This was a summer project we kept meaning to share on Instagram, but it deserved more than a single shot—so here’s the full story, as promised in our recent update post and podcast.
What we thought would be expensive and time-consuming turned out to be neither. We started and finished the installation in a single day and enjoyed the finished result by sunset.
We’ve always admired houses in our neighborhood with landscape lighting—the warm, welcoming glow in the evenings. When we saw a helpful tutorial, it moved to the top of our to-do list. We didn’t document the install in detail, but the wiring and connections were straightforward.
The planning and purchasing required the most thought—mostly basic math and picking the right materials. From the kit we referenced, we identified three essential components: lights, a power pack (transformer), and cable.
The lights were the easiest choice. We used 20W halogen spotlights like those in the original kit. After surveying homes in our area, we decided to place a light between each downstairs window and on each front corner, and purchased enough fixtures to cover those locations.
The power pack converts household 120V to the 12V these systems require. You must choose a transformer with sufficient wattage for all your lights. Add the wattage of every fixture (for us: 20W × 9 lights = 180W) and select a transformer with some extra capacity—retailers often recommend at least 20W more. We installed a 200W multi-tap transformer, which plugs into an exterior outlet and lets you attach more than one low-voltage run.
The cable needs planning because voltage drops over distance. If runs are too long, the last lights on a run may appear dim. There are planning guides and charts to determine wire gauge and layout. We split our layout into two similar-length runs of 14-gauge cable, each serving one side of the front porch, which helped keep illumination even.
With the plan set, the physical work was simple. We staked the spotlights and loosely laid the cable along the intended path before making any electrical connections. You should make all low-voltage connections before plugging in the transformer so you’re not working on live wires. Each fixture connects to the main cable using a threaded connector cap that tightens by hand—no special tools required. Below is a photo of a typical connector.
Because we used two runs rather than one long loop, we had to protect the exposed ends. We chose waterproof wire caps designed to resist moisture and corrosion—ideal for buried, outdoor applications.
We stripped the cable ends with wire clippers, attached them to the underside of the transformer, mounted the unit to brick a few inches off the ground, and plugged it into the porch outlet. The mount keeps the transformer tidy and helps avoid puddles after rain. We usually hide the box behind a planter.
After power-up, we fine-tuned the angles and stake positions during dusk to check how the light fell on the façade. There’s about a foot of slack between each light and its connector, so you can shift fixtures slightly even after they’re connected.
The next morning we dug a shallow trench a few inches deep and buried the cables, connectors, and caps within our mulch bed, which protects them from lawn tools and keeps the installation neat.
The transformer includes a light sensor, so the lights turn on automatically at dusk and can be set with a timer to turn off after a chosen number of hours. The whole project cost us a little over $200 and took roughly four hours from start to finish. We captured a time-lapse of the setup using an iPhone on a selfie stick clamped to a stepladder—yes, it looked odd to our neighbors but it worked fine.
Months later, the lights continue to work reliably. We still enjoy driving home at night to find them already on, welcoming us with a warm glow.
UPDATE: We later converted our house lighting to LEDs to save energy and reduce maintenance. LED bulbs offer a warm, natural glow and last far longer than halogens. We also discovered that solar lights can work well in some layouts and have used those for backyard illumination after moving.
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