House Tours 101 for newbies

Hi

I thought some of you, (who have never been on a house tour before), might be interested in what to expect. Here are some of my thoughts....

* best to purchase your tickets in advance, many tours sell out, so get in early

* some tour organizers email tour details, others post them, and still others have you go to a central location to pick up your tickets, tour guide and any free swag (yay, always a bonus!!)

* if your tour does not involve a shuttle bus taking you from house-to-house, you will be in charge of driving or walking to each location. I highly recommend walking between those houses that are close by each other as parking can sometimes be tricky

* check out my House Tour Etiquette post for tips on appropriate behavior while on a tour

* houses on the tour are usually 'highlighted' with balloons, signs, lines of guests or docents helping guide traffic etc

* once you have parked in a safe, and respectable place, make your way to the entrance. On popular tours there will be occasions when there is a line of guests waiting to get in to see a house. This can add to the buzz and anticipation of seeing the house and can allow you a few minutes to take in the exterior and landscaping

* before going into the house, I do recommend reading about the house in your tour guide (if one was provided), as you will frequently get little tidbits of information that might highlight a specific area of the house, piece of art or unique furniture. I can't tell you the number of times I have rushed in, seen the house and read the tour guide later that night, only to discover something cool listed in the tour guide that I missed!

* have your ticket ready to show the docent at the door and be prepared to remove your shoes and put booties on

* a number of the tour organizers figure out a plan to create the best follow through the house, both in terms of 'foot traffic' and seeing the house in the best manner. It can alleviate jam-ups in hallways, on stairs, in small powder rooms etc

* take your time as you first enter the house, and linger as long as you wish in each room

* again respect all the House Tour Etiquette as laid out by your tour organizers

* ask the docent in each room if they have any unique points of interest to share with guests - they regularly have great tips about hidden doorways, famous sculptures, the interior designers, the wall colors and more

* if you love something in the room - like a floral arrangement - pick up the relevant business cards as you go. I have found all kinds of people that way, if you admire their work at this house, you'll likely love something they create for you

* if you loved something about the house, make a few notes either while you are in the house or just as you leave. You may believe you'll remember it later, but time and time again, by the time I get to the end of the tour, I end up thinking...where was that great landscaping? What was the name of that paint color on the living room walls of House 1...you get the idea!

* before you begin the tour, or at the end of the day, be sure and visit the boutique or marketplace, that many of the tour organizers put together. They can be great places to find hostess gifts, holiday gifts and darn yummy, free food!

Happy Touring,

Catherine

House Tours can be a tax write-off

Welcome!

Aside from the numerous and obvious benefits of going on a house tour (aka being allowed inside beautiful, private homes and being inspired out-of-your-skin!!) There are some other benefits of many house tours, and that is, they are often a tax write-off! The tour organizers are mostly non-profit groups whose participants are committed to raising money for the under-served in our communities. As such the tickets become tax write-offs! This is not true for all tickets or tours, some tickets are partial write-offs so best to check online when you buy the tickets, or check with the tour organizers.

Happy Touring and Happy Tax Season!

Catherine

House Tour Etiquette

Hi

Today I thought I'd focus on House Tour Etiquette. Some tour organizers call them 'Guidelines' while others call them 'Rules & Regulations' - either way they really boil down to common sense and common courtesy. Here is a list that I have compiled from my years of going on House Tours:

* no photography or video taping - on rare, and I mean VERY RARE occasions guests are able to take photos within a house, so please check with the docent as you enter the door as to the etiquette for that particular house

* no food or drink

* do not touch anything - which includes not opening doors, drawers or anything else in the house, not sitting or leaning on any piece of furniture and respecting that roped off areas are to remain private

* no smoking

* bring your ticket to every house on the tour so that a docent can ensure you can enter the house

* park on the street, following suggested guidelines, and be respectful of neighbors who may not have their house on the tour but might like to pull in, or out of, their driveway

