These three light upgrades were so easy and have made getting around the house in the dark so much easier and safer. I would be surprised you don’t have room for all three of these in your life.
Automatic light switches
The closet in my new house came equipped with hard-wired motion sensor lights. I was immediately sold as I love not having to turn on and off this light each time I make a quick trip to grab something. I immediately started thinking about where else these might be handy and the long dark hallway on the way to the laundry room as well as the laundry room came to mind.
After a quick search on Amazon, I discovered that these motion sensor in-wall switches were less than $20 each since they worked with my existing wall plate and my electrician who was onsite to install the ceiling fans only charged $15 each to install…what a steal as nothing costs less than $20 in California! You can set the light timer for 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes. The 30-second setting is perfect for the hallway and surprisingly, the 4-legged Frenchie that lives here turns the light on when he enters the room which is surprising. I am still thinking about additional places to install more such as the bathroom exhaust fan.
Modern nightlights
When you make that last run downstairs or down the hall to get a glass of water before bed, it is nice to not have to turn on and off a trail of lights as you go. Enter the modern nightlight. These are not the same ones that you had growing up. They are very inexpensive and look great throughout your house. We liked them so much that we upgraded to a second pack and now most rooms have one that emits a nice square glow that makes it easy to navigate without lights. At $12.99 for 6 lights, they were a steal!
Motional activated battery lights
Our staircase in the new house is really dark at night and it was only a matter of time until someone was going to take a major nosedive. Yes, you could turn on the light but that is not always convenient especially when you are carrying a 27lb dog or are just not really into pausing to take the extra step. Enter battery operated motion lights. At $12.99 each, they are more expensive than the plug-in variety, but you do not need an outlet and they are way cheaper than broken limbs. They are relatively small and have a fairly modern look so not too ugly – here is the view of my staircase.
Let me know in the comments which you are planning to add or if you have any other great inexpensive lighting tips.