Eco-Rehabarama

Okay, so officially it’s “Eco-Rehabarama”, not just “Rehabarama”, but the concept is the same: Older homes that have been rehabilitated, are open to the public. Rehabaramas and Citiramas have been in Dayton since 1993, when the very first Rehabarama was held in McPherson Town Historic District. What a treat it was to see those historic homes restored and updated. The whole neighborhood was energized, which was an added benefit. It’s true that once one neighbor starts to fix up their home, there is often a ripple effect throughout the neighborhood. It’s not so much keeping-up-with-the-Jones, but more seeing possibilities that we couldn’t see before. Enter Eco-Rehabarama.

For the first time in Rehabarama history, the tour will be held in a neighborhood outside the Dayton city limits. This year Eco-Rehabarama is in Huber Heights. Yes, that’s right, the brick ranch finally gets to strut its stuff. Before you roll your eyes, consider why this style home was chosen. From Home Builders Association of Dayton (HBA) Executive Director, Walt Hibner: “All those years ago, we gave Charles Huber grief. But he had something there that we couldn’t appreciate until 50 years later.”

The Huber brick ranch is a size and scale of home that lends itself to affordable rehabbing. The ranch home means no stairs, and the brick exterior is a low maintenance construction material, these are important issues for today’s home buyer. But as Hibner says, “These are not your father’s Huber Homes.” With renewed interest in Mid-Century Modern style, these classic, but affordable MCM homes fit that bill. Eco-Rehabarama is a builder’s showcase. Seven residential construction professional members of the HBA of Dayton took over the 10 homes that are on this tour. Eco-Rehabarama is a builder’s showcase. Each home was stripped to bare studs and the builders created a unique theme for each home. The focus is on energy efficient upgrades, hence Eco-Rehabarama, but floor plans have been altered, sometimes dramatically, and the upgrades are visually stunning. On this tour, Hibner says, visitors “will be able to see and touch the HGTV finishes.”

Themes for the homes run from “Breathe Easy” an “Allergy Friendly” home, to “Young. Hip. Fresh!” with a modern interior that is a little more edgy, to “Home for Life” with renovated space with an eye for ease of movement, convenient for someone in a wheelchair.

The Eco-Rehabarama Home Builders Association of Dayton, in partnership with CountyCorp’s The Housing Source is presenting Eco-Rehabarama, held in May- dates and times can be found here, and in up-coming posts, I’ll take you inside the homes, discuss what CountyCorp and The Housing Source are and what they do, and talk to the builders about what it takes to rehab a home, and how they created their unique themes.  All homes will be for sale through CountyCorp’s The Housing Source Signature Homes, for occupancy at the conclusion of the show. Meanwhile, if you are looking for inspiration and a sneak peek, take a look at the descriptions for the ten homes, here.

 

Images: CountyCorp The Housing Source.