Remodeled home tour set for first weekend in October

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

A foreclosure joins sunroom additions, outdoor living areas and other stunning interior updates, both inside and outside the Perimeter, on next weekend’s second annual Tour of Remodeled Homes.

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NARI / Distinctive Remodeling Solutions Kitchen renovations, such as those by Distinctive Remodeling Solutions will be featured on NARI's Second Annual Tour of Remodeled Homes.

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And, of course, there are plenty of examples of kitchen and bath renovations, the two most popular rooms for updates.

Eight homes in Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs and Vinings will be open to the public during the tour Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 1-2) presented by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Local experts are letting the public in on their renovations in hopes of inspiring homeowners, showcasing design trends and drumming up business.

The tour is beneficial for attendees who are renovating homes while waiting out the economic climate or updating foreclosures or other homes, said Mark Buelow, tour chairman and president of Roswell-based Distinctive Remodeling Solutions, which is showcasing a main-floor renovation of a foreclosure.

Here are three things to know about the tour.

1. Location matters.

Homes inside the Perimeter are typically older, so some of the featured renovations are structurally driven, such as adding a second story or rooms, Buelow says. In the suburbs, the homes typically are larger, so renovations often are focused on problem solving, such as creating a more functional kitchen or maximizing space in the bathroom. For example, Norcross-based CSI Kitchen & Bath Studio used existing space in a Roswell home to create a larger kitchen, locker area, new bathroom and laundry room without adding onto the home.

2. See unexpected indoor amenities

The sunroom that Smyrna-based Decks and More added to a Dunwoody home didn’t just bring in a hot tub but also an indoor pool to create a spa retreat.

3. Ask questions

If you don’t understand how the renovators did it, ask them, especially if you’re considering remodeling. The tour offers the chance to ask company owners and representatives how they performed certain renovations or approached the design and planning process. “It’s getting to know the personality of the company that may have performed this renovation,” Buelow said. “It gives them a chance to really meet the person that is working within these firms and seeing if it’s a good fit and if the chemistry is right.”

Second annual NARI Tour of Remodeled Homes

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 1, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 2

Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the tour. The tour benefits the ALS Division of MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association).

Companies featured: CSI Kitchen & Bath Studio, Decks & More, Distinctive Remodeling Solutions, Hall Construction & Real Estate Services, Home Forge Remodeling, Innovative Outdoors and Weidman & Associates

Info: www.atlantaremodelingtour.com, 770-516-2091