It’s a well-established custom in the US to festoon your home with spectacular outdoor Christmas lights as the season of goodwill approaches. UK residents are increasingly embracing this convention, so much so that in some neighbourhoods the annual display of seasonal scintillations has become highly competitive. The key to getting the best results is undoubtedly good planning: know what you want before you buy. And bear in mind that as Christmas draws near, festive lighting flies off the shelves: it’ll be hard to find any if you’ve waited until just a few days before Santa’s arrival (vendors only stock what they think they’ll sell). The earlier you plan, the more likely you’ll find what you want.

So, how exactly do you make a plan? Even if you’re not much of an artist, making a simple drawing of the exterior of your house is a good starting point. Then try to picture the lighting effects you’d like to see. Do you want your lights to twinkle, flash, fade gently on and off or illuminate in a steady glow? Do you want multi-coloured lights, or uniformly white, blue, red, etc? Some of the most eye-catching and tasteful displays can be achieved simply with white lights, but a splash of colour here and there can also gladden the heart. You don’t have to be garish to be colourful: if a jolly Father Christmas ho-ho-ho-ing beside a reindeer isn’t your cup of tea, dressing that fir tree, magnolia, or holly bush in the garden with some outdoor Christmas lights can add a dash of real panache.

With these ideas in mind, the next thing to do is measure up. Running a length of, say, icicle lights along the soffits means that you really need to know the length required – there’s nothing worse than getting home and discovering that your icicles only stretch along a third of the guttering. A measuring tape is all you need (but add about 10 per cent to the total to make room for unexpected glitches). Take a look at the dimensions of any garden plants you’re going to dress – a row of twenty lights may look a little sparse on an eight foot conifer.

Once you’ve got your design clear, it’s time to buy. More people are now opting for LED (light emitting diode) lights, which consume up to 90% less energy than standard bulb lights, last longer and are brighter than their filament competitors. Rope lights are also a popular and versatile option, coming in a variety of colours and lengths from 4 to 90 metres, which should cover most needs. Hard to reach areas too far from an electric socket can also be brightened up with the excellent range of battery operated lights now available.

To hang the lights, you’ll need an assistant and a ladder (a good-sized step ladder should suffice for a one-storey building like a bungalow but if you’re going upstairs you’ll definitely need an extension ladder). Use plastic clips to secure the wires if you’re hanging icicle lights from the gutter; otherwise a series of cup-hooks in the wooden soffits will be fine (and you can leave them there for next year).