And you thought your neighbours were annoying

Imagine living next door to a family determined to win the Guinness World Record for hanging the most Christmas lights for 2013?

It makes our retinas hurt just thinking about it.

Canberra couple David and Janean Richards have created a flamboyant display that not only lights up the house, it lights up the street, the neighbourhood, the suburb and can probably be seen from space.

The Richards previously won the world record in 2011 before losing in 2012 to a couple in New York. It took years of planning but they triumphantly reclaimed their title this year by hanging 502,165 Christmas lights.

Mr Richards confessed that some neighbours still aren't talking to them after their first Guinness World Records win in 2011, but says majority of the neighbourhood are supportive.

Enough with the Scrooge-style remarks from us ... the couple and their three children have a touching reason for their amazing display of festive spirit: they're raising money for SIDS after they lost a baby in 2002.

"The charity is very close to our heart. We lost a child and SIDS looked after us many years ago," David told the Canberra Times.

"It was very important for us. Anyone who has been through that sort of loss will probably tell you the worst thing that can happen to you is losing a young child."

"It actually helps a lot of families who have put up with an amazing amount of grief," David added. "That makes it all worthwhile to me. It's like a party in your driveway every night."

David said daughter Madelyn, 6, thinks it's totally normal to have a house with a huge amount of Christmas lights on it, while Catilin, 10 and Aidan, 13 just sit back and enjoy the show.