Lighting Victorian homes on North Broadway and Union Avenue
The big houses on North Broadway and Union Avenue are the hardest roofs in the Capital Region to light well, and the best-looking when it's done right. A Victorian roofline isn't one long straight run. It's a steep front gable, a turret, two or three dormers, a bay window and a porch roof, each one a short run that needs its own measuring and clipping.
Our advice for these houses: light the porch and the front gables first. A deep wraparound porch with garland and mini lights along the rail and columns reads beautifully from the sidewalk, and it's at a height you can actually see. Outline every roof edge on a three-story Victorian and you often get a busy tangle of lines that flattens the architecture.
A few things to raise when you ask for a quote:
- Turrets. A cone roof usually looks best with its lower edge lit, or vertical runs from the peak. Spiral wraps rarely read from the street.
- Height. Third-floor gables and turret peaks often mean a lift or roof work, not a ladder from the lawn.
- Roof and trim. If your roof is slate or the trim is original painted wood, say so. Clips should grip the gutter or shingle edge without fasteners in the trim.
- Old trees. The mature trees along North Broadway are tall. Lighting the lower trunk and first big limbs often beats trying to reach the canopy.
C9 bulbs on the main gables and mini lights on the porch is the classic combination. Our roofline Christmas lights page explains the difference.
East Side streets and Saratoga Lake: two very different Saratoga Springs installs
On the East Side, houses sit closer together on narrower lots, so ladder room between houses is tight and the installer's truck usually parks on the street. That's fine. The porch, the front gable and a lit walkway cover almost everything anyone sees from the sidewalk, and a smaller footprint keeps the job quick.
Saratoga Lake is the opposite. Lots are bigger, driveways are longer and the house may face the water rather than the road. Decide which side matters in December: for most lake houses it's the approach, since a lit driveway entrance and a couple of wrapped trees help guests find the house on a dark road at 5 p.m. Wind off the open lake is the other concern, so keep extension cord runs out of the spots where drifting snow piles up.
Storefront holiday lighting on downtown Broadway
The brick storefront blocks along Broadway, from Congress Park north, are made for window frames, entrance garland and a wreath above the door. Restaurants, shops and offices downtown usually want installs done before or after business hours and the lights on by Thanksgiving weekend. If you rent your space, check with the landlord before anything gets clipped to the facade. Our commercial Christmas decorating page covers storefronts, offices and building entrances in more detail.
What drives the cost of Christmas lights on a Saratoga Springs home
There's no flat price for a Saratoga Victorian, and anyone who quotes one without seeing the house is guessing. The things that move the number:
- Linear feet of roofline, which on a Victorian is far more than the footprint suggests
- Stories, roof pitch and whether the top line needs a lift
- C9 bulbs on the roof versus mini lights on trees, shrubs and porch rails
- Whether you lease the lights from the installer or buy them, and whether takedown in January is included
Permanent lighting is worth a look on newer homes in town, but on ornate Victorian trim ask how the track looks in daylight against painted wood. The full breakdown is in our Christmas light installation cost guide.
Christmas lights beyond the city line: Wilton and Malta
Installers who work in the city usually cover the towns around it too. If you live north of the city, see Christmas light installation in Wilton. South toward the lake and Luther Forest, see Malta. Or skip ahead and request a free Christmas light installation quote with your address and a photo of the front of the house.