Rent the glow every year, or own it once
We sell both permanent lighting and full-service seasonal displays, so this comparison has no thumb on the scale. Here's how they actually differ.
| What matters | Permanent lighting | Seasonal service |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay | One-time investment, typically $3,000–$8,500, financing available | A full service fee every single season |
| When it works | Every night of the year: holidays, game days, everyday warm white | Roughly six weeks in winter |
| Ladders | Never again; one professional install day | None for you (our crew hangs and removes it yearly) |
| Control | App, schedules, 4 zones, 92 scenes, voice | Timers we set at install |
| Daytime look | Hidden color-matched track that reads as trim | Visible bulbs and cords during the season |
| Lifespan | LEDs rated 50,000 hours; lifetime transferable warranty | Commercial-grade strands we maintain and store |
The two costs people compare wrong
Seasonal lighting is a subscription. Design, install, maintenance, takedown and storage arrive as a fresh bill every fall, and in January the house goes dark until you pay again. It’s a great subscription, ours included, but it never ends.
Permanent lighting moves the same spend into an asset. One install covers the holidays plus every ordinary night, birthday, Badger Saturday and porch-lit summer evening in between. The LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours, the warranty transfers if you sell the house, and financing turns the up-front number into a monthly payment.
Which one fits you?
Go permanent if…
- You decorate most years and plan to stay in the home
- You want the house lit year-round, subtly on weeknights
- You're done thinking about ladders, totes and timers
Stay seasonal if…
- You might move soon or you're renting
- You only decorate some years
- You want this Christmas handled before committing
Comparison questions
Asked at almost every design consult.
Seasonal is cheaper this year; permanent is cheaper over the years you'll actually live in the house. Seasonal service is a rental you rebuy every season, while a permanent system is a one-time install that also covers the other ten months. If you light up most years, the math tips to permanent quickly.
Get both numbers for your home
One conversation, two honest quotes: this season's display and the permanent system. You pick.