When it comes to improving your home’s curb appeal, pretty landscaping, an attractive front door (and doormat!), or a fresh paint job on the exterior are great places to start. But have you considered lighting?
Driveway and front-of-house lighting can be transformative, illuminating dark pathways, driveways, and dormers to beautiful effect. It can even get you a discount on your insurance policies and increase your property value.
If your home at night is the black box on the block, here are four types of lighting to consider for a more welcoming (and safer!) outdoor atmosphere.
If you want to create a dreamy walking path: Add some path lights.
Path lights are exactly what they sound like: they illuminate walking paths! Not only is this an important safety feature to prevent you or someone else from falling or tripping over steps or potted plants, pathway lights can also offer lovely, atmospheric lumination. The most common type of path lights are individual, weather-proof lights that can be simply stuck into the ground, no hardwiring required. Place them along the walkway up to your front door, around the side of the house, or along your driveway. Many are also solar-powered, so they’re pretty and energy-efficient.
Buy them:
XMCosy+ Solar Pathway Lights, $60 for a set of four at Amazon
Hampton Bay Duncan Outdoor Solar Path Light, $18 for a four-pack at The Home Depot
Member’s Mark 4-Piece LED Solar Path Lights, $20 at Sam’s Club
If adding an extra layer of safety is what you’re after: Go with flood lights.
Perfect for placing over the garage (especially if your garage door faces a dark alleyway) or around your backyard, flood lights have a wide, bright coverage area and can be mounted on trees, poles, fences, or built structures. Often motion-activated, flood lights provide extra security by lighting up large areas quickly. They may not offer the prettiest light around, but their functionality makes them a valuable addition to any outdoor lighting plan. Not to mention, they may help you qualify for a protective device discount on your homeowners insurance (sometimes of up to 15%). Be sure to check with your agent for further details.
Buy them:
LEPOWER LED Motion Sensor Outdoor Flood Light, $40 at Amazon
MaxDetect 240-Degree Motion Activated Wired Outdoor Flood Light, $50 at The Home Depot
Enbrighten 180-Degree Hardwired LED Motion-Activated Flood Light, $90 at Lowe’s
If your driveway could use an upgrade: Try recessed paver lights.
Love the idea of lighting your driveway or deck but want a clean, streamlined look? Recessed lights like paver lights or paver dot lights offer subtle, elegant illumination. Not only will they improve the safety of your driveway by keeping it sufficiently lit at all times, but they emit a soft, sophisticated glow for immediately improved curb appeal—and possibly even increased property value. Redoing your driveway soon? Consider adding these during installation, but don’t worry if you aren’t. They can still be installed even with an existing driveway or path.
Buy them:
Paver Lights, from $40 at Lumengy
Recessed Paver Dot LED Lights, from $23 at Dekor
If you’re looking for a little drama: Install uplights.
Uplights are spotlights that direct light, well, up! Place them at the base of trees, underneath windows, or around the bottom of your house to spotlight interesting architecture or make your house look like it’s “glowing” from within.
Buy them:
Gardenreet Solid Brass Landscape Spotlight, $150 for a four-pack at Walmart
Argolis Architectural LED Low Voltage Directional Uplight, $159 at Alcon
VOLISUN Outdoor Uplights, $42 for a six-pack at Amazon
Read more at Realtor.com
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