Get matched with top holiday decorators in Alton, MO

You can take a few steps to prolong the life of your holiday lights. Make sure to replace burnt-out bulbs as quickly as possible to avoid overloading the rest of the circuit and knocking out more lights. Before packing them up each year, plug each strand into the wall to confirm everything is still working. Wrap the lights carefully back into their original packaging or something similar—winding a strand tightly together or leaving it to hang loose in a storage bin can lead to frayed or damaged wiring. 

Take a picture of your house to easily replicate the same design for next year and keep the clips and accessories. When storing your lights, wrap them around cardboard so they don’t get tangled. Purchase a ladderless extension pole kit to hang your lights (around $30 to $50) for hard to reach areas.

Professional holiday decorating services cost between $300 and $2,500 or more, with an average cost of about $1,500. The total price depends on the size of your home, the extent of the work, your location, and whether materials are included. Simple interior decoration may cost around $300, while a combination of interior and exterior work often totals around $800. For large or extensive design services, you could pay $2,500 or more. Common service costs can include: exterior holiday light installation ($400), Christmas tree decoration ($200–$600), interior holiday design ($50–$200 per hour), and holiday landscaping ($50–$100 per hour). Note that some prices may only include labor, not the cost of the decorations themselves.

To get in the festive mood, you might turn to hanging holiday lights yourself. In many circumstances, DIY Christmas light installation can be cost-effective, not to mention fun. However, it’s best to consider any limitations to this task and how that might affect your overall project, like tall roofs. Consider hiring a Christmas light installer to place lights or decorations in hard-to-reach areas like roof peaks to avoid the risk of injury.