DATE: Saturday, March 22, 1997              TAG: 9703200205

SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY      PAGE: 15   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: ABOUT THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Chris Kidder 

                                            LENGTH:  106 lines

PARADE IS RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER

Several readers have wanted to know when the 1997 Outer Banks Parade of Homes will be held. In past years, the parade has been at Easter; this year, it will be held Oct. 9-12.

The fall date was chosen because Easter was so early this year, says Maxine Rossman, executive officer of the Outer Banks Home Builders Association.

It's no secret that in past years several builders had problems getting their Parade houses completed in time - even when the parade was later in April. Spring is Outer Banks builders scramble to get vacation rental homes ready for the upcoming season.

In most cases, you can't really blame the builder for delays. Primarily for economic reasons, property owners - all 300 or 400 of them entering the rental market with new homes each spring - want their houses completed just in time for the season. Making that happen is tough.

The demand for skilled subcontractors - drywall hangers, plumbers, electricians, painters and others - far exceeds supply from March through May.

Rossman says the later date will mean the biggest parade ever: She's predicting as many as 25 houses. And it gives OBHBA the opportunity to combine the parade with their other annual event, Home Expo, a showcase of products and design ideas for remodeling as well as new construction.

The Outer Banks Home Builders Association was formed in 1979 and represents nearly 400 builders and associate members from Nags Head and Roanoke Island north to Corolla and Currituck. The group is affiliated with the North Carolina Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders.

For consumers planning to build or remodel, OBHBA publishes a handy annual directory. In addition to listing member contractors and suppliers by area of specialization, the guide includes municipal and county government addresses and phone numbers.

To get a copy of the 1997 OBHBA Builders Guide or more information about the upcoming Parade of Homes and Home Expo 97, contact OBHBA, P.O. Box 398, Kitty Hawk, N.C. 27949, 919-255-1733. The OBHBA office is in the Coastal Building at 4417 N. Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk.

SWEEPING AND SCRUBBING: Builders aren't the only Outer Banks workers scrambling to get ready for the upcoming vacation season. House cleaning services are rockin' and rollin' this time of year too. The thousands of vacation houses already built need to be ship-shape before renters begin to arrive.

Whether old or new, any house left empty over the winter can be a haven for beach mice and a magnet for cobwebs. Furnishings that looked serviceable in a warm autumn light look tired and worn four months later.

Wear and tear you overlooked after a summer of familiarity begins to look like damage that needs attention after you've been away for awhile.

Most rental managers and cleaning companies recommend a good, old-fashioned spring cleaning: curtains laundered, pillows aired, mattresses turned, no surface left undusted, every cabinet emptied and wiped down - a cleaning, in other words, that would make your grandmother proud.

Regular housekeeping service between seasonal tenants doesn't do away with the need for a thorough pre-season cleaning, says Ellen Stephens, owner of Carolina Cleaning Service, Nags Head. Cleaning crews never get a chance to do ``deep cleaning'' during the season, she says.

Washing and putting dishes away, making beds, emptying trash, cleaning a week's worth of leftover food out of the refrigerator and a week's worth of sand out of the carpet, and checking for damage and maintenance needs takes every minute the crew has between check out and check in.

Stephens, starting her seventh season in the cottage cleaning business, says cottages that get a thorough spring cleaning have far fewer complaints about their cleanliness and condition throughout the season.

``When we get our first shot at a cottage only after a tenant has been in it, we have problems. You can never catch up with all the cleaning that needs to be done,'' she says.

Spring cleaning takes Stephens and her crew 12 to 24 man hours. It includes cleaning off deck furniture and ceiling fans, mopping floors, and washing every dish in the house and returning it to its proper place.

Spring is a good time to take a critical look at vacation rental properties from a guest's point of view.

Comfort and convenience are always keys to happy renters: you can't give them too much of a good thing but even a small shortcoming in these areas can cost you repeat business.

Make sure bedding and furniture are clean and in good condition. A week of sitting on an uncomfortable sofa or sleeping on an uncomfortable bed will guarantee that your guests won't be back.

Stock the cottage with plenty of magazines and paperback books, movies on video, board games and decks of cards. Even if they're well-used yard sales finds, your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Look at upholstery and carpeting with a critical eye. If they're spotted or stained, guests will perceive the entire cottage as dirty no matter how clean it really is, says Stephens.

Is the kitchen well stocked with pots, pans and small appliances? Are there enough dishes, glasses and silverware to allow guests to eat two meals without washing them?

Especially in older properties, it's important to keep the cottage visually fresh. Rather than adding things for a new look, consider the idea that less is better. Simplify clutter. It can be very refreshing.

Beverly Cline, rental manager for Britt Real Estate, Duck, encourages her owners to check window and door screens as part of their pre-season routine. Until summer heat and humidity set in, guests will want to enjoy the fresh air, she says. ``It's a little hard to do if the screens aren't in place or have holes in them.''

March is the time property managers start gearing up for the season. Whether a house is a rental property or a second home, whether you do the cleaning yourself or hire professionals, a good spring cleaning ``gets the house off to a good start,'' says Cline. MEMO: Send comments and questions to Chris Kidder at P.O. Box 10, Nags

Head, N.C. 27959. Or e-mail her at realkidd(AT)aol.com

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