Best 7 Areas to Boost Curb Appeal with Outdoor Lighting
If you’ve ever driven past a home at night that has professionally installed landscape lighting, there’s a very good chance it caught your eye.
One of the main benefits of outdoor landscape lighting is its visual appeal – proper lighting can make even the most modest of homes look stately and sophisticated. A well-manicured lawn and immaculate gardens are great for curb appeal, but what happens at night when these features are no longer visible?
Whether you’re looking to put your house on the market, or you want to stay where you are, you can easily spruce up the curb appeal of your property and home value with a great outdoor lighting design.
The Benefits of Landscape Lighting
Its Gets Attention and Improves Curb Appeal
Most homeowners put a lot of time and effort into the curb appeal of their home. They work on gardens, lawncare, porch decorations—but all that effort goes unnoticed at night. Professionally designed outdoor lighting will accentuate your home’s architecture and landscaping as well as improve security and safety all year round. Gables, symmetrical pillars, stone facades, don’t lose any of those fabulous features because the sun went down!
Good landscape lighting design is understated and subtle (the opposite of flood lighting) but still points all the attention to the features of your home you’re most proud of.
Outdoor lighting ensures your home has its best side turned to the street day or night, summer or winter!
Increases theSecurity of Your Property
Thieves search out darkened lanes and doorways, but effective landscape lighting makes your home less attractive to them because there’s no longer any dark spaces to linger in and neighbours can see clearly what’s going on. A well-lit home or business is far less likely to be targeted by criminals. Burglars and vandals look for the easy targets, entry points they can get to and from without being noticed.
Thieves aside, outdoor lighting also helps prevent minor injuries from slips and falls due to unseen walkways or paths, changes in elevations such as on stairs or porches, and guides guests directly to your door in a way that’s warm and welcoming.
Look out for family and friends’ safety and have them convinced the outdoor lighting is just there to make things look nice—how clever are you!
Outdoor Lighting Adds Value
According to the Better Homes & Gardens professionally installed outdoor landscape lighting has a return on investment of 50%-60% and can increase property value by over 20%! This often equates to the homeowner recouping 100% to 200% of their investment!
Imagine the value added by being able to see the landscaping and architectural features that make your home stand out morning, noon, and night all year round!
7 Outdoor Lighting Areas that will Enhance Curb Appeal
Creating dramatic curb appeal isn’t as hard as you think! In fact, your daytime curb appeal might be just fine, but no one can see it at night! Don’t settle for just safety or security with your outdoor lighting, create an effect you love, that’s welcoming, and gets noticed for all the right reasons.
Here are 7 areas around your property where outdoor landscape lighting will boost your home’s curb appeal:
Front Door
Your front door is the focal point for your home. It needs to be functional, yes, but it can also be stylish and a reflection of your taste and personality.
While it’s important to illuminate your front door for safety and security reasons, it’s also beneficial to highlight your front door with aesthetic value in mind. You need more than a fancy wreath on the door to make it a focal point! Don’t skip adding the perfect lighting around your front door or porch. You need to ensure there is adequate lighting simply to ensure you can see to get the key in the door or punch in the code after dark, but outdoor lighting draws the eye and can be either stark, ineffective, or WOW your guests and neighbours.
Old or dated fixtures don’t put your home’s best foot forward when it comes to curb appeal. For instance, a single door entrance would be served well by a single fixture that functionally illuminates the door and house number, but don’t forget to choose a style that fits the look of the home. For a double-door entry, symmetry is a great effect with matching fixtures on each side to highlight not just the house number but any decorative touches you might add.
By updating or adding fixtures, your front door can create visual appeal to make your home pop from the street.
Porch
Good design is all about balance and many homes have front porches that are too small to create an eye-catching focal point on their own. Add some fantastic outdoor lights and BOOM! Suddenly your neighbours are commenting on how nice your home looks.
Consider replacing tiny fixtures with larger pieces to make a great statement. Eye-catching pendant lights are growing in popularity. Post lights can functionally light up stairs and still look amazing. Recessed lighting (lights flush with the surface they’re mounted into) can cast subtle light from under a railing, bench seat, or stair treads. Lighted plant containers and planters are growing trends. They highlight not only the plants in them but cast ambient light that’s not glaring or harsh—and can be a great conversation piece.
