( CNN ) -- For David Richards , the holiday season is about joy , good cheer and smashing a Guinness World Record . The lawyer and his family strung more than a half a million bulbs around their house in the Australian capital city of Canberra to reclaim the title for lights on a residential property . In case you 're wondering , that 's 31 miles of lights . Richards has been the champ before . He set the world record in 2011 with 331,038 lights , but decided not to do it again because the display took months of effort . In 2012 , the Gay family in Lagrangeville , New York , snatched away the title with a display of 346,283 lights . Richard rose to the challenge . He not only wanted to take back the record , he wanted to `` smash it '' so it would stand for a long time . This time , the number was 502,165 bulbs . Guinness did n't count each and every bulb . The record was authenticated with sales receipts and by counting LED bulbs spaced among the half million lights , Richards said . The family takes donations from thousands of people who jam the neighborhood to view the lights . Two years ago , they raised $ 78,000 for SIDS ( Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ) and Kids ACT . Lightbulb babies and fairytale castles : Your Christmas traditions . That money helped hire two new counselors for families who have lost a child to SIDS . Richards hopes to earn $ 100,000 this year . `` That 's our motivation , '' he said . Richards and his wife , Janean , lost a child to SIDS a decade ago , he said . They have three children , ages 13 to 6 . Richards started the project in October and puts in hours before and after work and on weekends . `` I got the last bulb up last night just before Guinness arrived , '' he said Monday . The most Christmassy places on the planet . `` MOST CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON A HOUSE - OVER HALF A MILLION ! '' blared the headline on the Guinness website after it verified the feat . The Richards ' house is the former Japanese embassy and has a wide driveway circling in front , he said . Richards built a canopy over the driveway and overlaid it with the lights . `` It 's like walking through a tunnel of lights with synchronized music , '' he said . The family 's monthly electric bill is expected to swell by $ 2,500 , with the local electric company handling the cost by using renewable energy . Richards would n't say how much he 's spent on lights , just that it 's less than the event brings in for charity . `` Even my wife does n't know , '' he said , `` and if you ask her she 'll say she does n't want to know . '' 8 of the world 's wintriest scenes and how to find them .
David Richards strung more than 500,000 lights over his house . He hopes to raise $ 100,000 for local charities . Richards set the record in 2011 , lost it to a New York family in 2012 , and reclaimed it Sunday . `` It 's like walking through a tunnel of lights with synchronized music . ''