[Wolfman]

I just came across a post where a guy & his wife take 2 weeks vacation time and put in 12 hour days to do their set-up. The only word that came to my mind was, "Dude..."
That particular display is overwhelming, numerous animatronics, an incredible amount of lighting and fog, corn stalks, several sound systems, the whole nine yards. But, in my view, it was cluttered. Crowded. Busy. I may be jealous, but personally, it was just too much.
Our set-up, refined over decades, is subdued, but effective, and, this year, I figure I'll put it all together over three evenings, 10 hours max. And that includes a Peanuts exhibit and a cauldron Witch across the street at our neighbours' place. I don't put up everything I've built over the years. We can keep it fresh that way. And I'm not into that last-minute Rush, Rush syndrome, that's for amateurs.
Just curious; how much time does it take other Haunters to set up?

 

[Matt12378]

This year I put up one decoration inside every day since The end of July.
I mainly put up Halloween inflatables outside so I put those up in the middle of September and all my lights on my gutters,bushes,trees door windows etc the same month I then put everything else out Halloween week except my few animatronics which obviously aren't water proof so I do wait to put those out until October 31st day.

 

[Flynn Manor]

It takes three adults about 10 hours to completely set up our yard display each year.

 

[Mapleton Manor]

We too change ours a bit each year with several new or refined props each year to keep it fresh. We set up over Labor Day weekend and it take about 8 - 10 hours each day. Usually get most of the characters and props set up Saturday and part of Sunday and the rest of the day Sunday and Monday doing the lighting. Everything is on and going on Monday Night.

 

[dane82]

everyone has their own tastes, but i agree about clutter--a lot of displays i see just look like a halloween bomb went off in the yard, and that's not very appealing to me.

that said, we don't do a lot of outside decorating. we don't have trick or treaters on our street so we focus on our party and most of that decorating is inside. i'd say my wife and i spend a few hours over the course of the week leading up to the party, and then a few hours the day of the party, getting everything set up, food prepared, etc.

 

[spooky night]

It takes me a month to set up everything,just about working everyday that I have off, but that includes making a walk through garage with several rooms. The whole process starts in June with figuring out the layout and outdoor scenes for the season. Last week in August, hubby gets kicked out of the garage so I can start building the walls inside. That takes about a week to get the layout right. September is all about the inside scenes and props. Most of my animatronics go inside,
it keeps them from getting wet and I don't have to worry about them being taken. The last week of September is for the outside display and it all lights up and goes on October 1.

 

[RCIAG]

Since I only do "day of" it's usually 6-8 hours set up for me. I don't start at the crack of dawn like I used to, but if I can get outta bed around 9-10AM, start dragging stuff up & out, & have it down by 11PM that nite.

It's a 12-14 hour day for me at worst. I've learned to take Nov. 1 off now too to recuperate & clean up a bit. Now that I'm working part time I have a few more days to do stuff so that will help with "day of" stuff.

 

[Madame Leota]

I don't do a walk-through haunt, just a large yard display. I usually start at the beginning of October and add to it a little at a time over the remaining weeks till Halloween. My initial set-up day is about 4-6 hours. Truthfully, if I had to get everything set up in one day, it could be done. I just like tweaking and playing with it and adding props along the way to add to the build up for Halloween night. And it all comes down in just a few hours on November 1st.

 

[boo who?]

Whether I like it or not - there is an unavoidable rush-rush element to being a day-of haunter. I stage everything I can in advance: electric, projections, treats, costumes, etc. But it still takes getting up at 5AM to put everything into place. I don't have any help - so keeping to a schedule is critical to avoid panic. I try to have a dry ice element every year and that always seems to take a bit of time.

 

[doto]

My wife's most hated time of the year is Halloween...yes we may be opposites in every way. An annual Halloween compromise is definitely in place. The compromise I get to do it but it needs to be done quickly. Normally I set-up the evening of the 29th, all day on the 30th and the 31st. I do get a little help from my daughter (spider webs) and my wife's uncle with the garage fascade construction. Pneumatics, animatronics, projections, static displays and lighting is all done at a quick pace. The bonus of doing it all so quickly is it is frsh for the TOT's and neighbours on Halloween.

