Want a pro decorator to deck out your home for Christmas? Here’s how it works in Boise
One of the best parts of the holiday season is visiting neighborhoods and seeing them alight with decorations; colorful string lights adorning snowy rooftops and golden reindeer standing bright and proud on front lawns.
For many people, creating the festivities is as fun as viewing them. But storing outdoor decorations year-round, or even just finding the time to put them up yourself, can be daunting.
Fortunately, a few companies around the Treasure Valley will decorate the outside of your house or business for you.
Here’s what you need to know about the process of having a company set up your holiday decorations:
How much are pro decorations?
The Idaho Statesman talked to Lighten Up Boise owner and CEO Eli Szuch about ordering exterior Christmas decorations from start to finish. It’s important to note that prices and operational timelines may vary by company, but the general process will be similar.
Szuch told the Statesman that prices for decorating a home or business can vary between $500 and $1,500. For a typical four-bedroom family home, expect to pay between $650-850.
If you use the same company for consecutive years, it’ll also likely cost less after the first year because the company will likely already have a plan in place.
“We label the lights, create a map for the home, and keep that all in a customer database,” Szuch said. “New installs take a bit longer because we’re custom-cutting the lights for the roof line and all that.”
Do decorations come with pro service?
Most companies, including Lighten Up Boise, supply the decorations for you.
“It’s an all-inclusive process where we provide the lights, and obviously the service, so that the client doesn’t have to worry about anything on their end,” Szuch said. “We also provide wreaths and garlands and whatnot.”
Szuch said that companies don’t typically set up decorations supplied by the customer — such as if they have lawn decorations or blow-ups — but they will work with simpler decorations like garlands or wreaths. But typically, the company provides its own lights for decorating the roof line and other parts of the house.
How long does it take? How many people show up?
Depending on the size of the house or business, Szuch said that some jobs will take as little as half an hour, while others can take up to four hours. But ultimately, your decorations will be up by the end of the day,
Newer installs will also take a little longer because the company will need to custom-cut lights to fit your home.
Szuch said that if you’ve used Lighten Up Boise in the past, they will reach out in August or September of the following year to schedule an appointment in the coming months to reinstall decorations.
Once decorators arrive, it can range from either one person for smaller projects to three or four for larger projects.
“We’ve done houses that are quite simple that we can have one guy there,” Szuch said. “And then there’s quite a few projects we do where we have a lot of trees and do the house, and so we typically will have three to four guys on those bigger projects.”
When are the decorations taken down?
Decorators will typically return in January to take down the decorations.
Szuch said customers will receive a notification when decorators plan to return, but the home or business owner does not have to be there for the process.
Boise area professional decoration options
The Treasure Valley has multiple services that will decorate your home for you. Here are some options to find the best fit for your wishes and needs:
