By Hareem Khan
This is a personal experience log from my 4×10 ft balcony in Lahore. I am not an electrician or lighting engineer. All prices, electricity-use estimates, dates, and measurements below are from my own setup between June 2 and August 18, 2026. Prices from Ichhra, Shah Alam, Hall Road, and Daraz.pk. Your results may vary.
I love having lights on my balcony at night.
A small balcony can look completely different after sunset. A few warm lights around the railing, one small lamp near the chair, and suddenly my otherwise ordinary 4×10 ft balcony feels like a little outdoor sitting area.
But I learned something after living with balcony lighting for a while.
More lights don’t automatically mean a better balcony.
My first setup was too bright.
One light pointed toward the neighboring building.
Another stayed switched on much longer than necessary.
And I had a string of decorative lights that looked lovely but didn’t add much useful light.
The result?
More electricity use, more glare, and one very awkward evening when I realized my bright balcony light was probably shining directly toward someone else’s window.
So I changed the setup.
Here are the five balcony lighting mistakes I would avoid, especially if you live in an apartment.
1. Using One Extremely Bright Light Instead of Several Small Lights
This was my biggest mistake.
I originally installed one fairly bright outdoor LED light near the balcony wall.
It was supposed to make the entire balcony visible.
Instead, it made one part of the balcony extremely bright while creating harsh shadows everywhere else.
The light also bounced off the floor and nearby walls.
From inside my apartment, the balcony looked more like a small shop entrance than a relaxing sitting area.
And because my balcony faces west, I didn’t actually need intense lighting to begin with.
I mainly used the balcony after dinner for sitting, reading short messages on my phone, watering plants and occasionally cleaning.
A softer setup worked much better.
What I changed
I replaced the single bright fixture with three smaller sources:
- One warm LED bulb near the seating area
- One low-level light near the opposite wall
- A short decorative string light along part of the railing
The total brightness felt much more comfortable.
The balcony was still easy to navigate, but there wasn’t one powerful beam dominating everything.
My cost
The original outdoor LED light cost approximately Rs. 1,650.
My replacement setup cost:
- Warm LED fixture: Rs. 900
- Small wall/side light: Rs. 750
- Decorative string light: Rs. 1,100
Total: Rs. 2,750
It cost me more initially, but the balcony became much more pleasant.
The lesson: light the areas you actually use instead of trying to flood the entire balcony with one bulb.
2. Pointing Lights Directly Toward Your Neighbor’s Windows
This one sounds obvious.
But it’s surprisingly easy to do accidentally.
My balcony is on the 3rd floor, and neighboring apartments are close enough that a strong light can easily become someone else’s problem.
During my first setup, the main LED fixture was angled outward.
I didn’t notice anything unusual from my own apartment.
Then one evening I stood near the opposite side of the balcony and looked toward the neighboring building.
The beam was much more obvious from that angle.
That’s when I realized something important:
You don’t experience your own balcony light the same way your neighbors do.
You’re usually sitting behind the light source.
Your neighbor may be looking directly into it.
My fix
I changed the direction of the fixture so that the light pointed downward and inward, rather than outward.
I also moved the light slightly lower.
That reduced the amount of direct glare.
I didn’t need to make the balcony dark.
I simply needed to stop sending a beam toward other people’s windows.
A simple evening test
Before finalizing a balcony light, stand outside your apartment and look at it from different angles.
Then look toward neighboring windows.
If you can clearly see the LED source from another apartment, there’s a good chance the fixture could create glare.
That doesn’t automatically mean you’ve violated any building rule.
But being considerate is easier than having a neighbor knock on your door at 11pm.
3. Leaving Decorative Lights On All Night
I love decorative string lights.
They’re inexpensive, easy to install and make a balcony look much nicer.
The problem is that decorative lights are very easy to forget.
I did exactly that.
My string lights stayed on several nights until morning because I switched them on around 8pm and simply forgot about them.
The electricity used by one small LED string isn’t enormous.
But waste is still waste.
And if you have several lights, the hours add up.
My actual routine
I tested a decorative string light rated at approximately 8 watts.
If it runs for 6 hours:
8 watts × 6 hours = 48 watt-hours
That’s 0.048 kWh per night.
Over 30 nights:
0.048 × 30 = 1.44 kWh
One small string isn’t going to destroy your electricity bill.
But then add a 10W bulb, another 8W light and perhaps a larger 15W fixture.
Suddenly the balcony can consume several kilowatt-hours every month simply because nobody remembered to switch it off.
My solution
I started switching decorative lights off before bed.
For lights I frequently forgot, I used a timer-based plug where appropriate.
The important thing isn’t the exact timer brand.
It’s creating a routine.
If you don’t need the light, don’t leave it running.
4. Choosing Bright White Light Everywhere
This mistake was more about comfort than electricity.
My first balcony setup used cool white LEDs.
Technically, they worked perfectly.
But the balcony felt harsh.
The white light made the tiles look brighter, the walls looked stark and the whole space felt less relaxing.
I eventually tried warmer lighting around the seating area.
The difference was immediate.
The balcony felt softer without needing dramatically more light.
