We install both, so we don't have a side to argue. The right answer depends on how you use your home and how you feel about the look.
Seasonal lighting
Custom-cut strands installed each fall and removed each January. It gives you the classic bulb look, the widest choice of styles and colors, and the option to change things up year to year. You own the lights after the first season, so later years cost less. The tradeoff is that it goes up and comes down on a schedule.
Permanent lighting
A low-profile track tucked under the eave with individually controlled lights inside. From the street it disappears during the day. Most systems are controlled from your phone, so you can set warm white for everyday, red and green for Christmas, team colors for game day, or anything else. The upfront cost is higher, but there's no annual install and it works all year.
How to decide
If you love the traditional holiday look and want flexibility in design, seasonal is hard to beat. If you'd use lighting for more than one holiday and want a set-it-and-forget-it solution, permanent is worth a quote. Plenty of clients do both: permanent on the roofline, seasonal greenery and trees in the yard.
