Is Landscape Lighting a Good Investment?

“Decorative” is a misleading word for landscape lighting. The fixtures are pretty, but the return on the investment shows up across three different categories at the same time: resale value, daily enjoyment, and security.

Resale value

Real estate agents in the GTA's upper market increasingly photograph properties at dusk, with lighting on, as a standard part of every listing. Homes that show beautifully at night sell faster and at higher prices than the same homes shown only in daylight.

Daily enjoyment

Patios, pool decks, and garden seating areas become genuinely usable after sunset — not just lit up but flattered. Dinners stretch. Children's play areas extend an hour.

Security

A well-lit property simply offers fewer shadows in which a stranger could approach unseen. Modern designs achieve this without the harsh industrial floodlights of an earlier era.

What it costs

A modest residential design typically starts in the low five figures and scales from there. Modern LED fixtures and contractor-grade transformers are reliable enough that ongoing costs are low.