A great holiday lighting display does not just happen. You can tell when a house is decorated on purpose and when the lights are just thrown up. The difference between these two houses is because of a simple things that people usually do not think about. Learn more!

First you need to think about how you will power your lights before you even buy them. Most houses do not have many outdoor outlets as you think they do. You do not want to overload a circuit on Christmas Eve when you have a lot of people over. So walk around your house. Find all the outlets. Then plan how you will use them before you plug anything in.

The kind of hardware you use is more important than how your lights look at first. If you use the clips to hold up your lights they will fall down. Use clips that are made for your gutters or shingles. They are not expensive. If your lights fall down it will cost you a lot of time and frustration to fix them.

The weather can really hurt your holiday lights. One ice storm can break light strands easily. It is worth spending a little money on lights that are made for commercial use. These lights have wires and can handle cold temperatures. If you have ever tried to fix a wire in the snow you know how important this is.

If you want your holiday lights to look great you need to be consistent. Make sure the bulbs are spaced evenly and the stakes are in a line. If your lights are not evenly spaced they will look like you did them in a hurry. It only takes a few minutes to get it right. It makes a big difference.

Always test your lights before you put them up. This might seem obvious. It is easy to forget. If you do not test your lights and they do not work you will have to climb a ladder and fix them. This can be a hassle. Testing your lights on the ground only takes a minutes.

Make sure all your connections are secure. If your plugs are sitting in water or snow they can be dangerous. You need to use covers and outdoor outlet boxes. If you do not you could trip a circuit breaker or something worse.

Finally take pictures and notes when you are done. Write down how you set up your lights and where everything is. Most people think they will remember. They usually do not. It only takes a seconds to take notes and it can save you a lot of time next year.

If you want your holiday lights to look great every year you need to do the things every year. It is not, about hoping it works out. Holiday lights are a part of the holiday season and with a little planning you can have a great display every year.