For the Home Builders Asso­ciation of Greenville, the South­ern Home & Garden Show is part of a mission to be the resource for finding the finest builders, remodelers, and home improvement special­ists in the Upstate. In addition to bringing hundreds of home-related companies together under one roof, the Southern Home & Garden Show offers a weekend of fun for the entire family.

Live Broadcasts, Special Appearances

Back by popular demand at the Spring Southern Home & Garden Show will be News Radio WORD’s Bob McLain who will broadcast his popular talk show live from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. at The Home Depot booth located on the center aisle of the exhibit floor. Dillard-Jones Builders and the 2012 Southern Living Showcase Home are sponsoring McLain’s appearance. Also broadcasting live from the show all weekend is 107.3 JAMZ and the new Chuck-FM 97.7.

$2,500 Backyard Composite Deck Package, Weekend Stay in Charleston To Be Given Away

Visitors to the Spring Southern Home & Garden Show can register to win a custom Composite deck, compliments of The Home Depot. The 10’ x 20’ deck, which will be on display at the show, includes a patio table and chairs and a conversation set. Also awarded to a lucky Southern Home & Garden Show attendee will be a two-night stay in Charleston, SC compliments of the Southeast Travel Show. The package includes overnight accommodations with breakfast, a Charleston gift bag, and a VIP pass that gains entrance in 25 Charleston area tours and attractions.

The Home Depot Kids Workshop

Little show visitors will have fun at The Home Depot Kids Workshop where they can build something of their own to take home. The Kids Workshop will be located on the show floor.

March Madness Media Zone

Show goers can catch the basketball action of their favorite teams at the March Madness Media Zone presented by AV Innovations. Show visitors can stop in for high definition basketball on the big screen or challenge their friends to a game on the Wii.

Click here for more show details.

Click here for seminars scheduled on the Hollingsworth Park Entertainment Stage.

Click here for a list of exhibitors by category.

Brandy Long, Queen of the Penny Pinchers

If you are looking for latest products, services and trends for the home, the 2012 Spring Southern Home & Garden Show sponsored by The Home Depot and produced by the Home Builders Association of Greenville is where you need to be March 2 – 4. The three-day show at TD Convention Center in Greenville will feature nearly 300 companies ready to demonstrate the features and benefits of thousands of products and services for inside and outside your home.

The Southern Home & Garden Show gives you the opportunity to see the latest offerings in one place without the need for lengthy research or traveling all over town. Show visitors can make product and price comparisons as they interact with exhibitors to find out how their products or services stack up with the competition.

The show also will include in-depth seminars and how-to workshops where you can learn more about hot topics. The Home Depot will present how-to seminars on outdoor living, tiling floors and backsplashes, painting and faux finishing. There are seminars that will teach how to stretch your design dollars, and staging techniques for selling a home such as painting light fixtures, re-hanging pictures in groupings, and rules about what to keep and what to toss when moving.

Other seminars will focus on green topics such as rainwater harvesting and solar energy. Presented by Sundance Power Systems, ‘Become Empowered with Solar Energy and Start Saving Today!’ will walk visitors through how solar power works and how it can dramatically reduce your electric bills for years to come.

And for those wanting to learn how to save money in a variety of ways, you do not want to miss the show’s featured presenter Brandy Long, Queen of the Penny Pinchers. Sponsored by The Greenville News, Brandy will reveal the 10 Secrets of Coupon Queens. Once the calling primarily of cost-conscious homemakers, couponing has been transformed into a multibillion-dollar industry that now captivates all gender, age and socioeconomic groups. Brandy will present tips for making couponing a money strategy each day of the Southern Home & Garden Show.

Click here for the lineup of seminars and how-to workshops at the 2012 Southern Home & Garden Show.

