A man has forked out £5,000 on his latest festive display for the third year in a row – including 10,000 lights.
Naylan Dane Thomas previously hit the headlines after turning his home into a magical winter wonderland – costing an eye-watering £3,600.
The 32-year-old, from Pontyclun, decorated his abode in festive lights and LED Santa Clauses in a bid to spread Christmas joy to all.
Now, for the third year in a row, he’s amped up the display after purchasing a hotel and moving home, with over 150 Nutcracker figurines on show, along with 10,000 lights.
While it costs him an arm and a leg in electricity bills, the festive enthusiast doesn’t care – but has tried to make some savvy decisions to ease the pressure off his wallet.
“This year, I have collected Nutcrackers and toy soldiers using charity shops, Facebook Marketplace and [other secondhand] apps,” Naylan told NeedToKnow.co.uk .
“I’ve also managed to save on energy this year, by making sure I’m only using low-wattage LED bulbs that don’t consume as much energy.
“I have always said from day [one] that I was always going to put the lights up and I wasn’t going to stop because of some bills.
“I wanted to do it for the young kids and families that may be struggling.
“To see their faces light up when they see them is just great, I love it.
“Everyone is having a tough time at the moment due to the cost of living, so it is nice to give them that relief and spread some Christmas spirit.
“We have even been given thank you notes in the past for the lights.”
Naylan spent one week overall decorating both buildings ready for the festive holiday, which is less than five weeks away.
In total, along with new decorations and ornaments to double up on his collection and to light everything up, it’s costing him an estimated £5,000.
The hotel owner found inspiration to do the all-out Christmas display after moving to their previous home and noticing how “empty” the garden looked.
He added: “It had a huge front garden perfect for all my Christmas ideas.
“We just wanted to go all out and it went from there really.
“I had a mad weekend shopping spree looking around for the best deals and it took numerous trips, it was a bit of a whirlwind.
“Just that weekend I easily spent £3,000 on the decorations for both inside and outside, but to me they are an investment.
“I put these decorations up for no other reason other than the fact I love Christmas.
“The lights go on at dusk every day and turn off at 10pm, anyone is welcome to come and see them.”
