Congratulations — you’ve just bought a new home! Of course, now you want to maximize the enjoyment and safety it offers you while at the same time increasing its value. The good news is that there’s a simple and relatively affordable way to do this: through interior and exterior lighting upgrades.
Exterior Lighting Upgrades to Heighten Security and Increase Curb Appeal
Never underestimate how much the right exterior lighting can contribute to the safety and security of your home. A well-lit exterior can help protect you and your family from trips, falls and other mishaps in the dark. Additionally, lighting can deter intruders — both human and animals — from your property. And when lights are activated by motion or photoelectric sensors instead of timers, it can help you save energy and money. Consider the following upgrades:
- Motion-activated lights at doors and garage doors turn on when someone approaches. They’re super convenient if you’re coming home at night and need to find your keys — and they’re also likely to make burglars think twice about breaking in.
- Floodlights light a wide swath of your property, making it virtually impossible for anyone to sneak up unnoticed. While they can be motion-activated, they can also be set on a timer so they stay on all night.
- Motion-activated driveway lighting allows you to see where you’re going as soon as you pull onto your driveway. Moreover, it also alerts you to any vehicles that enter your property.
In addition, landscape lighting can substantially increase your enjoyment of your home, as well as its curb appeal. Lights can be placed strategically to highlight pathways. They can also be used to emphasize specific showpieces, as well as statues, waterfalls and other features.
Interior Lighting Upgrades for Improved Safety and Enhanced Aesthetics
When it comes to lighting the interior of your home, you should always think “safety first.” According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), between 2010 and 2014, there was an annual average of 31,960 non-confined home fires that involved lighting equipment or electrical distribution. Each year, these fires resulted in an average of 20 deaths, 190 injuries and more than $650 million in property damage.
What’s even more sobering is that lamps, light fixtures and light bulbs were responsible for 15 percent of these fires, 13 percent of civilian deaths, 19 percent of injuries and 14 percent of property damage. Clearly, ensuring that your home’s lighting is in good shape is imperative to your and your family’s safety. For this reason, it’s advisable to have all of the wiring checked if you’ve bought an older home. In addition, replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED lighting can also contribute to your safety, since they don’t heat up during operation and are more resistant to breaking. Moreover, they consume less energy and last much longer.
To enhance your home security, it’s advisable to put your interior lighting on a timer that mimics human activity, according to NPR. If your lights turn on in the evening when it gets dark and also occasionally turn on and off as if you’re moving through the house, burglars are more likely to think that you’re home — and as a result, stay away.
For other interior lighting upgrades, you’re best advised to speak with a local realtor to find out what’s standard in your neighborhood. While you might want to invest in state-of-the-art features such as toe-kick lighting in the kitchen and chandeliers in the bathroom, you might not get the ROI you’re looking for if you’re planning on putting your home on the market within the next five to 10 years.
Possible discounts
From landscape lighting to all-LED lighting, lighting upgrades can make your home safer, more enjoyable and more valuable. What’s more: Your insurance company might even give you discounts if you use lighting that’s energy-efficient and/or improves your home’s overall security. To learn more, contact us today.