 

[Zombie4*]

I also do a large outdoor display. We put everything out the first weekend of October. It takes an entire day to complete. But I usually will move/change things throughout the month

 

[65Ace]

Everything goes up the day of and it all comes down that same night.
I'm not saying its all properly packed away and stored that night, but its all down and either back inside the house or in the garage waiting to be put back in storage. The whole, it suddenly appears and then disappears just as quickly has always been part of the magic of Halloween.
Its a lot of work on the day of (especially as the display gets bigger every year) but its worth it when you get ToT'ers that appreciate the display.

P.S.: Pirates always get double at our Haunt.

 

[acanton04]

I have a smaller yard and not as complicated props. This year its the headless horseman, a couple of homemade signs, a door wreath, some stake lanterns, a cauldron with lighted embers and a fog machine amongst others. Like someone else previously mentioned, they put up a couple things each week both indoors and outdoors to ease the work , and I also think it makes Halloween seem more fun and less of a burden ( I mean if people can start putting up Xmas decorations in November, what's stopping us from using September? . I expect full set up with testing motion sensor lighting and fog machine to be about 2-3 hours max without help, if that , depending on how early I start putting things out. I'm taking the Monday before to finalize everything and start on baking and food prep for the night of (I usually have a small lowkey get together). Hats off to the all the haunters doing the more complex displays, I have always loved those at a kid, and is the biggest reason why I have tried to go all out for the holiday!

 

[Saki.Girl]

gathering of witches took me 9 month to set up that was working on weekends on it
this year I started in june and will have it ready by oct 18th again I do it on my weekends.

 

[SlayKnotV1]

we're actually gonna start decorating this Monday. me and my wife own a school bus company and summer school is over so we can take our time and I'll have help from 2 of our employees. we put out up over 70 inflatables plus some Halloween trees and we use a tree stump and make a fire pit and surround it with ghosts. it looks really cool. we also line the driveway and the front of the house with orange C-9 lights and put orange lights around and above the garage and around the front door and railings. once we're done i'll post pics

 

[dbruner]

Indoors takes a full weekend. outside most of a day, then a couple of hours on Halloween to add the real pumpkins, light everything and put out some of the life size figures I don't leave out during the month. Also I spend a few hours decorating my department at work. Outside decorating would go quicker but I usually have to take air conditioning breaks since its still in the 90's here in October. Fall doesn't come to Florida until February.

 

[Godcrusher]

It varies. Inside takes alot because I have a large halloween village as well a the normal halloween decor. Outside I do a graveyard with reapers and home made life size props. overall I say it takes 3 days counting building the props. That doest count the village as its always being worked on.

 

[stick]

It takes me 12 to 15 hours to set up my front yard display doing it by myself. I normally put up the electrics and lights in September that takes 4 hours than the first weekend in October everything in the cemetery comes to life in 8 to 10 hours. I can take it down and have it all packed up in 5 hours if not raining on November 1.

 

[cinders]

It takes me a couple weeks to set up. I do it by myself, as my husband is not "one of us!" He would help if I asked, but I'd have to then explain where this and that came from, how much was that, where are you going to store that huge thing, etc. Most of my stuff is crammed in the attic, and it is difficult to maneuver through the small hatch. No where to stage anything or bring too much down at one time unless it can go right out. But I waste a lot of time looking for things that I know I have but can't seem to find. Organization is not my strong suit. But its all fun. People in the neighborhood drive by or come by to see my progress every day, so there's a lot of chatting that takes up some of the time.

The worst part is taking it all down and putting it away. By then everything is usually really wet, and its a long process to dry everything out inside in small batches and then another round of up and down the attic ladder a million times.

 

[0100]

I am starting now and might be ready for opening night. I am tripling the size and doing a haunt this year. Yeah and I do 99.99 percent of everything. Lights, audio, building, paint, makup, setup, etc etc. Wife *****es about it the whole time but loves it when everyone in town talks about it. My kids 10 and 8 love helping me but I have a few more years before they can really help.