The landscaping around your home is the most vital part of your home’s curb appeal. Most people have heard the term curb appeal before. This refers to the impression you get from a home by looking at it from the street. A home with overgrown bushes, weeds all over the beds and an unkept lawn gives buyers and potential renters a negative impression before they even step foot inside.
If you are planning to sell or rent out your home you should know the attention to detail and care you bring to the landscape design and maintenance is evident in small things like plants selection, clean driveway, freshly-mown grass, and nicely-trimmed hedges.
But even after you do all these, your landscaping might still fall short of your desired goal if you overlook one vital element; landscape lighting. Unfortunately, landscape lighting is something many homeowners think of only after they have completed their landscape design. They often don’t view lighting as an integral part of landscaping design.
The result is a lack of cohesion between the landscaping and lighting. If the two elements do not flow together, it impairs the home’s curb appeal. At nightfall, the outdoor areas are shrouded in shadows, and the defining qualities of the home’s exterior are not visible. Poor lighting can diminish your home’s visual appeal and impair its market value.
The benefits of good landscape lighting
1. Illuminate your outdoor space
Good lighting will let you highlight the features in your landscaping and outdoor areas. You may deploy lighting as a functional or decorative addition. Lighting can serve the role of defining property lines. A well-lit landscape can even make your home more visually appealing at night than in the daytime. That is because you can highlight the elements of your yard in ways you cannot do with natural lighting.
2. Highlight landscaping decor
3. Extend the use of your yard
Good landscape lighting makes it possible to continue to use the outdoor areas long after sunset. Good lighting keeps the outdoor safe for use after dark. You can use your yard for late-night dining and night parties or stay out late for a cup of tea before you go to bed. Good landscaping means you are not limited to the interior areas of your home at night.
4. Improve outdoor safety
Landscape lighting facilitates safe and easy navigation of the yard at night. It makes it easier to see the direction of paths. Light placed around uneven surfaces will help reduce the risk of injuries. You can also use lighting to guide people to an area of interest in the yard. Beyond your property lines, good lighting will help passersby find their way around.
5. Keep intruders out
Good landscape lighting will brighten the dark spots created by the design of your home. Human and animal intruders can be deterred from venturing into your property by good lighting. If there are no shadows where a burglar may hide, thieves will be less likely to target your home. Wild animals also like to avoid the light; the fact that your yard is well-lit will keep them from wandering into your property.
6. Enhanced curb appeal and property value
The quality of the outdoor lighting is one of the things potential buyers look for in a property. Good landscape lighting will make buyers more willing to pay extra for the home; it will improve the value of your property. Landscape lighting will also help you attract buyers’ attention. A well-lit home will stand out in pictures. The home’s architectural details will be more alluring if you use the moonlight effect. It will encourage potential buyers to want more information about the house.
What to think of when designing your landscape lighting
- You have to decide the areas of the landscaping or the objects you want to light-up.
- How will you light the area or object? Where will you position the light? Will you light the place or item from above or below?
- What kind of lights will you use, and how will you power the lighting? Should you use solar lights?
- Do you need an expert to help you choose the best options for lighting your landscape?
The level of planning you bring to your landscape lighting will reveal itself in the quality of the final product. Good landscape design involves a lot of things. You will get the best results if you work with an expert to design your lighting.
