Free programs offer tips on building, remodeling

by Clarissa French

SBJ Staff

This year's HBA Home & Remodeling Show offers several informative seminars presented by HBA members.

?The HBA Remodelors Council is well-represented in this year's slate of free, informational seminars.

Remodelors Council members will present "Remodeling Kitchens & Baths" at 3 p.m. Feb. 5, "Understanding Remodeling Costs" at 1 p.m. Feb. 6 and "No Regrets Remodeling" at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7.

"'Remodeling Kitchens and Baths' will cover options and current trends in kitchen and bath remodeling projects," said HBA executive officer Louise Henson, while "Understanding Remodeling Costs" focuses on the exact costs of remodeling and why a square-footage cost is unrealistic. "No Regrets Remodeling" is a guide to whether remodeling is for you.

?Jim Baker, president of B&G Drafting, has been doing seminars on home design at the HBA Home Show since about the mid-'80s. With 28 years of experience in home design in the local market, he knows what sells, what doesn't, and how that has changed over time.

Baker's workshop, "Home Design, What's Hot & What's Not," will be presented at 7 p.m. Feb. 5 and 4 p.m. Feb. 6.

The program gets into "The type of trends that buyers are interested in what are the hottest items out there that are selling houses, that make houses desirable," Baker said. An accompanying slide show offers concrete examples.

For today's buyer, he said, a home is more than a necessity. Buyers are looking for aesthetics and artistic beauty above and beyond functionality, "what I call the 'Ferrari look,'" Baker said.

During the program, Baker will discuss trends in building concepts types of roofs and windows, for example as well as interior factors, such as traffic patterns, room locations and how and why those things have changed over time.

He'll also offer advice for the long-term. There are mistakes home buyers don't want to make in this particular market, he said, things which will have an impact on their ability to resell their home in the future.

?Marilyn Raines, ASID, of Final Touch Interiors Inc., returns to the Home Show to present her seminar, "Decorating Tips & Tricks" at 1 p.m. Feb. 6, with the assistance of Final Touch's Vivian Barnett, allied member ASID.

"Usually what I try to do is give small little tidbits, like lighting the corners of your room things that are duplicable and easy to pick up on," Raines said.

Also, "We try to share some of the new things we see on the horizon," such as what colors, lighting and decorating trends are hot.

A major part of the seminar is question-and-answer. The structure of the program is informal and personal, "We go with the flow of the people who attend," she said, giving specific information in response to their design questions. Interior design is a personal affair, Raines said, so it takes a personal approach.

"We welcome people to come in with their problems," Raines said. "We give a general talk, but we make an effort to address individual problems."

Raines will provide handouts with general decorating tips, and Final Touch's portfolio will be on display to give attendees a look at recent design projects.

?Cindy Graver, GRI, CRS, ABR, of Re/Max House of Brokers, will present "Easy Fix-Ups Open Doors to Sales" at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 6.

Graver's seminar, presented on PowerPoint, offers specific tips for homeowners who are planning to sell things to do before the home goes on the market, as well as things not to do.

For example, while a homeowner may want the home to look clean and open, stuffing the family clutter in a closet is a bad idea closets need to be as uncluttered as possible because storage space is a selling point.

?Bonnie Johnson, manager in the green plant department at Wickman's Garden Village, will present "Living Greener, Living Better The How Tos of House Plants" at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 6.

One of the things Johnson will focus on in her presentation is "the environmental aspect, how house plants provide a healthier environment and which plants provide more oxygen."

She will also discuss and bring examples of "new types of low-light patented plants now available."

About half of the presentation will be question-and-answer, she added, to discuss house plant issues such as fertilizer, lighting and getting house plants through the gray days of winter.

?Finally, a lender and a Realtor will present "Building Your Custom Home" at 4 p.m. Feb. 6 and 2 p.m. Feb. 7, discussing the ins and outs of custom home building.

Home Environment Seminars:

Friday, Feb. 5

3 p.m. Remodeling Kitchens & Baths

7 p.m. Home Design, What's Hot & What's Not

Saturday, Feb. 6

1 p.m. Understanding Remodeling Costs

1 p.m. Decorating Tips & Tricks

2:30 p.m. Easy Fix-Ups Open Doors to Sales

2:30 p.m. Living Greener, Living Better The How Tos of House Plants

4 p.m. Home Design, What's Hot & What's Not

4 p.m. Building Your Custom Home

Sunday, Feb. 7

2 p.m. Building Your Custom Home

2:30 p.m. No Regrets Remodeling[[In-content Ad]]