Buying Xmas lights can be quite time consuming and there are many pitfalls which can trip you up. How many times have you bought some lights only to find they are the wrong type or wrong wattage or wrong colour? At Christmas time the shops start becoming overrun with lights and there tend to be large displays full of boxes of lights. It can be difficult to see exactly what you buying and very confusing too. This article looks at the best places to buy lights and how to get exactly what you need.

The first step to take is to make a plan and make a list of exactly what you need. Are you going to be hanging lights up outside, or will they just be used inside? Do you want them to flash or be intermittent or are you just looking for a continuous glow? How big is the area you would like to light up? These are the sorts of questions you need to ask yourself when planning out what you want to buy. Seeing where the electricity sockets are situated is very important too. If you don't think there are enough sockets for the display you want then you can consider buying battery operated lights instead. These work just as well as electric varieties but they do not need plugging into a socket.

If you are hanging lights up outside then you need special outdoor lights as indoor lights just won't do. This can even be dangerous in fact. Outdoor lights are designed to stand up to the wind and rain well unlike indoor lights that are prone to smashing and breaking. Measure up the area you want to light up and make a note of this to take to the shop. Trying to remember numbers can be difficult and confusing too! Make sure you have the appropriate amount of power in the house too. Having too many lights can make the electricity trip every time you put the toaster on which can get very boring!

When you know what you want to buy the best thing to do is search online for a supplier. You are likely to find much better prices than those found on the high street. You will also be much more likely to get the lights you wanted. Online shops have fewer overheads than actual shops do and these savings are passed on to the customer. Look out for bargains and additional discounts too. Many shops offer free delivery as an incentive - even if the website doesn't offer this it can be worth asking if they will just in case!

Buying in bulk can often save you money too and there are much more likely to be offers similar to this online than there are in the shops. Other places to buy lights are department stores, however these places are always so crowded near to Christmas and the boxes of lights can often be mixed up on the shelves. It is common to think you are buying one type of light only to get home and discover you have bought a different one altogether. This is not a common problem when shopping online.

When you are buying Xmas lights, battery lights and all types of indoor fairy lights, the best place to shop is online. Xmas lights bought online tend to be cheaper and offered at discounted prices too. The other alternatives make shopping for lights time consuming and it is very possible to end up with lights you didn't mean to buy. Before buying anything make sure you know exactly what you need and always buy indoor lights for indoor lighting and outdoor lighting for outdoor lighting. Mixing the two up can be dangerous and is not recommended.