Permanent Christmas Lights: A Comprehensive Overview

We are gradually getting closer to the holiday season. Many individuals and families look forward to it all year. Part of enjoying the festivities usually involves decorating your house. You might take a great deal of time to think about the right decorations for both the inside and outside of your home.  

Permanent Christmas lights might be on your radar as we get closer to the holidays. You can install these instead of putting ones up that you must take down when Christmas concludes. You may not feel certain about having permanent lights on the house, though. We will take some time to talk about the pros and cons of installing them in the following article.

Why Would You Want Permanent Christmas Lights?

First, it makes sense to talk about why you would want to go with some permanent Christmas lights rather than ones that you take down at the conclusion of the holidays. The first and most obvious reason is that if the Christmas lights that you put up remain permanently affixed to the house, you don’t have to go through the lengthy process of taking them down when the holidays end and then stringing them up again next year.

Also, if you put up permanent Christmas lights, you will not have to go through the annoying process of untangling them each year and checking to see that all of them are undamaged. You will be able to see any ones that need replacing much easier if they are always up and clearly visible.

When you move, you can use them as a selling point, assuming you can find some buyers who like getting into the holiday spirit. Some new homeowners might like the prospect of already having Christmas lights installed that they can simply turn on when the holidays roll around.

There is also the fact that they are more energy-efficient to consider. The permanent variety of Christmas lights usually do not expend as much energy as the ones you put up and take down each year, which will save you some money on your energy bill after the holidays.

However, there are some potential drawbacks that are worth talking about as well.

What Are Some Drawbacks with Permanent Christmas Lights?

As far as possible drawbacks go, the most obvious one is that some people might feel like year-around Christmas lights are gaudy or unnecessary. Such individuals may not have as much holiday spirit as others. It’s also a possibility that while some potential homebuyers may see it as a positive that there are permanent Christmas lights on the house, others may view it as a negative, especially if they don’t celebrate the holiday.

However, there are always ways around this. You can still take down Christmas lights, even ones that have the unofficial designation of “permanent.” It takes a little more effort to get this kind down, but it’s still possible.

The one other thing you should keep in mind is that you might live in a neighborhood that has a homeowners association. They can be very stringent about what you can and can’t do to your home. Something as minor as Christmas lights probably will not get you any negative attention from one, but you never know if they might find fault with you if you put them up without getting an okay first.

What Should You Keep in Mind if You Install Them?

If you decide that year-round Christmas lights appeal to you, then you should be sure to purchase them from a credible brand. If you buy some that don’t work so well, you will have to go through the process of not just affixing them to the house but taking them down as well. That is sure to irritate you.

You can look at some of the reviews of the various permanent Christmas light options online. If you find a company with some excellent feedback from customers, you can buy them with a lot more confidence.

You should also decide whether it makes more sense for you to buy them from a brick-and-mortar store location or online. There are plenty of options you can get from Amazon or a similar online marketplace. However, you may not be able to get the answers to all the questions you have about them.

If you opt for permanent lights that you get from a hardware store chain like Home Depot instead, then you can ask the sales people there about them. They are usually more than happy to talk to you about any product before you buy it, and these sorts of lights should be no exception.

When you install them, ensure you use the buddy system. Presumably, you will be up on a ladder if you plan to put the lights up under the eaves of the house. You will want to enlist the help of an adult who can stand there and hold the ladder steady. They can hand tools up to you if there are some you need as the process moves along.

Once you have your permanent Christmas lights up, you should feel like you have improved your home significantly. It will give the place some character, even when it’s not the holiday season.

Maybe you want to make the lights a little less evident. There are ways to conceal them when it’s not Christmas time if you don’t feel it’s appropriate to have them out for all to see at other times of the year. You might install them in a more discrete manner under the gutters, fascia boards, or soffits. You may even buy some special molded channels that can hide the wires or make them look less obvious.

Permanent Christmas lights will probably not be for every homeowner, but if you’re enthusiastic about the holidays and would like to have a little reminder of them year-round, this can be an excellent way to do it. You can look at them every time you come home from work and smile.  

 Related Article:

• Permanent Christmas Lights: What Are the Pros and Cons?
• The Eco-Friendly Holiday: How LED Lights Are Changing Christmas Decorations