In October, some 212 homes ranging from approximately $200,000 to $2 million opened their magnificent doors to the public in our area’s 50th Annual Parade of Homes. The yearly event, which spans three weekends in October, offers folks a chance to see what homebuilders in the Triangle are dreaming up for their prospective buyers. The Parade has come a long way since its inception half a century ago; back then, only a dozen homes were on display, and all of them were located in Raleigh. Now the tour extends through Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties, literally spanning towns from A-Z: from Angier to Zebulon. In addition to a greater number of homes on display across multiple counties, Lara Wilson, Vice President of Marketing and Communications explains that the way the public accesses these homes has evolved. The addition of iPhone and Android apps, as well as a user-friendly website which allows people to customize their own tours based upon their interests means that the public can create their very own adventure. They even circulated a list of tips for making your tour a success this year, including to wear comfortable walking shoes and to try out a new restaurant for lunch during your tour.
From the builder’s perspective, participation in the Parade of Homes offers a wonderful chance to test out new finishes, technologies, or floor plans and get honest feedback from the public. Even a feature as simple as a hood over a range can elicit strong reactions. A lot goes into homebuilding, and a lot goes into entering a home into the event. Builders start the permitting process months prior to the April call for entries. Every home is brand new, and not only gives builders a chance to showcase their finest work, but also allows entire communities to put their best foot forward. Prospective buyers can see what amenities a community has to offer and gain a sense of what it would be like to call that neighborhood home.
A committee of experts who comes in from out of town judges the vast majority of houses on the tour. They look for certain criteria based on different pricing categories, of which there were approximately 20 this year. For Wake County homes, gold, silver, and bronze awards were announced at a seated gala dinner on Monday, October 12, which meant that the public could tour the winning homes during the final weekend of the Parade. And throughout the entire event, folks took note of the red ribbon placed in certain houses for a particularly outstanding feature, be it a well thought-out master bath, a bonus room with ingenious built-ins, or a perfectly designed living area.
Most of the houses featured in the Parade of Homes each year get swooped up quickly. Rarely does a house stay on the market more than a couple months after the event, and many are bought on the spot. To own a “Parade of Homes Home” is a source of pride for a lot of buyers; it’s a distinction that carries a certain prestige. For that reason, many people take the tour so that they can come home with ideas regarding anything from countertops to master suites to mudrooms. HGTV and Pinterest can offer plenty of inspiration, but there’s nothing quite like standing smack-dab in the middle of the room of your dreams.
“This year [was] more of a celebration in terms of looking back, comparing and contrasting how far we’ve come in terms of home ownership and the American Dream,” Wilson says. People feel that more is within their reach. They have bigger ideas, and more creative ways of making those ideas a reality. Wilson says hundreds of people come through the individual homes. “It runs the gamut, from people looking at paint colors, to people thinking, One day.”
Wes Carroll, Founder of Upright Builders, Inc. has been entering homes into the Parade since the ‘80s. He says a lot of “tire kickers” typically come out to the event, wanting to see what colors are on the walls, but then he sold one during a parade a few years ago to people who didn’t even think they were in the market. Something just spoke to them. It’s that kind of reaction that builders are going for—not just the buying part, but the downright visceral response a masterfully built home can elicit.
The beauty of the Parade of Homes, Wilson explains: “It’s your own treasure hunt. You can plot it out online beforehand, pick a price point and go dream, get some ideas on other homes in your price range, and maybe take back some ideas on how to make your own home more special in terms of decorating or a remodeling project.” And this year, the Triangle Parade of Homes has inspired more dreaming than ever before.
Sixteen homes in Holly Springs participated in the parade this year.
http://www.triangleparadeofhomes.com