My preferred setup
For the seating area, I prefer a warm-white appearance.
I keep brighter neutral lighting available for tasks such as cleaning or finding something at night.
That gives me two modes:
Relax mode: softer, warmer light.
Task mode: brighter light when I actually need to see something clearly.
That is much better than making every light extremely bright.
Another benefit
Lower-intensity decorative lighting can also reduce glare into nearby apartments when the fixtures are aimed properly.
So instead of asking:
“How bright can I make my balcony?”
I now ask:
“How little light do I need to do what I’m doing?”
That’s a much better question.
5. Ignoring Outdoor-Rated Electrical Equipment
This was the mistake I took most seriously.
A balcony is an outdoor environment.
Even if it has a ceiling above it, rain, humidity, condensation and dust can reach electrical equipment.
My original setup included a basic indoor extension arrangement that I didn’t feel comfortable leaving outside after thinking about how much rain and humidity the balcony receives.
I replaced it with equipment specifically suitable for the intended environment.
For any mains-powered balcony lighting, I would not improvise electrical connections or assume an indoor product is safe outdoors.
Electrical work around moisture is not the place to experiment with internet tutorials.
Official electrical and building requirements can vary by location and building. Check the relevant official source, ask a qualified local electrician, and check your building rules in writing before installing permanent wiring or modifying electrical connections.
My simple rule
If a product isn’t clearly intended for the environment where you’re putting it, I don’t use it there.
For permanently installed or mains-powered balcony lighting, I would have a qualified electrician check the installation.
How Much Electricity Did My Balcony Lighting Use?
After changing my setup, I had approximately:
- 9W warm LED
- 6W small side light
- 8W decorative string
If everything ran together:
23 watts total
If used for approximately 5 hours each evening:
23W × 5 hours = 115Wh
That’s approximately:
0.115 kWh per night
Over 30 days:
3.45 kWh per month
That’s not a huge amount compared with many household appliances.
But my original habit was the problem.
I sometimes left the decorative lights running much longer than necessary.
The biggest electricity-saving change wasn’t buying an expensive “energy-saving” lighting system.
It was simply using the lights for fewer hours.
My Balcony Lighting Setup After the Changes
My final arrangement was quite simple.
Main seating light
A small warm LED positioned so it illuminates the seating area rather than shining outward.
Secondary light
A lower-output light near the opposite side.
Decorative string
Only along part of the railing.
I didn’t wrap the entire balcony.
Switch-off routine
Lights on after sunset when needed.
Decorative lights off before bed.
Main light off whenever I leave the balcony.
That was enough.
My 4×10 ft balcony didn’t need to look like a wedding hall.
And honestly, I’m glad it doesn’t.
5 Mistakes at a Glance
| Mistake | What I Changed |
|---|---|
| One extremely bright light | Used several lower-output lights |
| Light aimed outward | Aimed light downward/inward |
| Decorative lights left on all night | Added a switch-off routine |
| Cool white everywhere | Used warmer light for seating |
| Indoor electrical equipment outdoors | Used suitable outdoor equipment and professional checks |
What I Would Buy Today
If I were starting from zero, I’d keep the setup simple.
My approximate budget would be:
| Item | Approx. Cost |
|---|---|
| Warm outdoor LED | Rs. 900 |
| Secondary light | Rs. 750 |
| LED string lights | Rs. 1,100 |
| Outdoor-rated accessories | Rs. 800 |
| Basic mounting hardware | Rs. 400 |
| Estimated total | Rs. 3,950 |
That’s roughly $14.
I wouldn’t spend Rs. 15,000 just to make a small balcony brighter.
I’d rather spend less and focus on where the light goes.
One More Thing: Check Your Building Rules
Apartment balconies can have building-specific rules about exterior fixtures, wiring, drilling, visible installations and electrical modifications.
Many rental agreements can also contain restrictions, but rules vary.
So before drilling into a wall or running permanent wiring, check your own lease and building rules in writing.
For electrical changes, ask a qualified local electrician to inspect the setup.
That takes a little longer than watching a five-minute installation video, but it is much better than discovering a problem later.
Final Verdict
My five biggest balcony lighting mistakes were not really about the lights themselves.
They were about using too much light, pointing it in the wrong direction, leaving it on too long, choosing an uncomfortable color temperature and ignoring outdoor electrical requirements.
The biggest improvement came from reducing the light rather than adding more.
For my 4×10 ft balcony, I found that a few small lights were enough.
A 9W warm LED, a small secondary light and an 8W decorative string gave me plenty of usable light without turning the balcony into a floodlit parking area.
The electricity savings were modest but real.
More importantly, the balcony became more comfortable for me and less likely to throw glare toward neighboring apartments.
My final rule is simple:
Light your balcony for the person sitting there, not for everyone living in the next building.
A little warm light, pointed in the right direction, is usually all a small balcony needs.
And if your neighbor can still read a book from their bedroom because of your balcony light, you may have gone slightly too far.
About The Author
Hareem Khan writes practical home and balcony articles based on everyday apartment living. Her articles focus on real measurements, local prices, small-space problems and simple solutions.
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