As the days become shorter and the nights longer, landscape lighting can be the perfect way to add a soft brightness to your yard that makes coming home a more pleasant experience. If you’re the owner of a new Hayden Home–or a soon-to-be new homeowner–consider these benefits of landscape lighting for your new home, and how to choose the right landscape lighting for you.
Benefits of Landscape Lighting 

• Improved Appearance. One of the best reasons to make any addition to a new home is that doing so improves the appearance of the new home or its surrounding yard. With the right positioning, landscape lighting can highlight your home’s best features, even when the sun has gone down.
• Energy Efficiency. Another great benefit to landscape lighting is that today, the majority of landscape lights that are purchased are very energy efficient, with many models being solar powered. This means that you can enjoy the benefit of yard lighting without having to worry about electrical wiring, additional energy costs, or your carbon footprint.
• Functional Light. Lighting for your yard does more than just make your home and the surrounding yard look great; it can also be very functional, too. Whether you want to illuminate a path for walking or provide an extra source of light for any outdoor events you host on a deck or patio, light is a necessity when it’s dark outside and you want to use your yard.
• Home Security. Landscape lighting may actually improve the security of your home, helping to keep it safe by warding off potential thieves. Well-lit properties may serve as a deterrent to criminals, as those who are breaking and entering tend to prefer to do so on properties with poor lighting so that they will remain unseen.
• Artistic overtones. The right landscape lighting can be used in a very decorative and artistic manner to create a desired effect for your new home. The Landscaping Network refers to this as “painting with light,” speaking to the numerous techniques and fixtures that can be combined together to create breathtaking nighttime scenes.

How to Choose the Right Landscape Lighting for Your New Home
If you love the look and the many benefits that landscape lighting provides, it’s time to get started on landscape lighting installation! But with so many options to choose from, how does one choose the best for their new Hayden Homes’ abode?
One option is to hire a professional landscaper who can make recommendations, and handle installations, of landscape lighting. While this is a great choice for the homeowner who truly wants a yard that will shine, it can be pricey.
If you’re going to take the DIY approach, here are some things to think about:

• Do you want traditional low voltage landscape lights, or are you going to go with solar lights?
• If you choose traditional lights, do you have the infrastructure in place (i.e. outdoor lighting sources/outlets) already?
• What will the subject of your lighting be? What are you trying to highlight?
• Do you want flood lights, path lights, or spotlights, or a combination of all three?
• Will you do halogen bulbs, fluorescent, or LED landscape lighting?
• What effects are you hoping to create with your lighting?
• Will you be installing the lights yourself, or hiring someone to do it?

You should also give some thought to which part of your yard you want to target. Some new homeowners want patio lights, knowing that they’ll be spending a lot of time outside eating, relaxing, or hosting guests. Others focus on garden lighting and yard lights. Some people want landscape lighting solely for the purpose of enhancing security, and aren’t concerned about aesthetics. Of course, all exterior lighting can be beautiful, inviting, and give a home a lot of curb appeal when done right. The most important thing is knowing what you want to achieve with your lighting.
Are You Ready to Add Landscape Lighting to Your New Home?
One of the most enjoyable parts of buying a new home is thinking of all of the new home projects that you will take on that will transform a new property into a place that truly feels like your own. With winter right around the corner, investing in landscape lighting in the fall is a good time to get started.