Last updated 2026-10-05
Why takedown matters
The lights go up for the season, but they also come down after it. Takedown is the step that removes the lighting from your home once the holidays are over. It sounds simple, but it's the part most people put off — and it's easy to see why. After the holidays, the last thing anyone wants to do is get back on a ladder in the cold.
But leaving lights up too long past the season can look worn. Takedown gets the lights off the home cleanly and at the right time, so the house goes back to normal and the lights are ready for next year.
What takedown involves
Takedown means taking the lights down from the exterior — often from the roofline, the entry, and trees — without damaging the home or the lights. It's the reverse of the install, and it involves the same heights and ladders. That's why many homeowners who hire out the install also hire out the takedown.
The lights come down, the clips and hardware come off, and the exterior goes back to the way it was. The goal is a clean removal with nothing left behind.
Why storage matters
Once the lights are down, they need to go somewhere. Storage keeps the lighting until the next season — organized, protected, and ready when you need it again. Without storage, the lights often end up in a tangle in the garage or a box in the closet, and by the time next December rolls around, half the strings don't work.
Having someone else handle both the takedown and the storage means the lights come down safely and are kept for the next season. You don't have to find a place for them, and you don't have to deal with untangling them next year.
When to plan takedown
Takedown happens after the holiday season. When exactly is something to talk through with whoever handled the install — some people like the lights down right after the new year, others prefer to leave them up through the winter. The right timing depends on your preference and your home.
You can plan for takedown when you book the install, or you can reach out about it when the season is winding down. Either way works. The main thing is to have a plan so the lights don't stay up past the season.
What to bring up at the estimate
If you're thinking about takedown and storage, a few things are worth mentioning when you request your estimate:
- Whether you want takedown and storage or just the install
- When you'd like the lights taken down
- Whether the lights are yours or will be supplied
- Any questions about how storage works
The details are things to talk through at the estimate. The main decision is whether you want someone else to handle the back end of the season or do it yourself.
What if I only had part of the house lit?
That's completely fine. Takedown covers whatever was installed, whether it was the whole house or just the entry and roofline. The scope of the takedown matches the scope of the install — you don't have to have had a full display to use the service.
Why people skip takedown
The most common reason people skip takedown is that it means getting back on a ladder after the holidays. The season is over, the weather is cold, and the motivation to climb up and take lights down is low. So the lights stay up — sometimes for weeks or months past the season.
That's where takedown and storage as a service helps. You don't have to do the part nobody wants to do. The lights come down at the right time, and you don't have to think about it.
Planning for the whole season
The easiest approach is to plan the whole season at once — installation at the start, takedown and storage at the end. That way you are not figuring out the back end in January when the season is already over. You talk through the plan once, and the lights go up and come down without you having to think about it.
If you only want the install, that's fine too. But if you're already hiring someone to put the lights up, takedown and storage is the natural complement — it's the same work in reverse, and it means you don't get back on a ladder after the holidays.
The goal
The goal of takedown and storage is simple: the lights come down safely, the home goes back to normal, and the lighting is kept for next year. You don't climb a ladder, you don't store a tangle of lights, and when the next season comes around, everything is ready to go.