mineral wool insulation.

Like roof insulation for roofs, installing floor insulation is a pretty straightforward process. You can easily handle this as a DIY project, but ensure you have enough time to move your furniture, lift the floorboards, insert the insulation and finally replace them.

5. Insulating water pipes

Don’t forget your water pipes. As you don’t often see them, they may slip your mind — but insulated pipes are less likely to burst or freeze, and they can also save you money on your energy bills by reducing the energy required to heat the property’s water.

Pipe insulation comes in a variety of materials, including foam, rubber and fiberglass. Which material you choose is up to you; foam is good for moisture protection, rubber is good for pipes that vibrate and move frequently (due to its flexibility), and fiberglass is the best for enduring very hot water temperatures. You simply just choose the material & the right size, and wrap it around your pipes.

Quick DIY insulation hacks for your holiday home

There’s no substitute for proper insulation, but if you’re in a hurry or on a budget, here’s what you can do yourself:

• Use a tube of sealants to seal the gaps between floors and skirting boards. This will help keep out any draughts.
• Add rugs or carpets to the floor. If you’re going to do this, make sure you update the photos on your holiday rental website to show the carpets.
• Insert radiator reflector panels. These are fixed behind your radiators and reflect heat back into the room rather than letting it escape through the walls. Only place them where a radiator is attached to an external wall.
• If you have traditional wooden windows, use caulk to seal any cracks in the woodwork. Keep an eye out for damp or rotting wood.

Remember, these hacks can help you keep your property warmer, but you should also add proper insulation when you can. Insulation isn’t just about keeping people comfortable — it will also stop seasonal damage. As an additional precaution, you should also take a look at the outside of your property and regularly clear fallen leaves and debris from pipes.

The level to which you insulate and “winterise” your holiday home will also depend on your business plans. Some holiday home owners do not advertise their rental properties at all over winter. In this case, you’ll need enough insulation to protect the house, but you probably won’t want to add any special cosy touches. However, if you’re hoping to attract guests to your property in the cold months, then thick rugs, blankets and other special touches will also help.

Remember, landlords who want to rent out their holiday rental over winter should also advertise specifically about this on holiday rental portals. Take fresh photos showing your holiday rental in winter so that guests have an accurate view of what it’s like. You might want to change the decor to fit the season. Just make sure to replace it when summer rolls around again.

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