* in keeping with the above, consider carpooling to make parking easier for everyone

* some tour organizers provide shuttles that take guests from one home to another and allow guests to park in a central parking lot, often near a boutique hosted by the tour organizers

* no children - sometimes tours are okay with babies that are held, or are in front packs, but certainly no strollers or toddlers running around, and mostly no children under 12

* no pets - I am not sure how tour organizers feel about Service Animals so best to check in advance

* some tours ask that you leave your purse, jacket (or any other bulky item) at a coat check to ensure the walls, artwork and furniture are not damaged

* many house tours are not wheelchair accessible, so check in advance

* wear comfortable shoes - ideally no high heels because they can damage the house owners floors. Many tour organizers and/or house owners will ask that guests remove their shoes, walk in bare feet or booties, or put booties on top of their bare feet or shoes. The tour organizers will let you know once you arrive at the tour what is appropriate for that house

* do not use the restrooms in the house unless there is a sign to indicate you have permission, or you ask a docent. Some tours organizers thoughtfully place portable toilets on the tour, and others map out where public restrooms are available.

Personally, the one that I would prefer, and suggest, you honor most of all, is regarding no photography. Think of it like this, would you want strangers photographing your house, your precious or personal items, the layout of your house etc? We want to assume that everyone on the tour is honest, but perhaps there are a few bad eggs who may be up to nefarious activities, don't let them spoil future open houses for the rest of us. You can be thrown off a house tour, so respect the house owners PLEASE!

I hope this is helpful!

Happy Touring,

Catherine

So what exactly is a 'House Tour'?

Welcome,

Someone asked me recently "so what exactly is a House Tour?" The thought had never crossed my mind that anyone wouldn't know (perhaps that is a sign of how immersed I am in this idea/world??) So I wanted to take a few minutes to explain the distinction between a House Tour vs. say a Public House (like Hearst Castle).

To me, the definition of a House Tour is as follows:

* it includes (and is almost always, solely), private houses that would not normally be open to the public

* the houses are lived in, although sometimes they may have been staged for the tour

* it includes at least 3 houses

* it costs money, which most often goes towards a charity or fundraiser

* some house owners and tour organizers allow ticket holders to see the entire house, other owners/tours focus on one area (kitchens, gardens, family living areas decorated for the holidays etc)

* once-a-year some cities have a Decorators Showcase house that features a large mansion in which every room is decorated by a different interior designer

* the house is self-guided with docents present to answer questions and ensure guests respect the property

* once in a while a builder, developer or seller will include a property that is for sale in a tour

* the tour is open for a few days, except in the case of a Decorators Showcase house which is open for about a month

* most often, the houses are STUNNING!!!

A Public House Tour, like Hearst Castle normally meets the following criteria:

* it is normally one gigantic mansion (or garden)

* it is opened nearly 365 days a year

* guests are given tour options and need to select the one they most want to see which will focus on an area(s) of the house

* it costs money, which most often goes to the upkeep of the property

* they are rarely self-guided

* the properties are not normally (if ever) for sale

* the interiors are normally preserved to show a 'way-of-life' when the house was built or lived in

* they are often gorgeous too, but in perhaps a less-attainable way than the likes of Hearst Castle

I hope this helps clarify what a house tour is and isn't.

Warmly,

Catherine

Sorry I've been gone for a while

Hi and welcome back!

Wow, well that was a much longer break than I thought I was going to take (or had intended) from this blog. My intention was to break for a week or so, but somehow life, and the summer, got away from me. The good news is, the house tour 'high seasons' if-you-will, are Spring, Fall and a little less, right before the Holidays. So, I have missed announcing a few tours, but not all that many and I will work to do better next year or announce the tours so far in advance that you will know about anything happening over the summer, even if I go AWOL. I also 'owe' you some reviews from the Spring, so I will try and get those out asap.

I have a bunch of upcoming tours to share with you, so make sure and check in regularly. I am also going to be announcing the tours much earlier (to help you plan) and then adding reminders closer to the time.

