Have you ever heard the term ‘parade home’? Or perhaps you’re the proud owner of a Denver Parade Home!

Much like an arts or music display, the Parade of Homes is a branded showcase that features local homes - these are often newly constructed or remodeled and feature unique aesthetics, amenities, etc.

The homes are generally limited to single family, townhomes, condos, and duplexes.

The Parade of Homes links back to the very first home-tour organization in 1948 in Minnesota. To this day, Minnesota’s tour hosted by BATC - Housing First Minnesota is the largest in the country. Participation peaked in 2006, with 1,259 entries to a single event.

However, the first ever trademarked Parade of Homes event was hosted by the Salt Lake Home Builders Association in 1946.

The rules and admission costs of the tour vary by city, with some providing awards to notable homes.

So the ultimate question: what is it like to own a Parade of Homes house in Denver, Colorado?

We researched experiences across the United States and here are some of the responses from other owners:

A San Antonio resident recalls, “Here, we have a Parade of Homes every year that consists of about 7 incredible homes in the $1 Million range and up on one street in a high end subdivision. That brings out a huge number of people, but they're usually staged by companies and it's none of your own stuff that could get ruined. After the Parade, the builders will go back and repair any damages done by the people walking through. Then the buyers will move in, if they've been sold.”

Don Shelby shares what it was like to have his home in the Spring tour sponsored by the Builders Association of Twin Cities (BATC).

“...the crowds move in and put on little paper shoes that make them look like operating room nurses in street clothes. This house is one of the “pay” houses on the tour. It costs the interested five bucks to come through the door. I intend to head to Vegas after the Parade is over.”

Don Shelby’s home was filled with energy efficient and environmentally sustainable features like shingles made from old tractor tires and sawdust, or a tank that recycles grey water for flushing. He received lots of questions on these features during the tour.

Another homeowner in Sandy, Utah was considering putting their home in the local Parade to score deals on builders, landscapers, appliances, etc… but wanted to know: are the deals really that great?

One commenter lamented that the awards are bogus. They have “judges” but basically every home wins an award, since the whole process is a sales tool for the builder.

Wilma May, another commenter on Houzz who worked for a landscape company, shared that she’s always heard Parade homes are slapped together because they’re often built on a tight timeline.

Another mentioned the possibility of a referral bonus from their builder for any sales that result from the parade.

The truth is: with so few homes in the parades, we don’t have a lot of feedback on what this process is like. 

Do you know anyone who’s had a home in the parade? Have you ever taken the Denver Parade Home tour?