The exhibit floor will be filled to capacity with nearly 300 companies displaying products and services for inside and outside the home. For those of you who have been attending the show for many years, there are 65 companies exhibiting in the show for the first time in 2012. And for those planning to build or renovate, you will find more than 25 custom homebuilders and professional remodelers so bring plans, pictures or ideas for your dream home.

Produced by the Home Builders Association of Greenville, the Southern Home & Garden Show is the veritable kickoff to spring in the Upstate. A family event, the show features thousands of products and services, educational seminars, how-to workshops and workshops where children can build something of their own to take home. It is a buying show where visitors can compare products and pricing on virtually everything imaginable for home building, buying, renovating, landscaping and interior design.

Attendee research conducted since 2002 shows consistently that about 52 percent of Southern Home & Garden Show attendees have plans to build, buy or remodel a home within the next year. Almost 36 percent of attendees come to the show in search of a specific product they wish to buy, and about 12 percent attend to see the latest products and trends for the home. With so many companies gathered under one roof, the Southern Home & Garden Show helps consumers reduce the time, cost and confusion related to purchasing.

We invite you to visit the Southern Home & Garden Show March 2-4 at TD Convention Center. For a list of exhibiting companies By Category, click here. To view an Alphabetical list of exhibitors, click here. And watch for the Official Guide to the Southern Home & Garden Show inserted in the Sunday, February 26, edition of The Greenville News.

Home Office Remodel

Home offices are becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity, with more people telecommuting. The number of Americans that work from home is in the millions, and that number has continued to grow every year. With many companies cutting costs and becoming more aware of their carbon footprints, telecommuting has become a viable solution for many in the working world. Making sure that your home has a state-of-the-art space for potential teleworkers is a surefire way to increase your home’s value.

Renovate or Add a Family Room

With open floor plans becoming more in demand, a family room is an excellent way to make existing homes more like new construction. It always is a good idea to be aware of what homes in your area are like. People like to purchase homes that blend with other homes around them. Chances are you’ll find many of your neighbors are investing in family rooms as well.

Replace the Roof

The roof is one of the first impressions people have of a home. Make sure yours passes the test by replacing an old roof. You can also change the character of your home by looking into architecturally styled roofing tiles.

Landscape Your Yard

Like the roof, landscaping can give a great, or not so great, first impression. Backyard landscaping can transform ordinary spaces into incredible entertaining areas by including elegant water features and lush plants. In an area like Greenville where the weather is somewhat temperate year-round, a landscaped yard adds value to your home and increases your living space.

Replace Old Windows

Thirty percent of a home’s energy is lost through its windows. Replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones signals to homebuyers that you really care about the house and it reflects on the quality of the house as a whole. And, who doesn’t like to save money on energy bills

Remodel Your Basement

Do you have unused space in your home that serves as a black hole for all things without a home? Try remodeling your basement. Remodeled basements can make excellent game rooms or guest suites, adding value to your home without adding space.

Paint, Paint, Paint

Enough said. But remember to hire a professional if you need help and keep the colors neutral if you’re looking to sell. Nothing looks worse than a poorly done paint job in bright fuchsia.

Remodel Your Kitchen

Upgrading appliances, door handles and painting tired walls can add new life to your kitchen. Kitchens sell a home, but a kitchen remodel is a long-term investment. Typically, you will see payback 10 years down the road.

Remodel or Add a Bathroom

A bathroom remodel often can mean simply making the most of your current space by upgrading fixtures, flooring and lighting. Adding a bathroom is a great way to increase the value of your home. Is your only bathroom upstairs and not convenient for dinner guests? Often the area under a set of stairs is the perfect place for a powder room.

To find a home remodeling professional or specialty contractor, see the HBA of Greenville Member Directory. And, make plans now to visit the 2012 Spring Southern Home & Garden Show presented by The Home Depot March 2-4 at TD Convention Center to compare products and pricing for your next home remodeling project.

