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I have never done Christmas lights anyway but after 3 hip surgeries the surgeon said ladders are a no-go. If I were in the spend-down phase and had money to burn I would spend $1500 once a year no problem. Better than falling off a ladder and breaking something or worse.
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We've made things simpler last year. Instead of spending hours getting our ~150ft of incandescent lights for the fences working each year, we spent that dough and bought LED's. Now all of our lights are LED's. In a couple of weeks, we get to see if the plan worked out.
I gave up roof line lights 15 years ago when we moved here. I don't do roof work ever since the ladder went down with me on it.
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 17,008
Using an online calculator, I figure we save about $12 each year by having switched from regular old outdoor bulbs to LEDs.
The savings alone will pay for the LEDs in a few years.
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I'm a practicing Christian but just don't get all the insanity that goes into Christmas lighting, especially when 99% of the stuff is made in a country that doesn't have a lot of religious freedom.
But.. given that people are buying lights and other decorations that go up on the roof, on trees that are a couple of stories high, etc. it does make sense to me to hire out the work. I'm a big DIY person but am very wary of high-ladder work especially since I live alone. The money saved is not worth the risk of a major injury from falling off a high ladder.
we don't do outside lights, lawn ornaments, etc. i put a small wreath on the front door and call it a day. thank God we don't live near the certifiably insane types who try to out do Clark Griswald. but riddle me this...just when did Halloween become a contender for first place in poor taste in outside decorations?
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,263
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
We routinely get flyers from healthy young college age folk who offer to put up and take down Christmas lights for a reasonable price.
Having seen many of my elders fall, break something and then never get back to anything close to their pre-fall health, I think it's a very justifiable expense.
I totally agree, but my concern would be that the service provider is probably not insured so what happens if they fall and have an injury, especially if the injury disables them.... so I would want to go with a service provider that has insurance.
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Just paid a guy to fix the siding that blew off as I have adopted a strict No Ladder policy.
I do lights on the front porch landing, and splurge on a real tree. $1500 seems pretty high for a couple hours work.
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I totally agree, but my concern would be that the service provider is probably not insured so what happens if they fall and have an injury, especially if the injury disables them.... so I would want to go with a service provider that has insurance.
Yup this. Far too many people are just interested in the best price, but that is a false economy if someone ends up needing a claim on your property... licensed/insured or you're not getting the work from me.
My house compete's with Dr Phil's wife's xmas setup (the inside at least).
We would never pay for that service. I wrap lights around the front entry pillars and around the back. Sometimes I get frisky and buy a wreathe from the boy scouts.
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,169
Quote:
Originally Posted by pb4uski
I totally agree, but my concern would be that the service provider is probably not insured so what happens if they fall and have an injury, especially if the injury disables them.... so I would want to go with a service provider that has insurance.
That's a great point I had not thought about. I'll stick to tossing the solar powered fairy lights over the bushes myself.
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We have LED lights, bought half-price at after-Christmas sales, that DH strings up on hooks under the eaves. We're in a rambler, and the eaves is low enough that he can get the lights up there without a ladder. I usually make a lighted wreath to hang by the front door. In the backyard, I string lights over our weeping Atlas and around a cement pagoda. Our view is out the back through three big windows, so we get to enjoy some lights from inside that way.
Here in Washington the dark hours are so long that I wish people would leave their lights up at least through January. Until Valentines day would be nice.
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
Quote:
Originally Posted by cathy63
So are you new to the neighborhood, or do you have a reputation from past years?
Around here Christmas light hanging is usually offered by people who are fund-raising for something, like high school athletes earning money to go to a tournament, or young Navy or Marines supporting Toys for Tots.
Ha!! We are still pretty new as we approach the one year point being in the house. I think some of it stems from the previous owner. She was quite the troublemaker in the 'hood and I think there has been a sigh of relief that we are more "normal" than the last inhabitant. Our last neighborhood was quite a bit older and most of the residents had lived there for 20+ years...we blended in quite well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NW-Bound
The OP's location is "Country Living".
Apparently, even country folks are not free from peer pressure to keep up the appearance.
Probably a little bit. We are in a pretty small neighborhood (about 30 homes, each on 1.5 to 5 acre lots) but for the area, it's pretty nice.
The aforementioned neighbor is a part owner of a successful company and from some of the discussions I have had with him, it comes with all the trappings (spend! spend! spend!). I have no knowledge of their finances except a small hint that they would need to get a HELOC to help pay for the MASSIVE pool they just had put in. I don't know the exact cost, but the permit showed an estimated cost of over $300K, which isn't too far off from the value of the home.
Across the way we have another neighbor who is a dentist, but he's more my speed; he keeps a low profile and as far as I know, only my DW and I know that he's a DDS. He tells everyone that he's a "contractor." I am not sure why, but I am guessing so he doesn't feel compelled to "fit in."
Anyway, like most neighborhoods, this one is somewhat interesting but since it's small, there is very little in the way of gossip/rumors/issues/etc. and I like it that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtbiker
Actually, it sounds like this precisely what you are doing...
Thanks for the input Doc, I appreciate it.
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Cosmic Avenger
Sounds like you should buy a 20-foot tree next year, just to mess with your neighbors:
HA! That's a good idea! The neighbor doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor, either. A couple months ago, we purchased the vacant lot that is behind our house to avoid someone coming in and clearing the trees that are there (or riding 4 wheelers all the time). Originally, the neighbor approached me about going in with him and another neighbor to purchase it (it abuts 2 of my neighbor's land included said neighbor) and I had put some thought into it, but decided to purchase it outright. When he found out about it, he expressed some confusion as to why we purchased it on our own. Jokingly, I told him that I was interested in starting up a hog farm and since it was zoned appropriately, it was a good way to get that started. I guess I didn't say it in a jokingly-enough manner because he thought I was serious.
Anyway, a couple of years ago, I did splurge on this decoration...and yes, it will be displayed in the front and lit all night long.
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I enjoy looking at Christmas decorations!
We have a couple of neighbors here who go all out--every tree and bush plus roof line and windows are decorated.
We put up LED lights on the eaves, easy peasy since we have hooks up all year and can reach with a step stool--no ladders involved. I also have LED garden lights that I keep up all year long around our deck. I add a wreath by the door. Used to have walkway lights, but did not replace after they wore out.
I decorate more inside. It usually takes us three-six hours to get things done in and out.
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It has been a long time since we did any Christmas decorations. I did it for the kids, and stopped when they became teenagers and did not care themselves. Even back then, it was nothing extravagant, although I did put lights on the roof line up to the 2nd story. I am just glad I don't have to do it anymore. Some neighbors did not do anything either.
Up in my high-country boondocks home, the few years when we went up during the holiday seasons, did not see anyone do anything extravagant. Just a bunch of bah-humbugs, like myself.
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