It’s not hard to understand why outdoor living space has become so desirable. Adding outdoor living space makes a home feel bigger than it is. With a properly lit deck, patio, or pool you are creating extra living space without having to add a costly extension to your home. And who doesn’t love spending the warm summer months lounging outside?

But an effective outdoor living space can’t disappear when the sun goes down.

In the summer, when the days are hot, outdoor living is less desirable during the day. But homeowners want to step outside when the sun goes down and enjoy a balmy summer night. A home that offers outdoor living spaces that are usable day and night has a huge value advantage over a home without proper outdoor lighting. A deck or patio that is not properly lit has only half the utility of one that is properly lit.

Another trend that is spreading like wildfire is the outdoor kitchen. Where a simple grill is used to set the standard, homeowners are now looking for a complete cooking experience outside the home. An outdoor kitchen can be great for hosting family meals or large get-togethers. But it is only as useful as the lighting around it. Most homeowners are cooking outdoor meals in the evening. If nightfall forces you back indoors, you need to catch up on most of the benefits of the outdoor kitchen.

Landscape Lighting and Home Value

When considering landscape lighting, you must consider a home’s overall design. Landscape architects can design beautiful outdoor spaces that really make a house stand out. And you can’t underestimate the value of curb appeal.

If you drive through a neighborhood and only a few of the houses have well-landscaped yards, those houses will stand out. The care and attention given to the outdoor appearance are signals to a buyer. A well-kept landscape indicates to a potential buyer that the homeowner takes care of the property, both inside and out.

If you live in a neighborhood of beautifully landscaped houses, skipping the landscaping for your house can be disastrous. If you have a standout home that is not landscaped, you are also signaling the buyer. A buyer will wonder why the homeowner skimped on landscaping. And they will wonder what else the homeowner skimped on inside the house. Even if a house is beautiful on the inside, messy landscaping can create serious doubts in a potential buyer.

Landscaping is a huge factor in home salability. But good landscaping has to include good landscape lighting. A beautifully maintained garden, full of interesting focal points and added features, can fade away at night. So any landscape design has to include a lighting component. Homebuyers these days want to see a full package. A gorgeous landscape that disappears after dark is almost as bad as no landscaping at all. It tells a buyer you just don’t care enough to spend the extra money.

Return on Investment

The great thing about outdoor lighting is, in fact, the price. Well-designed landscape lighting doesn’t have to be expensive. But no matter how much or how little you spend, if the lighting is doing its job it tells a buyer that you care.

In terms of direct home value, you can make very few improvements that will directly increase your home’s value by the amount you spent on the improvement. In other words, 100% direct ROI is rare. But you have to think about more than just the dollar amount of the increase in home value. A home isn’t worth anything if it doesn’t sell. And the longer it takes to sell, the greater the decrease in value.

If you are looking for a way to sell your home quickly, with as little depreciation as possible, landscape lighting is a key component. Homes that show well are homes that get offers. And homes that get offers give the homeowner the opportunity to choose the best offer. Sometimes a homeowner can even get more than the asking price if competition is stiff. So the direct value increase of landscape lighting may not equal the cost, but the value gain in curb appeal may, in fact, make up the difference.

Outdoor Lighting and Curb Appeal

Curb appeal can be hard to quantify. When valuing a home, it is the sort of intangible that is not easy to incorporate into a home’s valuation. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect the final sale price of your home.

Ultimately, the value of your home is whatever a buyer will pay for it. And buyers are attracted to curb appeal. If you can attract multiple offers, you will have the opportunity to create a little competition. That competition can drive up the final purchase price of your home. On the other hand, if your house lacks curb appeal and isn’t getting many offers, you may be forced to take whatever you can get. And that could be well below your asking price.

Lighting the facade of your home is all about curb appeal. Potential buyers will drive through your neighborhood at night. And if your house stands out because it is lit, it will immediately draw attention. A well-lit house in a neighborhood of less well-lit houses can look like a mansion, even if it basically the same as its neighbors. Outdoor lighting that is designed well can make a house look bigger and highlight any unique or impressive architectural features.

If many of your neighborhood’s houses are lit up at night, you run into the same situation as the neighborhood with landscape lighting. Skimping on the outdoor lighting for your home can indicate an unwillingness to spend money on the home. Home buyers will wonder where else you got cheap. Even a home with a remodeled kitchen, remodeled bathrooms, or more can be suspect. The last thing you need is for buyers to be looking at your home expecting to find trouble.

Getting The Right Lighting For Your Home: If you recognize the value of outdoor lighting, you should realize that not all outdoor lighting is the same. Whether it’s landscape lighting, lighting your home, or creating outdoor living spaces, it has to be done right. A walkway lit with cheap-looking solar-powered fixtures that a homeowner just planted in the ground does not convey the full value of a home. To get the benefits of outdoor lighting, you need to be working with a company that knows what they are doing.