• BJ LEWIS - Victoria Advocate
• Originally published May 12, 2008 at 9:39 a.m., updated May 12, 2008 at 9:39 a.m.

After five years in their home, the Farleys, Misty and Will, have decided to do some remodeling. They just wanted to get a little inspiration.

For this, the couple joined dozens of other people on Mother’s Day walking through several area houses in the 2008 Parade of Homes.

“I’ve been impressed,” Will said.

The two planned on visiting just the homes in Victoria. Other homes are located in LaSalle and Cuero.

The annual event provides an avenue for builders to showcase their homes and new features, said Jack Gilbert, of Gilbert Construction.

“And it gives the chance for the public to see brand-new construction.”

The parade continues through May 18.

The tours bring out a good crowd, he said. Over the whole parade, Gilbert said anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people will come out. The parade also helps connect homeowners looking to remodel with builders.

“A lot are on the cusp of getting a builder,” Gilbert said. “They can talk to the builder and see what things will look like in their homes.”

Some features people are looking at recently are hardwood floors, granite countertops and walls that aren’t just one solid color, Gilbert said.

Suppliers of paint and furniture benefit from the parade because often people will go to the stores and buy what they saw in the homes, he said.

Anna Salazar and Casey Celum, frequent paraders, were looking at homes for future reference. The couple will get married in July.

“It’s interesting to see the new decorating schemes,” Salazar said. “To see what’s in with all of the different colors and floor plans.”

Salazar visited all but two homes for last year’s parade and enjoys seeing the changes from year to year.

Melanie Harber made the parade a family day to spend with her mother and daughter. She is getting a few ideas, but it’s mostly family time.

“It’s time spent with my mom on Mother’s Day,” she said. “We went last year to all of the homes over the course of the week.”

The parade would be a new tradition for her and her mother each year, Harber said.

“We’ll always see them all. It’s fun,” she said.

Bj Lewis is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6535 or bjlewis@vicad.com.

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