Don’t Spend Too Much For Outdoor Lighting

I may upset some of my lighting colleagues out there but, here goes …

Whatever you do, do NOT spend more than you are comfortable with for your outdoor lighting system. There, I said it. And I feel better now, how about you?

I’ve said many times in this blog that you can expect to pay quite a bit for a quality outdoor lighting system, and I stick by that. Cheap is just that, cheap. You get what you pay for in this industry, and in most other things. So now that we know all of that, how much is too much?

Too much is more than you feel comfortable with. It’s really that simple.

Maybe you’re comfortable spending $5,000 on a nice outdoor lighting system, and if that’s the case, don’t let yourself be talked into spending more than that. That may not purchase very extensive system, but perhaps you’ll consider adding more at a later date. Maybe you spent $50,000 on landscaping and were only planning to spend about $7500 on lighting. There’s nothing wrong with that at all – so don’t be intimidated into busting your budget by an aggressive salesperson. A good lighting designer will give you everything they can for that budget number. Once again, you may want to add onto it a year later.

What I hear more than anything from prospective clients is that they really have no idea of what a good outdoor lighting system should cost. My standard answer is “probably more than you think.” It’s always advisable to have a budget in mind, however; that way the designer can let you know from the start if your number is just unreasonable, or what to expect for your budget amount. The contractor might let you know that your budget is only enough to get started, and that you may not be entirely happy when it’s done. I have been known to suggest to a prospective client that he delay their project for a little longer, freeing up a little more budget room, so they’ll be happier when the project is finished instead of suffering disappointment when we are unable to fulfill their vision.

I try always to assure my clients that I can work with any budget that is within reason. There are always options when working within a budget. One of the most popular is to consider completing the project in phases. This way the client can be pleased at the end of each phase, and knows there is something more to look forward to, without having buyer’s remorse because they simply outspent the budget. If any contractor - in any field - tries to strong-arm you into spending more money than you are comfortable with, you should simply not do business with that person EVER.

We love to work within our client’s budget so let us know if we can create a little or a lot of outdoor magic for you.  info@night-scenes.com