There are so many great ways to effectively light up your porch, you’ll just want to stare at the front of your home!
Landscaping
While the front entrance of your home is important for increasing curb appeal, highlighting the landscape of your property can also add aesthetic value to your home. A great way to do this is by highlighting a focal point in your front yard such as a tree, by using uplighting effects. Mounting a light at the base of the tree and pointing it upward will accent this landscaping feature and draw attention to it as a focal point in your outdoor lighting design.
We love our flowers and trees and shrubs, and outdoor lighting can ensure you enjoy them at night too. Whether the fixture is flush with the ground and pointing up through the leaves and branches, placed behind to cast shadows and highlight shapes and movement, or placed among tall branches looking down to mimic moonlight, your landscaping won’t go unnoticed at night any longer. The eye is drawn to the landscaping details without overpowering the other aspects of your outdoor lighting for curb appeal.
Remember, a lighthouse makes no noise, but everyone notices it.
Architectural Landscape Lighting
Every home has unique architectural features worth highlighting that add character to your curb appeal. Century homes often have peaks, scroll work, or other unique features. Modern homes have sharp angles and clean lines. Lights looking down from beneath the eaves highlight columns, pillars, and other symmetrical details.
Wash lights can maximize the perception of height and can make even plain walls looks attractive at night.
The best outdoor lighting design often maximizes simplicity to draw the eye to the details of the home and not the light itself.
Backyard Landscape Lighting
Of course, you shouldn’t limit your outdoor lighting installation to the front yard. The backyard is where the entertaining happens. Use our spotlight to highlight any tall trees or columns in your property. Spotlights are great for making taller structures more striking.
Your yard has the potential to be bright and beautiful all year round. Add some drama and depth to your property with an outdoor lighting installation.
Pathways and Sidewalks
No one wants their front walkway to look like an airport runway. Add some style and class to you outdoor lighting—even lighting meant primarily for safety, by using recess lighting to provide subtle up light.
Place lights among the foliage in walkway gardens to cast ambient light that highlights the garden and guides your guests’ feet on the walkway. Post and stake lights come in a variety of styles, power needs, and can highlight unique features like stone pathways and ground cover plantings. Add a romantic feel by placing lights in the shrubs and trees along the pathway to cast shadows on the walkway that still provide safety light but create an ethereal effect at the same time.
Pathway lighting is really versatile so don’t aim just for utilitarian—reach for a style that makes you smile whenever you’re walking that path or walkway.
Driveway Lighting
The easy way to light up a driveway at night is to place lights at evenly spaced intervals down the length of the drive. Ho-hum. Can you hear the drone of airplanes in your ears looking for your runway? *grin* Neighbours walk or drive by and nod – that’s a driveway. Instead, use outdoor lighting on your driveway to draw the eye right up to the house and make them go WOW!
Try staggering the lights on alternating sides so that drivers can see clearly but the lighting isn’t overpowering or intrusively bright.
Focus light on places where there are bends or curves in the drive, and highlight close obstacles such as trees, walls, fences, boulders, or a hillside.
A lamppost or entry pier at the entrance to your driveway can add curb appeal, provide safety lighting, and also illuminate an address marker. This style of light would require a little extra work (underground wiring), but this means they’ll shine bright no matter the weather or season.
Let your personality and the character of your home shine by choosing a fixture that draws the eye.
Outdoor Lighting Techniques
Uplighting, downlighting, and pathway lighting are three simple ways to instantly increase the curb appeal of any home.
Uplighting: The outdoor landscaping lighting experts at Nite Time Decor use uplighting to create depth. Uplighting is achieved by placing a light on the ground and pointing the beam up towards an object. This technique is perfect for highlighting a tree, sculpture, gazebo, or arbor. Uplighting can also be placed behind an object to emphasize it’s silhouette.
Downlighting: Downlighting it commonly used for safety and security purposes. Downlighting, or moonlighting as it’s often referred to, involves placing a landscape lighting fixture up above eye level and pointing it down. The effect is very natural looking and is a great way to illuminate a dark pathway.
Pathway Lighting: Low voltage pathway lighting is a great way to add a third layer of illumination to your landscape. Placing lights under railings, benches, and stairs can help eliminate accidents and increase the usability of decks, porches, and pools.
Contact Nite Time Decor
If you want to create a landscape lighting design that will boost the value and curb appeal of your home, it’s best to talk to an outdoor lighting professional. Whether you are ready to install a landscape lighting design today, or you’re looking for some general information on how to spruce up the outside of your home, our experienced team at Nite Time Décor Oakville can help you with all your outdoor lighting design needs. We invite you to view our residential gallery showcasing some of the lighting solutions we’ve provided for our clients.
Nite Time Decor serves homeowners and businesses throughout Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, Hamilton and the Halton region. We want your home to shine from the street day and night! Contact our expert team at Nite Time Décor today for a professional evaluation of your home and yard. We’ll take care of the details to ensure everything is done right the first time, and then sit back as the compliments from neighbours and guests pour in!
5 Great Reason’s You’ll Love Working with Nite Time Decor
You’ve done your research and you’ve reviewed your options. After weeks of contemplation, you’ve decided that outdoor lighting is definitely something you want to add to your home or business. Now all you have to do is select an outdoor lighting company to handle the design and installation.
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place!
At Nite Time Décor, we don’t just install exceptional outdoor lighting systems, we use our artistic talents to illuminate the night and enhance the appearance and value of your home. Whether you’re lighting a walkway, pool, patio, or garden, our outdoor lighting company has the skill and experience needed to execute a breathtaking and budget-savvy design.
Outdoor lighting is truly an art form, and it’s one that we’ve spent years mastering. Still need some convincing?
Here are five reasons why you’ll love working with our outdoor lighting company:
5. We’re Experienced
When it comes to designing and installing outdoor lighting systems, we know our stuff. Our team is comprised of knowledgeable, experienced landscape lighting technicians. We know all the ins and outs when it comes to wiring and electrical connections, plus we know how to position our fixtures to achieve the maximum impact. Any landscape company can put a spotlight under a tree in order to provide “lighting services”, but that’s not the business that our outdoor lighting company is in. Our landscape lighting designers are driven to illuminate your property in a way that’s both functional and fantastic.
4. We Offer Exceptional Customer Service
No job is ever complete at Nite Time Décor thanks to our outstanding customer service and maintenance department. From follow-up visits to year-round maintenance, our team of technicians are there when you need them. Not every outdoor lighting company offers ongoing maintenance; here at Nite Time Décor, we promise to not only service our own installations, but to also provide you with expert advice and assistance concerning our competitors’ systems too.
3. Professional Fixtures and Proven Warranties
Nite Time Décor’s line of outdoor lighting fixtures are top-of-the-line. Designed to complement a wide variety of styles and tastes, our durable fixtures provide a flawless finish to any lighting project. We also stand behind our products and installation, offering all of our clients warranty coverage on most of the components utilized by our Nite Time Decor outdoor lighting company.
2. We Have An Eye for Design
It might sound cheesy, but it’s true – our lighting experts are artists in disguise! Each member of our outdoor lighting team has an intuitive knack for lighting design, providing our customers with a seemingly endless array of lighting designs.
1. We Genuinely Care About What We Do
No ifs, ands, or buts about it. We want your outdoor lighting system to look fantastic. With that, we want to make sure that the lighting contributes to the safety and security of your property without polluting your neighbours yard. It’s this attention to detail that ultimately helps set our outdoor lighting company after from all the rest. Transform your home into a masterpiece of light, architecture, landscape and love. Book a complimentary consultation with Nite Time Décor today and let us show you the light!
While it can be tough to sell a home in today’s market, it’s not an impossible task. One of the quickest ways to increase the value of your home is by updating your landscaping and improving your curb appeal. Investing in your property may in fact be more important than investing into renovations on the inside – because the outside is what all prospective home buyers see first.
The most dramatic improvement that will definitely increase the curb appeal of your home is by installing professionally designed landscape lighting. Good landscape lighting will instantly make your home stand out from the rest of the properties in your neighbourhood and attract more potential buyers.
Consider contacting Nite Time Décor, an experienced landscape lighting company serving Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Halton and Hamilton homeowners and businesses and provides a free consultation and quote.
The benefits of landscape lighting
Improve curb appeal
The most obvious advantage to landscape lighting is the improvement to the appearance of your home, especially at night. If positioned correctly, the lights will make architectural characteristics of your house stand out more than ever, which will in turn make your whole house look like a beautiful work of art.
There are also many functional benefits to landscape lighting:
Enhance the Safety of Your backyard
If you are concerned about the safety around your backyard, outdoor lighting from Nite Time Decor can improve visibility for you and your family. For example, you could use underwater lights or In Ground Well Lights to surround the exterior of your pool. Or you could use well lights to light paths around your above ground pool – just be sure to space the lights up properly. You don’t want that runway effect, so a pleasing design is essential.
If you need some additional lights when you take out the recycling or garbage, why not install some motion sensors? Your Oakville outdoor lighting service by Nite Time Decor could also place some reflectors or LED lights in the stones or asphalt surface of your path to catch any overhead lighting.
Security
Believe it or not, landscape lighting can actually protect your home from criminal activity, including robbery and vandalism. Having multiple lights in your front and backyard, especially around doorways and windows, will prevent criminals from approaching your home unnoticed.
More living space at night
Another functional aspect of landscape lighting is that it allows you to use your front and backyard long after the sun sets. With proper landscape lighting, you would be able to see almost as clearly during night as you would during daytime, especially if you use flood lights. You can even brighten your patio table by attaching lights to the umbrella. The possibilities are limitless!
If you take all these factors into consideration, landscape lighting can drastically improve the look and functionality your home – and most buyers will notice this.
So, if you want to sell your house for a competitive price, landscape lighting is a great addition to your home. And if you want your house to be illuminated by professionals, working with a local landscape lighting company like Nite Time Décor is the way to go.
How to improve existing lighting
Many homes already have landscape lighting, so if you would like to improve what you already have, here are some useful tips.
Keep your lights clean
One of the easiest ways to improve your existing landscape lighting is by cleaning the light fixtures and lenses. Too much dust, dirt and debris makes your lights look old and unappealing, so be sure to clean all of them. This will make the light shine brighter and improve the look of your fixtures.
Check your lights
Make sure that all your lights function properly! It may seem like an obvious detail, but it’s extremely easy to miss and can be quite unappealing – especially to those visiting your property for the first time. So, be sure to pay attention to this seemingly minor detail.
Pruning for light
Another obstacle that may get in the way of your lighting is your landscaping, especially if you have overgrown trees and plans. They tend to shade or obstruct a great deal of light, making your property darker than it should be. The best solution to this problem is to keep your shrubs and trees properly pruned.
How to add new lighting
If you’d like to add new lighting, here are some useful tips to remember.
Light up your front yard
The most important part of your home is the front yard. This is because it’s the first thing people see when they approach your house. Illuminating your home with quality landscape lighting fixtures can make all the difference. You’ll see the benefits of the upgrade right away.
Update your lights
Replace anything that is either old or looks old, especially old light bulbs and outdated lantern-style light fixtures. When it comes to light bulbs, don’t buy the discount variety, and use high quality constant-colour lamps instead. Cheap light bulbs can make your house and landscaping look worse than it is, giving potential buyers the wrong impression. The same applies to outdated fixtures. They too can be extremely off-putting to many prospective buyers, so be sure to replace them.
Light up the dark areas of your home
You should also take a careful look at your property to see if there are any areas around your home that seem too dark and are therefore in need of more lighting. Most importantly, be sure that your front door, windows, and the border around your front yard are adequately lit. The same applies to your backyard – as well as your patio table and BBQ grill. Prospective buyers tend to check out those areas to make sure they are all well-lit.
Contact Nite Time Decor Today!
If you need professional help with your landscape lighting, don’t be shy. We cover residential and commercial landscape lighting design. We do repairs, replacements, upgrades, as well as electrical and wiring troubleshooting. What’s more, we will also replace the bulbs and transformers in your installation for a worry-free experience. Get in touch with the Halton and Hamilton region landscape lighting experts at Nite Time Décor today.
If you’re on the fence about investing in landscape lighting, it’s time to commit to a brighter future! There are so many reasons to add landscape lighting to your outdoor décor that it’s actually silly not to do it.
When it comes to landscape lighting, a lot of people tend to think of the aesthetic value it brings to a home, and rightfully so – as the right design can illuminate the best features of your home while adding curb appeal.
But landscape lighting does more than just give your home a beautiful glow long after the sun’s gone down, it also provides a range of other benefits including security, safety, comfort and utility.