One of the most common fixes for a boring room is color.  “Color is easy to do and inexpensive,” Kathy Browning, owner of Design Consultants in Virginia Beach, Va., says in a recent issue of NAHB House Keys.

Updating the color of just one wall in any room will give it an entirely new feel.  Painting, when approached correctly, can be an enjoyable experience with instant rewards.  Lauren Warnock, vice president director of design at Mary Cook Associates, an interior design firm based in Chicago, reminds home owners that warmer colors can make a room feel cozier and more inviting. Cooler colors like grey or “stark white,” on the other hand, may give a room a more industrial feeling. “Light airy colors open up a space, while deep, darker colors can make a room appear smaller,” Warnock says.

For the style-conscious, earthy tones such as ambers, browns, and rust are currently popular. “Using modern glamour hues such as white and black with a punch of a teal, coral or chartreuse color is very hot as well,” says Warnock.

Connie Edwards, director of design for Shenandoah Cabinetry, has her own advice when it comes to color, particularly if you are looking at the kitchen. “You can never go wrong with neutrals, but color is hot now,” Edwards says.  “Not necessarily vibrant colors — although for the right space, they can be fabulous — but think along the lines of buttery yellows, soft sage greens and nearly neutral blues.”

Adding accents to pieces you already own can also make a large difference.  For instance, if your couch is not as exciting as it once was, try throwing a few fun accent pillows on it.  Remember, throws and cushions, when selected as accents, can really bring new life to a tired piece of furniture.  “The use of pillows, throws and draperies in living spaces enhances a room in many ways,” Warnock says.  Fabrics also can add beautiful softness to a room and allow additional patterns and textures to be brought into a room.

Another budget-friendly change is to rotate the artwork in a room.  Using the same frames but changing the images can easily create a new theme or mood, and combining several different frames in different finishes and sizes can achieve different looks.

Often overlooked but strikingly effective, updated lighting can work wonders.  “Lighting will dramatically change the mood of a room,” Warnock says.  Try installing a new fixture or simply swapping out the shades on current fixtures.  Installing dimmer switches can also make for an interesting change.

Kate Brennan, vice president of new business development at Mary Cook, offers some advice for ready do-it-yourselfers.  “Get excited about the transformation that will occur — usually people become more inspired to continue updating their homes.” Brennan says.  “Take your project one step at a time and follow your gut.”

Subscribe to NAHB HouseKeys, the National Association of Home Builders’ free, quarterly e-newsletter for consumers. 

With the South Carolina GOP presidential primary less than a week away, presidential contenders should heed a new statewide poll showing that voters in the Palmetto State believe that owning a home remains an integral part of the American Dream and that policymakers need to take active steps to protect homeownership.

“The survey underscores that South Carolina voters believe homeownership is a core value that anchors the middle class and they oppose efforts to eliminate or reduce the mortgage interest deduction and to make it more difficult for creditworthy home buyers to obtain affordable financing,” said Bob Nielsen, president of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev.

“South Carolina’s voters are sending a clear message that the opportunity to own a home remains a cherished ideal and the government has an important role to play to keep homeownership affordable for hard-working American families,” added Nielsen. “That’s a message we hope candidates running at all levels of government this November will heed.”

The polling found that 98 percent of South Carolina home owners are happy with their decision to purchase a home and 79 percent of all voters believe that despite the risk of ups and downs in the housing market, owning a home is one of the best long-term investments they can make.

Moreover, 65 percent of the respondents said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who proposed eliminating the mortgage interest deduction and 73 percent believe it is appropriate and reasonable for the federal government to provide tax incentives to promote homeownership.

These are among the key findings of a survey of likely South Carolina voters that was conducted on behalf of NAHB by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., and Lake Research Partners of Washington, D.C.

