Holiday Lighting Tips for Acreages

As the holiday season draws near, property owners work to turn sprawling acreages into dazzling winter wonderlands. While these massive landscapes provide a large canvas to create mesmerizing displays, decorating large acreages for the holidays comes with its own unique set of challenges, including high energy costs and potentially disrupting local wildlife.

However, with the right preparation, a beautifully lit landscape can make spirits bright without breaking the bank while also being mindful of wildlife and without putting a damper on holiday festivities.

Here are some tips on how to make the most of your acreage this holiday season.

To DIY or Not to DIY

When installing holiday lights on an acreage, it is important to consider whether to do-it-yourself (DIY) or hire professionals.

For those who enjoy the satisfaction of hands-on decorating, a DIY approach may be an appealing idea. However, there are also professional services that acreage owners can hire to bring their visions to life. These services can take care of everything from design to installation and can even provide maintenance throughout the season as well as take down.

When finding professionals, consult pros in your area.

Define Your Wintery Vision

Before you hang up the first row of lights, it is important to have a plan. Think about what areas or features of your property you want to highlight in your display. Whether your property has large trees, a prominent water feature or a rustic barn, these features can be focal points in your design.

Choosing a theme is the next important consideration for bringing your winter wonderland to life. Whether you prefer an icy scene with white lights and wreaths or a full-on Christmas kitsch design worthy of a holiday special, consisting of multi-colored bulbs and festive characters, having a cohesive theme is key to creating a beautiful holiday display.

Before setting up your decorations, consider the cost of lights, power supplies and installation tools in your budget. It can be easy to underestimate how many lights you’ll need for your acreage, so it’s helpful to map out your design. This will give you a clearer idea of what you need before making any purchases.

Make Your Holiday Display Sustainable

With acreages, it’s easy to go big with lights, but that doesn’t mean you have to go big on energy consumption. The larger your display, the higher your electricity bill is likely to be. However, using LED lights is one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy usage and minimize costs. LEDs are more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs and last much longer, meaning you won’t have to replace them as frequently. As a result, using LEDs in your display will be a fraction of the cost of traditional incandescent lights. Additionally, LED Christmas lights do not produce heat like conventional incandescent bulbs, making them safer to use and reducing fire risks if your acreage is subject to drier conditions.

For decorators who want to be even more eco-conscious, solar-powered lights are another sustainable option for lighting large areas. While they may require strategic placement to ensure they receive enough sunlight during the day, they offer a way to reduce energy costs without compromising the size of your display.

Another way to offset energy costs is to share the holiday magic with your community. You can charge a small fee to allow others to visit the acreage and use the proceeds to offset the costs or perhaps donate the proceeds to a charity you care about to further spread the holiday cheer.

Be Kind to Wildlife

It is also important to remember to be mindful of another branch of your community this holiday season: the wildlife. While we all enjoy the festive displays, it is important to try to minimize light pollution to avoid disrupting wildlife.

Being kind this holiday season does not have to dampen the Christmas spirit. One way to help reduce the impact of light pollution on your furry and feathered neighbors is to choose a lighting theme consisting of warmer, more natural colors rather than harsher blues and white of traditional holiday scapes. Additionally, using timers to ensure your lights turn off at a reasonable hour helps reduce disturbance while still giving you plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of your display. This will also help to reduce energy consumption and costs.

Whether you choose to DIY or let the professionals bring your vision to life, and no matter what theme you choose to decorate your acreage, enjoy yourself and spread holiday cheer to those around you. We here at AcreageLife wish you a happy, safe and energy-efficient holiday season!