I Spent $40K+ To Turn My Front Yard Into a Christmas Light Show

Considering a room revamp, but not sure where to begin—or how much to invest? In our latest series, One-Room Renos, we explore renovation projects big and small, from soft-good upgrades you can accomplish in a weekend to total overhauls that cost a small fortune and take months (or longer). 

Today, a holiday lover shares how he put his parents’ home in Ocean Township, New Jersey on the map with a front yard Christmas light show timed to music.

Tell us a bit about your Christmas light display. 

I’ve been decorating my parents’ yard since I was 10 years old—so 25 years. Back then, it was just a few strands of lights draped over a bush. But every year, I add a few more lights and decorations. 

What inspired you to create the show?

When I was younger, my parents and I would get in the car and drive around and look at all the houses elaborately decorated with lights. That had a big impact on me. 

How long has your parents’ house been “on the map?”

We’ve been on the local maps highlighting homes with big Christmas light displays for about 10 years. 

How long does it take every year to set all this up?

I start a little bit before Halloween. I have a full-time job as a commercial electrician, so I can only work nights and weekends. All in, it takes about three weeks. 

What’s the hardest part?

The weather. If it’s windy, I can’t set up. Every year, I rent a boom lift (a smaller cherry-picker of sorts) to hang the decorations in the trees.

Is there a connection between the holiday lights and your job?

Definitely. You could say the holiday lights guided me to the path of the electrician. I also do event production一stage lighting and sound.

Tell us about programming the music.

The first time I set everything up, I had to map everything out half a second by half a second. That took two hours per minute of song. If I had to redo what I have now, it would take 50 hours total. Now that it’s set up, every year I add a new song or update the music to incorporate a new decoration. To update the music only takes about half an hour.

What’s on the playlist?

It’s all Christmas music, except for the song Sandstorm—a surprise for most people. The line up plays for 25 minutes. We have Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, a song from the Charlie Brown soundtrack, which is always popular, and a couple songs from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Do people stay for the whole set list?

Some people sit, and you can tell they’re going through the whole playlist and some folks some stay for just five minutes and drive off. You have to tune into a certain radio station to hear the music.

What has the neighborhood response been?

Most everyone in the community knows my family’s house as “The Christmas house.” Some people tell me that they drive past it every week; some even drive by it every day!

How much money have you invested in this?

If I had to go out and buy everything tomorrow, it would cost at least $40,000. 

How much do you spend every year to add to the display?

I usually try to buy one or two new items a year. I also have to buy at least 25 strands of lights to replace old ones. I order them in January or February to get a better price. Between the lights and the new items, I spend at least $1,000 a year.

What was the biggest expense?

The biggest expense was the Light-O-Rama system for $10,000, which includes the computer software and the controllers needed to make the lights sync to music. 

What were some of the other, bigger purchases?

We have inflatables. Each one costs between $100 to 200, and we have 20 to 30 of those. We rotate those and only put out 10 to 12 each year. 

How much does your power bill increase in December?

Just a couple hundred dollars. The lights are on every night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the week, and until 11 p.m. on the weekends. The lights are computerized, so each light is only on about half of the time. So if I have 100 strands of lights, only 50 are on at a time.

Tell us about your breaker-box situation.

The whole house is wired to support the show. It has a whole separate electrical panel just for the Christmas display that I installed about 15 years ago. Since I’m a commercial electrician, I was able to do that cheaply. I’d estimate that if a customer were to install that, it would cost a couple thousand. 

Where did the money for the renovations come from?

Cash. Everything, even the music system, was purchased when I had extra money on hand.

Do you ask for donations to help with the expenses?

We have a donation box, but we give all the money to Fulfill, the local food bank.

Is there a downside to doing this?

My parents were robbed one night after the lights were off. It was a bunch of high school kids who thought it would be funny. They didn’t break into the house, and luckily, we were able to catch them because we have a heavy surveillance system. The kids returned the items, but they were damaged. 

What do you love most about the display?

I get to create something. I like to be able to take what I have and create something different every year. It goes back to being a kid and my family driving around. I like to keep that feeling going for the new families. The kids appreciate it. They’re always trying to pick out what is new or what has changed. That keeps them excited, and it’s a big part of the excitement for me, too.