Here are the top 10 reasons to install landscape lighting at your home or commercial property:
10. Outdoor Landscape Lighting Creates a Focal Point
Outdoor landscape lighting can help add drama to your property by creating focal points. Landscape lighting companies often focus on large trees, water features, and statues in order to create eye-catching focal points on a property.
9. Outdoor Landscape Lighting Can Extend Your Living Area
Why spend your time inside when you can enjoy more time in the garden or relaxing on your patio? A creative landscape lighting design can help you enjoy your outdoor space at all hours of the day… and night!
A beautiful backyard porch or patio is great during the daytime, but if you aren’t able to use it after the sun has set, you are missing out on a valuable living space in your home. This is especially true for smaller homes as an outdoor oasis can open your home up and create additional lounging and entertaining space. What’s more, a landscape lighting design also offers the comfort and relaxation of spending a warm summer evening out under the stars with family and friends.
8. Outdoor Landscape Lighting Increases the Curb Appeal of Your Property
Outdoor landscaping lighting can increase the curb appeal of any residential, commercial, or industrial property. Even if your home is modest, landscape lighting can give it a little additional charm and whimsy.
A beautiful outdoor landscape lighting design shows that you take pride in your property and appreciate the natural beauty of your surroundings. And give your neighbours something to appreciate (and envy!). Not only that, it will make your home stand on a crowded block as well.
7. Outdoor Lighting Systems Increase the Safety and Security of Your Property
Illuminating the unique features of your home is one thing, but when it comes to the security of your home and the safety of your loved ones inside of it, nothing else matters. Fortunately landscape lighting helps to secure your home and deter from incidents like criminal and animal activity.
One of the worst feelings is pulling into the driveway late at night and realizing you’ve forgotten to turn your porch light on. With no lighting outside to guide you, you slowly make your way to the door from your driveway, hoping to avoid sidestepping into your garden. Once there, you struggle to find the key you’re looking for. With a landscape lighting design, you no longer need to make that late-night navigation to your doorstep.
In addition, a well lit home or business deters criminals. Protect your property with the power of outdoor lighting. Homes that are poorly lit are more than 30% more likely to be targeted by vandals or criminals. Sophisticated spotlights and programmable time settings and motion sensor lights add character at the same time enhancing the safety and security of your space.
6. Outdoor Lighting Systems Look Great All Season Long
It doesn’t matter whether the snow’s blowing or the sun’s shining, outdoor landscape lighting looks great all year long. Landscape lighting adds beauty to your home, enhancing its look, curb appeal and its resale value. Lighting provides a welcoming feeling to anyone who visits after dark. And who doesn’t like a brightly lit home to greet them? Our outdoor lighting experts can also help you highlight a beautifully decorated holiday tree or shine a light on a seasonal floral arrangement.
5. Outdoor Lighting Systems Raise Property Values
Landscape lighting improves the appearance, safety, and ambiance of your home, which will have an impact when you go to sell it. Having professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting system will increase the resale value of your home and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Studies have show that outdoor lighting systems can increase the value of your home by more than 20%. However, if the lighting is poorly installed or placed, it will not have nearly as big of an impact, which is why you should invest in our reputable landscape lighting service.
4. Outdoor Lighting Makes Your Property Aesthetically Pleasing
Nothing shows off your home like a sophisticated outdoor lighting system. Shine a light on your home’s architectural details, draw attention to a well-manicured garden, or light the way on your front walk – Nite Time Decor can show you how!
3. Energy-Efficient Outdoor Lighting is Environmentally-Friendly
A professional outdoor lighting design will make your yard the talk of the neighbourhood! Whether you’re throwing an evening pool party or an intimate midnight cocktail party, wow your guests with dramatic lighting that really sets the mood.
1. Outdoor Lighting Systems are More Affordable Than You’d Think!
Nite Time Decor can create a totally custom outdoor lighting installation for your home or business for as little as $3,500! Our low-voltage systems are also extremely efficient when it comes to hydro usage. A ten light, low voltage system will use less than $50 of electricity a year. Talk about a great value!
Get a FREE Consultation and Quote Today!
Why are you waiting to light up your yard? Contact a Nite Time Decor sales representative today to receive a personalized quote concerning your outdoor lighting project.
