Event preview
Spring Atlanta Home Show
March 21-23. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 21; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 22; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 23. Cobb Galleria Center. General admission tickets are $10 and may be purchased at show entrance. Children under age 12 and adults age 65 and older (with I.D.) are admitted free. On-site parking is free.
It isn’t the heyday of the early 2000s, but with nearly 14,000 homes under construction, Atlanta’s housing market is returning to health.
In that climate, builders expect homeowners to add decks, redo kitchens and launch landscape projects. Or they may just want to repair damage from the snow and ice of a harsh winter.
The Spring Atlanta Home Show will offer homeowners and prospective homeowners the chance to discuss their projects with more than 350 home remodeling and landscaping experts Friday through Sunday at the Cobb Galleria Centre.
“This is a place you can meet vendors and save a little extra money,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution garden columnist Walter Reeves said.
The AJC is one of more than a dozen cooperating sponsors.
Reeves will kick off the show at noon Friday with his “Planting Perfectly” seminar. Reeves plans to share tips and tricks on planting the right way in Georgia clay and how to keep your plants hydrated between rainfall in case of a dry summer.
“You want clay soil to be broken up and mixed with organic compost,” Reeves said. “Make clay soil like a sponge so plants remain happy long as the solid retains moisture between rains.”
The show’s most popular attractions are back, including the Beer Garden and the SeeThru House, which does not have drywall installed to help people understand how houses are built and function. Attendees will be able to ask questions and discuss ideas with seasoned plumbers, electricians and carpenters showcasing their products and services. Instead of searching through the phone book and asking friends for referrals, the home show brings the home remodeling and landscaping industries together as a one-stop shop for attendees.
Visitors are also able to speak with professionals normally not available to them.
Celebrity landscaper Ahmed Hassan, well-known for his appearances on HGTV and the DIY Network will give Saturday’s opening presentation. Having survived the bankruptcy and foreclosure of his home, Hassan plans to give visitors a real-life approach to landscaping with common sense.
“I am giving advice about managing life and money differently,” he said.
Atlanta’s housing market ended 2013 on a high note, with 13,862 single-family homes being built in the 22-county region, according to Metrostudy, a research group that studies housing. Homeowners and buyers may be wary of investing in landscaping and home renovations during a fragile but growing economy, and Hassan uses the fall and recent rise of the economy to fuel his passion for educating his viewers on smart landscaping.
“A few years ago the economy was bad, but we don’t stay there,” Hassan said. “The economy is coming back, and it’s coming back solid.”
He assures his clients as well as those who will attend the home show to not be afraid of landscaping and renovating your home.
“I love teaching and talking about landscaping and demystifying how complicated the world of agriculture, landscaping and construction is,” Hassan said.
Having survived a cold and icy winter, Georgians would welcome a warm sunny, spring.
“We had a dreary winter,” Reeves said. “When you have two months of cloudy, rainy weather, I think people want to get out, they want greenery.”
