The case for not doing it yourself
The job looks easy from the ground, then it eats a whole weekend. Add the second story, gutters you would rather not lean on, and the fact that December in the Upstate can be wet, and a lot of people decide it is worth hiring out.
The parts of the job
A full Christmas light installation is more than a crew showing up with your old strands. It starts with a design for the house: which lines get lit, what color, how it reads from the street. Then the install, handled by people who do this all season. 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.
Storage is the underrated part
Everybody thinks about the install. Fewer people think about the takedown. EverCrest Lighting handles takedown and keeps the lights in off season storage, so it comes back out ready the following year.
Homes and businesses
At a house, the work is the roofline, the porch and the landscaping. Commercial holiday lighting is doing another job: a business wants to look open and be noticed in December. 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 what is in scope, since a general description leaves room for surprise. Agree on who owns the lights, because it changes what happens in January. And agree on what January looks like before anything goes up.
Reading a Christmas lighting quote
A quote that is just a number is not a quote. Scope should be written down: the exact lines and features included. Material ownership belongs on the page. It should say who takes them down and where the lights live until next year. And it should say what happens if something quits in the middle of December.The realistic version is undramatic. You come home and it is done,
https://cruzymfz413.bearsfanteamshop.com/holiday-lights-that-stay-up-how-they-work-start-to-finish-are-permanent-holiday-lights-worth-it-here-is-what-to-weigh having spent the afternoon somewhere else. After the season they come back and take it down, and nothing lands in your attic.
The other option: a permanent system
If you are going to do this every single year, ask about permanent lighting at least once. Permanent lighting is one install that covers the holidays and the rest of the calendar too. EverCrest Lighting does 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].