Brighten your home for the holidays with professional outdoor decorating.

It’s holiday time again. And time to think about how you’re going to decorate the outside of your home this holiday season.

Drive through any neighborhood and you’ll delight in the festive holiday décor on a number of homes—houses are that are tastefully outlined in lights and glow with holiday enthusiasm. And although you could decorate your home yourself, creating one of those enviable homes is easy with the help of a professional holiday decorating company.

Homeowners love the turnkey service of a design professional that includes design, installation, maintenance and service, post-season removal, packing, and offsite storage of holiday decorations. They no longer have to get on a ladder or find room to store all those lights.

“Our aim is to make decorating as stress-free and easy as possible, year after year,” said Dave Dolak, owner of Christmas Décor of NoVa, Inc., serving Tysons, McLean and nearby neighborhoods.

“The core things we recommend to enhance a home’s exterior include LED lighting and decorations,” Dolak explained. “For lighting, outline the roof and windows, trees and shrubbery, and provide ground lighting for beds and walkways. These different levels of lighting give homes a symmetrical look. Place custom-designed wreaths on doors and/or windows and decorations like tin soldiers near the front door.”

Using a professional decorator enables coordination of décor elements and colors for a cohesive look—even with white lighting. Who knew there was a difference between warm white and cool white lights!

A professional’s knowledge can also protect your home. “Our installation practices do not damage the house: we use plastic brackets on gutter lines, specific magnets on metal roofs, and removable adhesive stickers on windows. There are no nail holes, staples, or drilling needed,” added Victor Tirondola, CEO of Holiday Decorating by Manor Works Painting, serving homeowners from Reston to Leesburg and beyond.

Both companies are affiliated with Christmas Décor, and utilize their design tool, professional-quality lighting and decorations not available in stores, and warranties for all products.

Homeowners submit a photograph of their home, which is loaded into the custom design application where the elements of an outdoor holiday design can be applied and reviewed. They can see exactly how the finished décor will look on their home. Design professionals can also visit the home to provide an estimate, if needed.

“An average-sized home (2,000-3,500 sf) can take up to 14 hours to install and seven hours to remove decorations,” Tirondola said. Do you really want to spend all that time yourself? A professional’s fees are all-inclusive and payment can often be done in installments or on a monthly basis.

Creative. Beautiful. Spectacular. That’s what your friends and neighbors will say when they see your home shining through winter’s darkness. Whether you decorate your own home or hire a professional holiday decorator, celebrate the season in lights.

Tips on Hiring a Holiday Decorator

•  Look for someone knowledgeable in the industry who will be around year after year.
• Ask whether they are bonded and insured.
• Request to see a portfolio of work.

Newest Trends in Holiday Lighting

• Colored lights—and team colors
• RGB lighting—lights programmable to change colors
• Lighting for other seasonal holidays