Among the other survey results:

• 99 percent of home owners said that it is important that they own their own home.
• Homeownership and a retirement savings program are considered by voters to be their best investments.
• Nearly three out of four voters who are not currently home owners (73 percent) said it was a goal of theirs to buy a home.
• 64 percent believe it is appropriate and reasonable for the federal government to help home buyers afford a long-term or 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
• 68 percent of voters would oppose eliminating or reducing tax deductions such as the mortgage interest deduction in exchange for a lower federal income tax rate if it meant that their final tax bill would be higher.

Click here to find a homebuilder or remodeler in the Greenville, SC area.

Check insulation. Studies show that in a typical home, about 10 percent to 20 percent of the fuel bill is the result of unintended air infiltration. Even in a well-insulated home, energy may be wasted through air moving in and out or infiltrating through the home’s building shell or structure. Air leaks around doors and windows, attic hatches, window air conditioners, and through cracks and holes.

Make sure your attic has a sufficient amount of insulation to ensure it stays at least five to 10 degrees warmer than the outside air, otherwise too much heat escapes. Not only will this cause your heat bills to be higher, but it can also cause frozen water to melt and refreeze which can result in a collapsed roof.

Inspect the weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows to make sure it hasn’t cracked or come loose, allowing air to leak, and replace it if needed. This can also help reduce infiltration by insects, dust and moisture and noise. Or, consider replacing your windows or doors with new ENERGY STAR-qualified windows or doors, which can save you about seven to 15 percent on your energy bills.

Maintain your pipes. Wrap your pipes with heating tape every winter and insulate unfinished rooms such as garages or sunrooms if they contain exposed pipes. Check pipes for cracks and leaks and have any damage repaired immediately to prevent costlier repairs later. Keep your house warm—at least 65 degrees. Don’t neglect your basement and crawl spaces, and insulate pipes in those spaces to protect against freezing.

It also is important to know the location of your pipes and how to shut the water off. If your pipes freeze, the quicker you shut off the water, the better chance you have of preventing pipe bursts and major water damage in your home.

Inspect your heating systems. Be sure to have your heating system serviced every year, and maintain your furnace, fireplace, boiler, water heater, space heater and wood-burning stove. Change your heating and air conditioning filters regularly, and while you’re at it, check the batteries and operation of your smoke and fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

By setting aside a few weekend days now, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle later—and your family can relax and be warm and comfortable throughout the winter months. For information on Greenville area companies that can assist with home maintenance and repair, check the Member Directory of the Home Builders Association of Greenville.

A survey of 20,000 home buyers in the United States and Canada points out that there are a number of features in new homes that are considered non-negotiable across almost all demographic groups. The top five features include walk-in closets – mentioned by 66 percent of first-time buyers as a “must have” – energy-efficient appliances, linen closets, a large kitchen and the overall efficiency of the home.

Once-popular features such as large living rooms, soaking tubs and second-floor laundry rooms are now out of favor. Home buyers have found that the convenience of not having to carry laundry to another floor was outweighed by the noise that interrupted their sleep.

Home buyers also are looking for small details in their new homes, such as a built-in desk under a stairway, or a courtyard tucked between two downstairs bedrooms. Successful home builders “create memory points,” according to interior designers.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average size of a new single family home decreased from 2,438 square feet to 2,377 in 2010. Open floor plans are in high demand because they are not only more practical for entertaining – the hosts can interact  with their dinner  guests in a spacious kitchen while they are preparing food – but the lack of walls and closed-off spaces make the home seem much larger.

The kitchen is now the hub of the home more than ever. Even if busy families are bringing home takeout, they want the kitchen island to be large enough to serve a multi-tasking purpose as a place to do homework, crafts, and pay bills – as well as to enjoy coffee on a Sunday morning.

Natural finishes are also more popular.  Recycled flooring, using a mix of wood grains on the cabinets and architectural details that reflect the indigenous building of the region – such as using stucco in the Southwest – are more important to buyers.

Builders also are paying more attention to a growing group of home buyers: WINKs – Women with No Kids. These women have distinct preferences that don’t quite fit into the usual categories that home designers talk about:  first-time buyers who tend to be singles and young professionals, move-up buyers who usually have children, and empty nesters.

