David Richards had previously held the Guinness World Record in 2011 with 331,038 lights, but was overtaken by a New York family when he took last year off.
So this year he came back with a vengeance, boosting the number of bulbs to a staggering 502,165.
The calculation for the record is made on the number of LEDs per metre, and David's display uses 50km of lights.
David told Craig Zonca from 1233 ABC Newcastle the display has helped him develop some handy skills.
"I'm getting very good at tangles, I have to tell ya," he says.
The display, which raises money for SIDS and Kids, attracts so many people to the family's Canberra home that traffic management help is brought in.
It's not the type of thing you can throw up a few days before Christmas.
"I start in October, I took a week off for school holidays," David says.
Since then he's worked every morning, afternoon and evening and just managed to get the last bulb up before the record was declared.
David has built a frame over his circular driveway from which he suspends a blanket of lights, and synchronises the display to music.
"I swore I would never do it again because of the amount of work," he says.
"But it's fantastic when you see the looks on the faces of the kids and even some of the grown-ups, their jaws seem to drop when they walk in."
David keeps the display going right through till Boxing Day evening, when he shuts it down and "sleeps for a week".
At least he doesn't have to worry about exorbitant power bills, with a green energy company sponsoring the $2500 cost.
And what do David's neighbours think about his showy efforts?
"Most of them are fantastic," he says, diplomatically.
If you're in the Canberra area, the Richards house is at 3 Tennyson Crescent, Forrest.
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