If you try to name three items that homeowners expect in a new custom home, these three definitely rank in the top five. Actually, outdoor lighting has been on the list of top outdoor living trends for almost a decade, and just keeps climbing higher, currently ranking as high as number three! With this in mind, you have to ask yourself why it is not considered in the building budget till the last minute. Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer. On the rare occasions the builder does include outdoor lighting in the budget, it’s usually well under the amount that it should be to do an adequate job of highlighting the home the builder is proud to have built.
Look up “2013 Outdoor Living Trends” on Google and you’ll find several articles and every single one of them lists outdoor lighting in the top five items describing what the home owner desires for their outdoor living space. This is an incredible boost to the outdoor lighting industry, and yet it’s still usually at the bottom of the builder’s list of things to do on the project.
Don’t get me wrong, there are builders (like Madigan Custom Homes) out there who do regard outdoor lighting highly and want great lighting for their projects. Our company has been around for almost a decade, and we do work with a few builders who actually take the initiative to introduce us to the home owner and recommend that we add lighting to their property. I’m happy to report that in every single case where we are able to provide a lighting project, it is met with downright delight! These home owners are not only happy with the lighting, they are thrilled! Great lighting just makes people enjoy those spaces far more than the scary darkness.
Well-designed and executed outdoor lighting also helps that home owner to appreciate the landscape they paid an arm and a leg for. Since the client is usually at work all day, they really don’t have the time to soak in the beauty of their landscape until after dark, at which time it simply fades away into the darkness. The untrained landscaper of course can put in some lighting, but it’s rarely adequate to properly enhance the landscape and truly bring out the beauty of the plants and trees.
So, builders, landscapers and home owners: we encourage you to add at least 15% (and preferably closer to 25%) to the landscape budget for lighting to enhance the beautiful work you are doing on a property. If the lighting is done right, you will probably find it to be among your top five favorite outdoor living space amenities! Let us know if we can create a wonderful night time NightScene for you by contacting us here.
