The Great House Hunt

The Great House Hunt of 2017 is on

One of the area’s prime Holiday events—the Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library Holiday Home Tour—is looking for five to six homes to be included in this year’s tour.

The program is set for Saturday, November 11 from noon to 5:00 p.m. (The day has been changed to a Saturday to avoid conflict with other area seasonal attractions). Tickets are sold in advance and patrons get a map to drive to the open houses during tour hours.

Over the years, how many times have you been in the home of a friend who goes all out for the holidays and wish that more people outside their friendship circle could see and enjoy it? This is a chance for that to happen.

Organizers are looking for homes that are attractively decked out indoors for year-end celebrations with owners willing to show off their Yuletide treasures for all to see.

Homes should be located in or near the communities the library serves — Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Oakland Township.  Inclusion requires an earlier-than-usual set-up of decorations; most participants are ready to go shortly after Halloween.

Here are some frequently asked questions about event participation:

Q – Why participate?

A- It’s a great way to give back to the library, our great community treasure. All proceeds from the event go directly to the library.

Q – How is the home’s flooring/carpeting protected?

A – All participants are given shoe coverings or remove shoes upon entering.

Q – How is parking handled?

A – Friends volunteers help direct visitors at each site, when necessary.

Q – Do decorations have to be elaborate?

A – No. The majority of the homes display their family treasures. Many use the event to show off special ornaments or collections of holiday wares.

Q – Who is there to talk to visitors and move them through?

A – The Friends group provides docents for each home. These docents are briefed on the home’s attractions and are diligent about watching and protecting each decorated home.  Insurance coverage is provided by the Friends. There has never been a loss incident in the event’s long history.

Those interested in being a tour participant can call the library’s Friends Events Line at 248-650-7176 to leave their name and phone number. A committee member will reply promptly.