Outdoor Lighting – Do it Yourself for Under $500

Installing outdoor lighting is one of the least expensive ways to make your yard and house entrance safer for entry and accent your house and landscaping at night. If you just want to replace the old light fixtures and brighten up your entrance way, consider purchasing a new light fixture that uses halogen or new high output fluorescent lamps to light up the area best. The least expensive is a fixture that will mount the same way as the existing fixture to a post or wall mount. If your electrical skills allow, consider adding a flood light-type fixture higher on the exterior siding under the soffit or overhang area. The power for this fixture may be possible run from a power source in the attic. If you are not able to mount a switch in a convenient spot, consider purchasing a fixture that has an on-at-dusk, off-at-dawn feature if you want it on all night. If this light is only for security, consider one that has a motion detector built into it. Remember, these types of floodlights are fine for lighting a larger area for activities or viewing the overall yard, but they do not enhance the landscape or highlight the features of your backyard.

Decorative outdoor lighting is very popular around landscaping drives and walks around the whole property, in the front, sides and back of the house. This is the type of lighting that you see at vacation resorts and hotels around pool areas and park walkways to accent the landscaped features. Low voltage lighting is among the easiest and safest to install for the do-it-yourselfer. This type of lighting is usually available in light kits which may include several light fixtures, wiring and a transformer with a built in timer. These lights operate off of low voltage DC current and are safe in exterior damp locations such as landscaped areas, walks, drives, flower beds and on decks. Research the water resistance rating (IP Rating) for all outdoor light fixtures. An IPx3 would be OK for many outdoor conditions to be in the rain, and IPx5 is the best and can resist water in any direction. There are numerous styles of fixtures available like tiered, louvered or eyelids in low voltage lighting and many decorator colors. Find the focal point that you want accented or highlighted with the lighting like a tree, pond or seating area and place accordingly.

First decide on the type of lighting that you want – area light, spot light, up light, down light or path lights. Flood lights are for lighting a large area and must be mounted as high as possible for the best coverage and effect. Up lights are for accenting lawn ornaments or garden features and illuminate the object rather than ground surface. Path lights are placed along a walk area and are low mounted to light the stepping or path area to follow the walkway. Install the path lights about 5 feet to 8 feet apart, either alternating sides of the walk or along the same side. Installation of low voltage lighting is the simplest because it are plugged into an existing duplex outlet. The low voltage wiring from the timer/transformer is then run to the light fixtures; make sure to leave some slack wire at fixture for adjustments. The wiring should be placed in a shallow trench covered with soil. There is no need to bury this wire more than a few inches because it is low voltage DC current.

The cost of outdoor lighting varies and can be tailored to your needs and budget. A home can easily be sufficiently lighted with flood and landscape light fixtures for under $500 if you do it yourself. If you hire a contractor with this budget the most you can hope for is two motion flood/area lights installed with switches. The do-it-yourselfer can purchase the light fixtures at a home center, electrical supply store or a discount lighting outlet. For a DIY $500 spending budget with installing it yourself, you would be able to afford two to three motion floodlight fixtures, two new entry house mounted light lanterns/wall sconce fixtures at doorways, three to four sets of low voltage landscaping light kits and miscellaneous electrical supplies to do the hookups.