The case for not doing it yourself
Hanging Christmas lights is fine right up until the second story. Add the second story, gutters you would rather not lean on, and the fact that December in the Upstate can be wet, and the math changes.
What you should be getting
A proper Christmas light installation is more than a crew showing up with your old strands. It starts with a plan: which lines get lit, what color, how it reads from the street. Then installation, which is the part you are really paying to skip. Then maintenance through the season, because a strand will eventually act up. And then takedown in January and storage until next year, so nothing comes back into your garage.
The part nobody asks about
Everybody plans for putting them up. Fewer people think about the takedown. Takedown and off season storage are part of the service, so your attic stays empty.
Residential and commercial holiday lighting
At a house, the work is the roofline, the porch and the landscaping. For a business, the display is doing marketing work, which is why storefronts, entries and patios get the attention. The install schedule is the part that takes planning, since most businesses want the ladders gone before the doors open.
What to agree on before you book
Be clear about which parts of
https://evercrestlighting.com/permanent-lighting/ the property are included, since a general description leaves room for surprise. Agree on who owns the lights, because it changes what happens in January. And agree on takedown and storage before anything goes up.
Reading a Christmas lighting quote
One line and a price is not something you can weigh against another company. It should say what gets lit in specific terms: rooflines, entries, trees, walkways. Material ownership belongs on the page. Takedown and off season storage should be spelled out, not left to a handshake. And it should say what happens if something quits in the middle of December.The realistic version is undramatic. A crew shows up on a scheduled day, the display goes in, and you did not touch a ladder. In January another day gets scheduled and it all comes down.
The other option: a permanent system
If you are going to do this every single year, it is worth asking about permanent lighting once. Permanent lighting is one install that covers December and every ordinary evening after it. EverCrest Lighting installs both. Consultations are free. Based in Greenville, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].