 |
|
A spectacular master bath in a remodeling showcase of homes is sure to attract the attention of anyone considering a bathroom project.
Photo courtesy of VanBerg Construction Co., San Diego
|
By Wayne A. Endicott
A sure a sign of spring (and sometimes fall) is the local Parade of Homes. Home seekers in towns and cities across the country trudge their way from new home to new home to see the latest in design and amenities. But Parades of Homes are usually sponsored by local new-home builder organizations. To generate the same kind of excitement among potential customers, remodeler groups in a number of cities have created their own version of the Parade of Homes.
A case in point: Six years ago, members of Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Council Inc. decided it was time they cashed in on the Parade of Homes phenomenon. Tagging on the idea that May is National Home Improvement month, the largest NARI chapter in the country successfully opened its version of a Parade of Homes with more than a dozen remodelers participating. The idea caught on and in 2005, 17 remodeled homes are on display. The public is apparently happy about that, too. "We’ve gotten more interest from homeowners every year," says Dave Amoroso, vice president of Ron Sonntag Public Relations of Milwaukee, spokesperson for the Home Improvement Council.
One member of the Home Improvement Council who has been involved since the Showcase’s inception is Bill Hicks, president of Cream City Construction, Inc. "We’ve generated good solid leads from our participation every year we’ve been in the festival," Bill says. "The main advantage is that a potential customer can actually see what we do and gauge how it might relate to his needs."
Perhaps the most successful such program over the years has been in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where this year’s parade will include nearly 90 remodelers. Other remodelers groups are taking up the concept, as well. In the Chicago area, for example, the Remodelors Council of the Home Builders of Greater Chicago is planning to stage its first showcase for May 2006.
In the history of the Milwaukee program, virtually every type of remodeling job has been included: kitchen and bath makeovers, whole-house remodels, additions, master suites, lower-level makeovers and the creation of family rooms. But picking which ones to showcase each year is a tough job. A committee of NARI members screens entries to find the best projects. Many already are award winners in such programs as NARI’s Contractor of the Year and the Wisconsin Remodeler of the Year. "Contractors understand that we want to show the best of the best," says Dave. "The ‘Wow!’ factor has definitely been on the upswing."
Mike Nagel, CGR, CAPS, of Remodel One (Roselle, Ill.) is chairman of the HBAGC's showcase committee. He's been impressed by what he has learned from the research they've done so far. "We are talking to various organizations that have been doing this for a number of years. We are finding out that each does it a little bit differently," Mike says.
However, he points out, one thing is clear: Such shows definitely generate new business for participants.
| 
)
