Adding Exterior Lighting to Your Home

There are many ways adding exterior lighting to your home can increase its value. It can offer a measure of security, make walkways easier to see in the dark, and it can allow you to enjoy your back yard when the sun goes down.

Some localities have implemented certain building codes regarding outdoor lighting, so be sure to check with your locality or homeowners association before beginning outdoor lighting projects.

Adding exterior lighting to your home can enhance its appearance

Whether you hire someone to install your outdoor lighting or you do it yourself, there are many ways you can use outdoor lighting to increase the value of your property:

  • When your front entrance is well lighted, it offers a warm, welcoming ‘hello’ to your guests. Wall lanterns hung on both sides of the front door are a great addition to any home. You may want to use the yellow or blue bug lights in them to keep the moths out of your home if you use your front door a lot.
  • Rear outside entrances can have matching wall lantern lighting. Motion sensor lighting is great for back and side doors. If you also have a garage, you might want to invest in matching wall lantern lighting with motion sensors for it.
  • When you have a front porch, recessed lighting or a chain-hung exterior light offers a wonderful look. If you sit on your porch often, you may even want to install a dimmer switch for the lighting.
  • If your house has areas that are completely in the dark, it is wise to install motion sensor lighting in those areas. While the motion-sensor lighting may be triggered by the occasional animal, it will also be triggered by anyone who needs to see in those areas, and it will discourage burglars. Motion sensor spotlights that you install under the eaves of your house or ground lights pointing upwards do a great job at highlighting dark areas and accenting your home’s exterior.
  • Stairs, driveways, and paths are also areas that need exterior lighting to ensure that your family and guests are safe at all times. Path lights brighten walkways and can also be used to highlight flower beds and other decorative lawn areas like shrubbery or ground cover areas. Post lanterns and lights that you attach to the side of your house and point to the decorative areas are also ways to show their beauty.
  • Low-voltage mini lighting can be used to make patios, decks, and porches into lovely outdoor retreat areas. Place them under railings, steps, or benches or drape them artistically over furniture or shrubbery.
  • Spotlights in trees are another nice touch.
  • Lighting in pools, fountains, and rock-garden ponds can be quite dramatic and beautiful. Use low-voltage LED lights for ambient lighting around a pool and fiber-optic lighting on the floor of the pool for a stunning effect. For even more excitement in your swimming pool, use solar-powered floating lights.
  • For your grill area, be sure to install a recessed spotlight that is pointed at your grill so you can easily see what you are cooking at night.

For the do-it-yourselfers who are not electricians, there are wonderful solar choices for post lanterns and pathway lights as well as other fixtures for adding exterior lighting.