This home, by Key Day Builders, will be featured on this year’s Parade of Homes tour. The home is centered around a lodge room with a barrel vaulted wood ceiling overlooking the water. (Courtesy photo)

Brenda Richards, executive officer of the Lakes Region Home Builders and Remodelers Association. (Courtesy photo)

This home, by Key Day Builders, will be featured on this year’s Parade of Homes tour. The home is centered around a lodge room with a barrel vaulted wood ceiling overlooking the water. (Courtesy photo)

Brenda Richards, executive officer of the Lakes Region Home Builders and Remodelers Association. (Courtesy photo)

NEW HAMPTON — Building a new home is a time-consuming job. Showcasing those homes to the public is also a big task. When the annual Parade of Homes comes around on Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 8-10, Brenda Richards will have completed the job of finding the right homes for the popular event.

To do so, she depends upon the members of the Lakes Region Lakes Region Builders and Remodelers Association. As the executive officer for LRBRA, Richards communicates often with builders and designers. She sees all kinds of homes, from lakefront to large homes, cottages, modular and Adirondack, to name but a few styles.

She explains, “The Lakes Region Builders & Remodelers Association is a professional trade association whose purpose is to improve the housing industry and business climate in which it operates. Lakes Region members represent companies collectively employing nearly 900 people in the Lakes Region. The association produces community-wide events such as the Parade of Homes, helping building needs of veterans, supporting the Children’s Auction, providing education scholarships, as well as ‘tool box’ scholarships that help students purchase quality tools as they go directly into the workforce.”

Perhaps the best known project for LRBRA is the Parade of Homes. The public — from those who want to see new homes and talk with the builders, to others who want decor and renovation ideas — will find the parade has something for everyone.

“For the last 16 years, New Hampshire has had a Parade of Homes event,” Richards says when explaining the process for finding the featured homes. “In 2013, the Lakes Region Builders took over the marketing of the event. In 2016, the website changed from nhparadeofhomes.com to lakesregionparadeofhomes.com.

“Each year the event grows in popularity. Lakes Region Builders & Remodelers Association members work hard to present their best craftsmanship and innovations. Our member sub-contractors and suppliers benefit by showcasing the newest and best products that have just reached the market. This popular tour attracts hundreds of homebuyers and visitors who appreciate quality craftsmanship and housing options.”

Richards explains the preparation and identifying the homes on the parade in this way: “Lakes Region Builders and Remodelers are talented, hardworking professionals in many industries. I have a core group of about 15 members on the parade committee. They are assigned a builder and become their ‘ambassador’ to help the builder with the logistics of putting a home on the tour. There are many moving pieces to a multi-location event. We start planning for the event in January, we host a kick off party in March and we are off and running building the home tour. This is our signature event and a major marketing opportunity for our members to piggyback to make quality connections.”

The homes on the tour represent a variety of styles from waterfront Adirondack to modern architecture, a custom A-Frame cabin home and even a student-built home; all 430 square feet of it. “We are adding the development series to the tour this year. There are many people looking to buy a home in the Lakes Region and there are some unique developments for visitors to explore. Developers will feature their homes, luxury townhomes or condos available for sale, at various stages of the building process. All will be viewable on the website with contacts to further the discussions.”

Richards says her job is unique. “I became the executive officer for Lakes Region Builders & Remodelers Association in May of 2014. I help manage the home builder’s group which is a nonprofit association promoting, protecting, and preserving the home building industry as a viable economic force in the Lakes Region.

“Prior to joining the home builders group, I worked for a marketing and graphic design firm in Concord for over 17 years. My career journey also included working for two fast-paced real estate companies, one on the Seacoast, before moving to the Lakes Region. Past work experience included management roles, general manager of a regional magazine, marketing coordinator, business owner and relocation specialist for Pease Air Force Base families transitioning to move when Pease closed in the early 1990s,” she adds.

“Since taking the helm at Lakes Region Home Builders, membership continues to grow, and we have a strong association of trade professionals who appreciate the construction industry at every level,” Richards says.

She is especially fond of one LRBRA project involving young people. She explains, “The home builders group plays a role with high school students, helping them with different projects and builds. When I first started, we helped them build bob houses, which were raffled off. We went from building sheds to tiny homes that were built on a trailer. After three tiny homes, we moved on to creating actual homes that get built in the shop and moved onsite upon completion. It is one of my favorite projects that we do. I love working with the students. They love the attention from the group, they get to work side by side with builders, and we let them know their skill set is a viable career path. The students learn virtually every aspect of the building process. This year's home is 12 feet by 36 feet, and we already have a buyer for the New England cabin-themed home. Our members and another core group of outstanding building trade professionals donate their time and often materials to support this cause.”

This time of year, while working on details for the upcoming Parade of Homes event, getting a sneak peek at the gorgeous homes on the tour is a bonus for Richards. When asked what her favorite home has been over the years, she laughs. “One year a builder allowed a few of us to tour a home by boat. My little 27-foot Eastern boat looked so out of place at the dock of the home, but it was fun to imagine living in a 10,000-square-foot home with so many amenities. Attending the home tour will be sure to inspire many to dream of the possibilities and motivate others to renovate, redecorate or maybe even sell and build a new home of their dreams.”

Some current trends Richards sees in homes include creating outdoor features where homeowners work with landscapers for well-thought-out living spaces. Statement lighting is popular where light fixtures can add style and personality to a room and become a focal point, among other trends.

For those planning to build or revamp an existing home, the ideas at the Parade of Homes are endless. Richards says, “The foliage is gorgeous in between stops.”

For information and tickets to this year’s Parade of Homes, visit lakesregionparadeofhomes.com.

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