I will adjust my headings to read as follows:

NEW - with the location and date

REMINDER - with the location and date

REVIEW - with the location and date

The NEW listings will be the first listing you'll see for a specific tour.

The REMINDER well, hopefully self-explanatory.

The REVIEW will be of any of the tours I have had the pleasure to go on. As always, if you have been on a tour, especially one outside of the San Francisco Bay Area and would like to write a guest blog, please let me know!

You can also follow me on Twitter @ilovehousetours

Happy Touring,

Catherine

Review - Hillsborough Kitchen Tour

Welcome!

On Friday May 13, 2011, I went on my first Hillsborough (CA) Kitchen Tour. It was their 31st year hosting the Kitchen Tour, and it showed in terms of the attention to detail and the level of organization.

This was a self guided tour and tickets could be purchased at a variety of stores from Burlingame to Menlo Park. I bought my ticket on the day, so it was $45 to see the five kitchens/homes. The Community Service League which hosts the event raises money for the Mental Health Association of San Mateo County and the Youth and Family Enrichment Services Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Center.

The booklet (above) described a little bit about each house the included helpful details, like architects, contractors, interior designers and suppliers for each house. The map printed on the back of the ticket included a couple of Restroom Locations which I thought was a really nice detail, especially for people who don't know the area.

Many of the houses had complimentary demonstrations, food or drink available, and Dacor kindly gave each ticket holder a bag which included booties for the houses.

There were no photos allowed on this tour, which I always respect and refrain from taking photos outside as well, so unfortunately, you'll have to take my word and descriptions to imagine this tour.

The first house was filled with oranges and blues - furniture, decorative pillows, drapes etc, which isn't really my style, however the best feature of this house was the pool, the very clever outdoor shower and the bathroom that could be accessed from the family room inside or the pool/garden area outside. The outdoor shower was situated under a corner of the house so while it had partial walls and a covered 'ceiling' it had plenty of gaps to provide an outdoor experience.

At the fourth house which was 'okay' I encountered something I had never come across before on a house tour. Not only did they ask ticket holders to take off our shoes (fine, no problem with that) they asked us to put on booties, the home owners did not want socks nor bare feet on their floors.

The third house on the tour was by-far-and-away my favorite and the most amazing house on the tour. It was originally a ranch-style house which had had a major overhaul and WOW the results were FANTASTIC!!! I entered through glass double doors (always a favorite of mine to have double doors entering a home, feels like a grand entrance). I then found myself in a HUGE room which included a TV watching area to the left, dining room table straight ahead and a more formal sitting area to the right. The kitchen was further around to my left and it was huge, gorgeous and completely in proportion to the rest of the space. Apparently the home owners have four children and a dog, and so perhaps they designed it this way, but what I liked most about the kitchen was the wide spaces between the u-shaped counters and the center island - simply divine!

Lastly, I wanted to give special mention to the floral arrangements in one of the houses. It was done by Blooming Vase and was really a stand out arrangement.

I give this tour 3 out of 5 house hearts. I will certainly be going back next year.

Best wishes,

Catherine

Garden Tours around the greater SF Bay Area May 21-22, 2011

There are two garden tours happening around the greater San Francisco Bay Area this weekend - May 21-22, 2011

1. Sonoma, CA

The Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership is hosting their Sonoma Eco-Friendly Garden Tour which includes 10 eco-friendly gardens on a self-guided, free tour!

Saturday May 21, 2011

10am - 4pm

Tickets are FREE!!!

http://bit.ly/lr0HuP

2. San Jose, CA

The Hanchett Park Heritage Project is hosting their 1st annual Gardens of San Jose/Hanchett Park Garden Tour 'featuring five fantastic gardens'

Saturday May 21, 2011

10am - 4pm

Tickets are $20

http://bit.ly/kJXk9J

Happy Touring!

Catherine