WINKs have more buying power than a generation ago and are seeking smaller homes that have multipurpose rooms for entertaining along with intimate “retreat” spaces for themselves.

To learn about the latest design trends being incorporated into new homes in the Greenville SC area, contact the Home Builders Association of Greenville and make plans to visit the 51st Annual Southern Home & Garden Show coming March 2-4, 2012 to TD Convention Center, Greenville SC.

This new attitude is showing in the recent change in overall size of new homes being built. In 2006, the median floor area of new single-family homes—which for the most part had trended upward for the past 35 years—peaked at 2,259 square feet. But as home buyers scaled back in the recession, the median square footage decreased to 2,107 square feet in 2009.

In its latest member surveys, the National Association of Home Builders found that builders are responding to changes in home buyer preferences. More than 96 percent of the builders said they planned to produce smaller homes in 2010, and 95 percent said they would offer lower-priced models.

The two features builders reported they were most likely to include were a walk-in closet in the master bedroom and a laundry room. These reflect consumers’ preference for practical features that make effective use of space and provide ample storage.

Of the top ten features most likely to be included in new homes, four provided opportunities for the home owner to save money by decreasing utility costs. They included an insulated front door, low-E windows, a programmable thermostat and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.

“Low-E” stands for low emissivity, which is glass that has special coatings to reflect infrared and damaging ultraviolet light. This keeps heat inside in winter and outside in summer, and protects interior furnishings from fading. Programmable thermostats can be set to automatically adjust the temperature at certain times of day, such as when the family is sleeping.

Among the features builders said they were least likely to include in new homes were smaller kitchens,  two-story foyers, media rooms, butler’s pantries and multiple shower heads in the master bathroom.

It’s a good idea to keep these features in mind if you plan to shop for a new home or to update your current home in order to make it more competitive when you do sell it. To find a homebuilder in the Greenville SC area, visit www.HBAofGreenville.com.

The Spring Southern Home & Garden Show coming March 2-4 to TD Convention Center in Greenville SC.

In 2012, the Southern Home & Garden Show will enter a new decade with the 51st annual event in the Upstate. Owned and managed by the Home Builders Association of Greenville, the show draws exhibitors from professional builders, remodelers and specialty contractors to manufacturers and sellers of home-related products and services of every description.

A family event, the Southern Home & Garden Show features exhibits displaying the latest products and services for inside and outside the home, and activities for adults and children including educational seminars and kids workshops. The largest show of its kind in South Carolina and among the largest home shows in the Southeast, this locally-produced event draws nearly 300 exhibitors from many areas of the United States, and thousands of attendees from Upstate South Carolina, Western North Carolina and North Georgia.

The March 2-4 Southern Home & Garden Show at TD Convention Center is building on the energy and excitement of the 2011 spring and fall Southern Home & Garden Shows, both of which experienced an increase in exhibitors and attendees despite a slower Upstate housing market. And, research continues to show that consumers are more likely to do business with a company they have met at a show. For those reasons, the Spring Southern Home & Garden Show is headed for a sell-out with more than 150 companies already signed on to exhibit. Here is a preliminary list of exhibitors

A+ Teeth Whitening

AAA Fence Crafters

AAA Remodeling

Absolute Waterproof

Accent Home Elevator & Stairlift LLC

Accu-Brick

Addison Homes LLC

Ageless Windows

Air Command

All About Flooring 

All-Dry of the Carolinas  

All Season Patio & Sunrooms 

American Classic Shutters Inc.

American Eagle Builders, Inc.

American Elevator

Anderson Publications

Archadeck of Greenville

Astro Kennels LLC

AT&T Advertising Solutions

Autumn View Landscape & Design Co.

