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What’s the point, besides plainly aesthetic, of installing exterior lighting in your backyard, you might ask? Well, besides the obvious advantage of having a source of light during the darker hours, outdoor lighting has several distinct advantages.
Let’s explore what their effects are in detail. Because, ultimately, lighting transforms your backyard and it ensures that your home is safe and sound, too.
Enhances Safety
The first function is quite simple. Having outdoor lighting will illuminate your pathways, as well as any potential hazards. Thus, the risk of trips and falls will be reduced.
Furthermore, it will light up dark areas, which eliminates any hiding spots for burglars and thieves. This ensures a much safer environment and serves as a successful deterrent to potential criminals.
Moreover, your family and friends will enjoy a much safer environment, free of intruders and wannabe thugs.
Extends Living Space
What’s the point of having outdoor lighting? Well, for starters, it can extend the functionality of your backyard. Even in the evening hours, when, say, you’re hosting a dinner party and enjoying the evening outside.
Or, for that matter, if you’re simply unwinding after a long day and you need your exterior living space to do just that. Now, installing things like string lights overhead can help you create a cosy atmosphere.
Or adding lanterns, for that matter. All these things will help improve your outdoor area and create a place for evening rest and relaxation. And if need be, your festivities will have no trouble extending well into the night.
Adds Visual Appeal
Have you ever wondered how you can accentuate your architectural features, including focal points and landscaping features? Yep, you’ve guessed—it all involves using outdoor lighting effectively.
To use it to add depth and dimension to your backyard, you can highlight its many features. These can be trees, shrubs, or any other elements. The point is, you can accentuate all your features, and enjoy them, regardless of whether it’s day or night.
Playing with light is an old technique. One which has an ample role in creating environments that illuminate certain features in order to achieve certain visual effects. Using light sources effectively, thus ensures elegant and impressionistic tours for your guests throughout your outdoors space.
Boosts Security
Having a home means also looking into things improving its defense against potential intruders.
One such effective deterrent is investing in a well-lit backyard. Illuminating key areas like entry points, windows, and dark corners, will increase security and provide much-needed peace of mind.
Moreover, motion-sensor lights can further help here. They can enhance your home’s security and alert you to any unexpected activity.
Furthermore, installing lights with programmable timers can simulate occupancy when you’re away. That can deter potential intruders, as they’re easily scared and would prefer to rob much easier targets.
Creates Ambiance
Apart from the security function of lighting, it’s pretty easy to see why else you need it in your backyard.
Selecting the right lighting can set the mood and create a magical ambience there.
Moreover, you can customise it to fit any occasion, whether it’s a small evening gathering or a huge outdoor party.
Furthermore, opting for dimmer switches and smart lighting controls can enhance the ambience even more. They will offer you things like adjusting the brightness. Or even changing the colour to match the mood or theme of the event.
Highlights Landscaping
You can showcase the beauty of your landscape even after dark. Place lights strategically around trees and flowerbeds or any other specific garden features. After, you can enjoy the visual display and the new aesthetic appeal of your backyard any time you want.
Opt for coloured LED lights as well. They can add a playful element to your landscape. You can highlight specific plants, even architectural elements, here. That will result in a dynamic and visually appealing exterior environment.
Increases Property Value
You may not think this initially, but well-designed lighting can, in fact, add value to your property. That’s due to it improving the curb appeal and creating an inviting outdoor space. Let’s not forget to add enhanced security as well here.
All these features are what make your property more attractive to potential buyers. This increases the resale value and offers you more options.
Furthermore, if you invest in high-quality, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, you demonstrate attention to detail. Moreover, consulting landscape designers about how best to improve the curb appeal, as well as professional installation will further increase the attractiveness of the property to potential buyers.
Promotes Outdoor Activities
Ample lighting allows you to enjoy plenty of outdoor activities. These include BBQs, games, and even gardening.
Moreover, when you illuminate key areas, you create an ideal space for entertainment and recreation. Some specific locations can be the patio or your deck. And, if you have an outdoor kitchen as well, there’s no use pointing out why good lighting is important there.
Lastly, installing task lighting in certain areas can improve safety and convenience as well. We’re talking about places such as above the grill or near the seating area. That will certainly help while cooking outside or when socialising outdoors after dark.
Saves Energy
Modern LED lighting is both energy-efficient and cost-effective. When you add smart lighting controls into the mix, you can even reduce your electricity bill. Think specific LED timers or motion sensors here.
Moreover, installing solar-powered motion sensors near pathways is also great. That can further reduce your energy consumption and your utility bills. Additionally, that’s the eco-conscious alternative. By adding more sustainable practices into your home, you help reduce your carbon footprint and you also help the planet.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! We hope you realise by now just how powerful and transformative outdoor landscape lighting is. Use these ideas to plan your exterior project and achieve even better results.
Lastly, consider using the services of landscape professionals or gardening designers. They can help you with the planning and installation, so you achieve maximum results with your outdoor lighting.
