Bryan Beaudry, owner of Second Nature Lawn Care Christmas Decor of Pearl River, and his crew decorate a client's home in New City Dec. 5, 2017. Tania Savayan/lohud
If the idea of rigging up twinkly outdoor lights and untangling holiday decorations has you feeling less than jolly, there are plenty of happy elves — a.k.a local businesses —willing to scale rooftops, trim trees and dress up your home for you.
While it might seem like an unusual chore to hand off, the trend of outsourcing holiday decorating has actually been in full swing for nearly a decade and is growing in popularity.
In fact, according to the following business owners, more and more customers are choosing to hire help to decorate lawns, homes and rooms so they can focus on more important matters like work, family and end of year obligations.
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“When we first started, everyone thought we were crazy for doing this,” said Bryan Beaudry, president of Christmas Decor of Pearl River, who operates a lawn and landscaping business during the warmer months.
“As a seasonal business owner, I was seeking other ways to keep momentum going in winter. I always liked doing Christmas decorating at my house and saw that providing this type of service was a great way to keep my crew busy.”
Christmas Decor works all over Rockland, lower Westchester and various parts of northern New Jersey, and has been been its offering outdoor decorating services since 2004.
Beaudry meets with clients to brainstorm ideas and then puts together a customized design for each home. He says the most popular requests they receive are for roof outlines and greenery, such as garland with bows around doors, and wreaths in the peaks.
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The work keeps Beaudry and his crew busy the entire holiday season.
“Residential clients generally begin installations at the beginning of November and our busiest time by far is the week of Thanksgiving,” said Beaudry. “We often book days for this week a year in advance for our returning clients.”
New York Landscape Lighting, which serves various areas of Westchester and Greenwich, CT also has their hands full turning homes into “holiday spectaculars.”
Founder Chris Waugh says that he has customer referrals and Facebook to thank for bringing clients his way. His company’s designs can be spotted everywhere from high-end homes to commercial businesses and even in area towns, such as downtown Ossining, the pink tree in Yorktown or Main Street in Highland Falls.
For Waugh and his crew, the work starts in October, and decorations often start coming down right after New Years. “We usually have all decorations removed by the third week in January,” Waugh said.
If you’re more interested in bringing some holiday cheer inside the home with outfitted trees, decorated mantels and more, there’s a holiday decorating service for that, too.
Neave Décor, a Croton company which specializes in grand-scale decorations for businesses, also offers an interior design service for homeowners who would rather leave the decorating to someone else.
“Before any decorating begins, we go to the home of the client to get a close look at the decor. Then we get to work. Every single house is custom designed according to the customers tastes and wishes,” said co-owner Kathy Neave.
According to Neave, the company offers a custom decorating service for trees as well, perfect for those who prefer to look at pretty ornaments and lights without having to unpack any boxes.
Worried about post-holiday clean up? Don’t be. When the tree is ready to be taken down, the team returns to disassemble and pack up the decorations for you.
Ready to outsource?
Here's what you need to know:
● Wait until next year: Some design businesses are booked a year in advance. So, start thinking about 2018. If you’re interested in hiring a design team to handle the lights and more, arrange a meeting in spring or summer to finalize your end of year decorating ideas.
● Have a budget: Prices will vary depending on how simple or elaborate you want your Christmas decorations to be. Residential customers can expect to pay in the ballpark of $1,000 - $3,000 for installation and removal of holiday decorations. However, that figure can climb much higher depending on the scope of work.
● Quick trick: Not quite ready to give up your decorating duties? Try this simple tree-lighting trick from Neave Décor: “Follow the lines of the tree with the string of lights and don’t go completely circular. Instead, try to follow the tips of the tree and give it a little depth by going inside and outside the branches. Also, the more lights, the better it will look. And finally, give it an amazing topper. Don’t be boring with the top of your tree.”
