The landscaping of your home can be one of those finishing touches that really make your home stand out in the neighborhood. Quality landscaping – but not overdone landscaping – will add beauty and value to your home, not to mention curb appeal. Any Realtor will tell you that if you’re trying to sell your home, curb appeal is one of the most important things, so maintaining great landscaping can make the difference between selling your home and having it sit on the market for months. And in this real estate market, you need all the help you can get. If you’re in Ohio, a Cincinnati landscaping company can help you make the right lighting choices that will really make your lawn and garden shine.
You first need to ask yourself what you want your landscaping to look like and what is your own personal sense of style? Do you want all the trees lit up so at night they’re clearly visible? Do you want your walkway lit, and what about the front of your home? Do you want to light up only certain sections of your landscaping, light a path to your front door or garage, or illuminate the entire yard? Getting these questions figured out can help you decide which route you’ll need to take when lighting your landscaping and as the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
It’s usually best to think of your landscaping in terms of chunks. Break each chunk into it’s own section and determine what you want that section to look like. Once you’ve determined that, visualizing the final design and look can be a bit easier. You can also use different themes on different sections of your landscaping. Additionally, there are many different types of landscape lighting, and some are better for certain areas than others. Breaking your yard into sections will help you use the lighting that is most appropriate for each section.
Obviously your budget is one factor you need to consider. Like anything else, landscape lighting ranges quite a bit from budget lighting to high-end lighting. Not only the quality and style of lighting, but the number of lights you need will affect cost. If you have a tight budget, don’t get too crazy in the planning stages or you’ll end up planning for thousands of dollars in lighting when you may only have a few hundred dollars to spend.
Also remember that a little bit of lighting can go a long way, so it’s important to not overdo it. This is a common mistake in all areas of landscaping – and design in general – so always remember that although your landscape designer may try to convince you of some really fancy layout with all kinds of foliage and brilliant lighting, less is usually more.
Good luck with your project and I hope this article helped you understand landscape lighting a little more. If you need more information or are in need of Cincinnati lawn care, contact the folks over at American Landscapes LLC.