Anthony Dominguez and Nate Harner have worked plenty of jobs and some have been fulfilling. Dominguez was a medical caregiver and Harner is a musician in Fort Collins.
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But both men were caught a little off guard by the accolades heaped on them after they started installing Christmas lights this fall for Humbug Holiday Lighting. The north metro company’s motto is “All The Magic Without The Hassle” and people are more than joyful to let Humbug take the complicated and sometimes dangerous task of hanging Christmas lights out of their hands.
“People are just so happy to see us,” said Dominguez, who recently carefully lined up a string of colorful lights outside of a home in north Broomfield. “They are so grateful…it just seems what we do makes people smile.”
“One customer was so happy for what we did for them, she baked us a plate of cookies,” Harner said. “I have never seen that before.”
This is Humbug’s first year in the Christmas lighting business and owner Brad Goins said he is still dealing with the joy he is spreading.
“I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would,” Goins said. “They are all just so incredibly excited to see us. It’s just something super special for them.”
As of late November, Humbug had serviced 60 homes. Most are in the north Denver metro area, but Goins thinks the company’s reach will soon stretch further south and beyond.
“This business is going to grow. There is such a demand,” he said.
Natalie – the Broomfield homeowner – said she and her family have hung Christmas lights for the past 15 years. This year, her husband announced he no longer wanted to take the risk.
“He’s afraid of heights, and he didn’t want to do it anymore,” she said.
Natalie, who asked that her last name not be used, contacted Humbug which relies on online marketing as well as signs planted on the side of roadways to advertise their services.
“This is so great. You guys are great,” Natalie told the Humbug crew. “…The best part that no one has to be hurt.”
Goins said worries over safety usually prompt people to call for his company’s services. It has led to the overall growth of the Christmas light industry in Colorado and elsewhere, Goins said.
“People call and say, ‘You really do this?’” Goins said. “A lot of people still don’t realize we’re out there.”
A typical installation may take up to four hours and the price tag to let professionals handle the work also widely varies, according to Goins and other light installers contacted by Colorado Community Media.
A two-story home may cost about $500, especially if it has been fitted for lights before. Some larger and more elaborate homes may cost a few thousand to fit.
But many homeowners and businesses are more willing to pay for the installation just so they can forego the hassles of hanging their own lights.
“When we do it, that means for homeowners there is no more climbing ladders or untangling lights. Who wants to do that during the holidays?” Goins said.
Most of the people who call for professional light installers are wives who no longer want their husbands climbing ladders and potentially hurting themselves, said Chris Rhodes, co-owner of Window Genie, which hangs Christmas lights in Arvada, Brighton, Denver, East Lake and Wheat Ridge.
The company just finished decorating a home in Greenwood Village for “a few thousand dollars,” Rhodes said.
“A lot of guys say ‘Oh no, I can do it. I can do it,’” Rhodes said. “The wives are saying ‘Well let’s get someone else to do it.’”
A generational shift is also fueling the growth of professional Christmas cheer installers, Goin said.
Baby boomers are aging out of stringing lights, especially for homes that are more than one story, he said.
“The generations after Baby Boomers are more than willing to let someone else do it for them,” Goins said. “Plus, they want to do something elaborate, something they can be proud of.”
Humbug professionals consult with homeowners before they start work on a home, Goins said.
“Professionals create a stunning and customized lighting design tailored to your home’s unique architecture,” states to the Humbug website.
Humbug workers do the installation, takedown and storage.
“Licensed, insured, and OSHAS-certified technicians ensure the job is done safely, reducing the risk of accidents,” according to the Humbug website.
“The company uses commercial-grade lights and materials that are more durable and brighter than standard store-bought lights,” Goins said.
Some homeowners bring out their own lights and offer to let Humbug use those instead, Goins said.
“We always say no,” he said. “They almost always have some lights that are broken and need to be replaced.”
Humbug will also adjust or repair their display as needed to keep their house displays looking ideal, he said.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do and we want to make our customers happy,” Goins said.
Many of Window Genie’s 100 or so Christmas light customers are those who already use the company’s window cleaning services, Rhodes said.
Christmas light installation is the second most lucrative part of the business, said Rhodes, adding that by Thanksgiving the company is done with Yuletide services.
“It’s become a big part of our business,” Rhodes said. “We get customers coming back every year, wanting the whole Christmas treatment.”
Window Genie – based out of Thornton – installs LED lights, programmable RGB lights and remote-controlled lights, Rhodes said.
The company also offers a three-year, no-worries warranty on all maintenance and storage of customer lights. Window Genie’s methods are more meticulous than the typical “Uncle Bob” approach of just wrapping up lights in a haphazard manner and tossing them into a corner of the basement or work shed, Rhodes said.
Each customer’s strand is carefully wrapped up and includes a small map that informs installers where each light goes next year, Rhodes said.
Window Genie also carefully screens employees for their ladder skills, he said.
“If we see someone white knuckle a ladder, we won’t use them,” Rhodes said.