Charity Tour of Homes this weekend

By Elliott Wenzler

Photography by Zach Harrison

The Middle Tennessee chapter of the Master Custom Builder Council is preparing for this year’s Charity Tour of Homes, which will be Sept. 28 through Sept. 30 and will feature five custom-built homes throughout the region.

Tickets are $10 and include access to all five homes. All proceeds from the event will go toward the selected charity, After Breast Cancer of Middle Tennessee’s YMCA. ABC is a program designed to provide education and healing for survivors of breast cancer, including healthy eating, exercise and ways to heal after a diagnosis, according to their website.

This will be the fifth time the charity event is held, participating builder Bob Shaw said. The homes that will be displayed include custom craftsmanship and luxury retail construction. Shaw, from McPherson-Shaw, Inc. will feature two homes that will include things like hidden, automated screens that come out of the ceiling, custom cabinets, heated floors and even a dome bedroom ceiling in one home. Both of the houses will also have smarthouse technology and elevators, Shaw said.

“People are always looking to get ideas for remodeling, updating or building and at $10 for five homes, you’re not going to find much better value than $2 a home,” Shaw said, “And it’s tax deductible.”

Ticket holders will have the opportunity to visit any and all of the five houses over the weekend in whatever order they prefer between Noon and 5 p.m. The houses have already been purchased and are fully furnished and decorated, Shaw said. The contractors and representatives from ABC will be in the homes to answer any questions from participants.

Contractors presenting homes are Shaw, David Patton Construction and R Thomas Construction. There will be two homes in Hendersonville, two homes in Gallatin and one home in Brentwood.

“There’s a lot of quality that goes into these homes,” said David Patton of David Patton Construction. “I encourage people to come out even if they’re not looking for a new home.”

The tour gives builders such as Patton and Shaw a chance to communicate with each other and with possible clients, Patton said. To Shaw, the event is a win for everyone involved, he said.

“In my 30 years of doing this, I think it’s the best activity that’s out there for builders and the reason I say that is the customers win,” he said. “Customers (who choose to use their home in the tour) get discounts, I win because I get a custom house to build and the charity wins because they get supported.”