B & L Distributing

Backyard Inspirations

Bath Fitter

Becklan LLC

Better Box Mailboxes

Better Living of the Carolinas

BioGreen

Bob’s Window Company LLC

Boral Bricks

Cannon Works LLC

Carolina Climate Services Inc.

Carolina Closet

Carolina Flooring Specialists Inc. 

Carolina Fresh Farms

Carolina Gutter Helmet & More

Carolina Heating Service

Carolina Shower Door

Carolina Solar Lighting

Carpet Headquarters

Cellular Sales / Verizon

Central Vac Center

Charlotte Tent & Awning Company 

Cherrydale Family Chiropractic

City of Greenville Fire Department 

Clark’s Home and Construction Solutions

Closetpro

Crescent Home Referrals Inc.

Custom Landscaping and Design

Cutco Cutlery

Darrah Family Chiropractic

Daylight Solutions

Dias Home Repair & Renovations Inc.

Dillard-Jones Builders LLC

Dillard-Jones Renovations LLC

Dixie Home Crafters

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen

DTS Rents 

Earth Graphics

Eastergard HVAC

Elegant Door and Glass

Filter Queen of Greenville

Foothills Amish Furniture

Foundation for Wellness Professionals

GBS Building Supply 

General Shale Brick

Glenco Fireplaces

Glenco Foam

Glenco Insulation

Graber Enterprises, Inc.

Great Outdoors, The

Greenville Family Chiropractic

Greer Flooring Center

Gregory Pest Solutions

Grout Work of Upstate SC

Gwinn’s Siding and Window Co. #2, Inc.

Harrison Lighting

Heart Of America Sales

Hollison Custom Homes

Hoover Building Systems

Huber Engineered Woods LLC

Integrity Energy Solutions

Integrity Roofing

Iron Drive Coatings

Jeff Lynch Appliance & TV Center

Jones Home Improvements

Kitchen Craft

Kitchen Solvers of the Piedmont

Leaf Filter of NC

Leaf Guard SC

Living Healthy Technologies

Marksman Marketing Group

Merl’s Countertops 

Mold Stoppers LLC

Morton Buildings

Mountain Willow

Mungo Homes

N Hance Wood Renewal

Neat Freaks

Nitelites 

Overhead Door Company of Greenville

Overholt Wood ‘N Crafts

Paint By Ring Inc.

Palmetto Exterminators

Pavers, Inc. 

Phantom Screens

Premier Garage of the Western Carolinas

Prestige Marble

Prime Enterprise Group

Priority One Security

ProCare Services

PSandW Inc. 

Quality Life Solutions LLC

Rainbow of Greenville

Relax The Back

Royal Concrete Design

S. Lynn Landscape Curbing LLC 

Saddlehorn LLC

Scentsy

Schneider Tree Care

Seegars Fence Co. Inc. of Spartanburg

Select Comfort

Shelf Genie of Greenville

SK Builders Inc.

Southern Climate Control LLC

Southern Industries

Southern Traditions Window Fashions

Southern Vinyl Windows Mfg.

Specialty Spray Foam Solutions

Staggs Landscaping

Stair Parts & Etc. Inc. 

Star Granite Interiors

Steamatic

Streak Free (Old Fort Merchant)

Superior Building Concepts

Superior Walls 

Sweep Stuff  

Swift Inc.

Taylors Window and Screen

Terminix

Tolley’s Pressure Washing

Touch of Purple

Tupperware 

Upstate Home Improvement Resource Guide

Upstate Tile & Grout

Waldrop Heating & Air

Water Tech Inc.

Wayne’s Overhead Doors

Willis Landscaping

Wood-Tex Products

Worley’s Best

Ye Olde Piano Shoppe

If your company is interested in participating in the 51^st Annual Southern Home & Garden Show, call Vass Markets Inc. at (864) 288-2221 or complete an online Application For Space at www.HBAofGreenville.com. The early bird deadline for lower-priced exhibit space is January 1.