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Post by houstonsandy on Nov 26, 2020 16:01:51 GMT
Apparently I could make $300/hr.  Good grief! I normally string the five strands of lights across the front of my house myself, but the other day I pulled a muscle in my back while raking up all the darn pine needles in my yard. Not wanting to aggravate it more it I decided I would post on our NextDoor app and see if I could find someone (ie: a teenager) who needed a few extra bucks to come string them for me this year. It normally takes me less than 30 minutes. Its a one story house. I have all the clips (the kind that slip under the shingles) and lights. I'm short and can reach most of it using just a step ladder. There is a higher peak over the porch that requires a little more effort. There is a sidewalk across the whole front of the house so no climbing into flower beds or anything like that to reach any of the roof line. I posted a photo of my house so people could see what they would be dealing with.
I'm getting quotes of $150 and more! They do say it includes coming back to take them down. Lol...I typically just yank on them and they come down in about one minute so that is not really a selling point.
People are posting pictures of their big two story homes all decked out, ten wrapped trees, sidewalks outlined...and recommending the professional companies that did them. Ummmm....I just want five simple strands of lights in a straight line across the front of my ranch style house.  I'm not really looking to outdo the rest of the street. At this rate I will just wait until my back feels better and do it myself.
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Post by freecharlie on Nov 26, 2020 16:25:49 GMT
My cousin starts at $300 but id it is a big job then charges more, but not $300 an hour
Apparently the insurance for light hanging is pretty high
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Belle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,309 
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Post by Belle on Nov 26, 2020 16:40:15 GMT
Yes, it is shocking how much people pay for Christmas lights.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Nov 26, 2020 17:01:39 GMT
That does sound a bit much for what you want. I have heard so many people after the holidays not being able to get the person to actually come back and remove them even though they said they would and have been paid to do so. I hope you can find someone reasonable and you don’t risk injuring your back more.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Nov 26, 2020 18:53:19 GMT
I charge $85 an hour to decorate using existing decorations...and I’m booked all season, every season. (And this is a “hobby” for me!!) If I have to create from scratch my rate goes up to $125 and supply/material costs are added.
Our time has value. We plan off the job.
Many of the decorators and installers have to work on ladders, in sucky weather, wind, rain, snow, and have multiple people helping. So $150 might be for more than one/several person(s).
Because it’s a holiday situation, time is critical—you work quickly, multiple people, several jobs...everyone wants their decorating done NOW!!!!
ETA—I don’t hang lights outside! Lol no way would I do that! When I have to hang stuff higher than a 8’ ladder, I pay someone else to do it!
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Post by elaine on Nov 26, 2020 18:57:47 GMT
$150 as a minimum for coming out to hang and then take down someone’s Christmas lights seem reasonable to me.
They have to cover their insurance costs. They also have to drive to your house and back twice.
If you don’t want to hang them yourselves, $150 sounds like a bargain to me. In Northern VA it would probably be at least twice that much to begin with and go up from there.
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 27, 2020 14:53:54 GMT
I think $150 sounds reasonable, since they have to drive out and do it.
I really miss my neighbor that would do it for me.
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Post by MalleyCat on Nov 28, 2020 6:43:06 GMT
My husband always wants to spend hours hanging up Xmas lights! The problem is that he never seems to want to take them down! It’s kinda been a joke between us neighbors on when they will be taken down! Think the year before last was April or May!😬 Last year I got those “lazy lights” projectors and told my husband that he wasn’t allowed to hang X-Mas lights!🥴
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I'm not really looking to outdo the rest of the street.
