The Jefferson County Home Builders Association’s annual Home Show is returning to Blue Heron Middle School on Saturday, March 7, stocking the campus with 45 booths staffed by professionals in building, design and landscaping from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., ready to answer area residents’ questions.

“Your home is your No. 1 biggest investment,” JCHBA Director Lizanne Coker said. “The biggest thing is actually making sure you are maintaining your home.”

Clinics and presentations, including a moderated discussion centered on the county’s housing outlook, are scheduled throughout the day. In addition, attendees will be able to see, learn about and buy various home products and services, both inside the school commons and outside the building, where Wilder Auto will have the latest hybrids and eco-friendly cars available for test drives, and the Electric Vehicle Association will again host its annual electric car rally.

“We try to cover all aspects of redoing your home,” said Coker, noting that local experts will be on site to address areas ranging from kitchen and bath designs and fixtures to flooring, decks, windows, siding, doors and more, with both parking and admission free of charge.

Presentations in the school’s band room throughout the day will include informational seminars with tips and techniques to help local residents maintain their homes, and speakers covering such topics as heating options, solar power, micro-farms and fire-safe landscaping.

Not only will home professionals offer advice on an assortment of home projects, from roof repairs to bathroom remodels to new kitchen designs, but the public will also be able to hear from representatives of Bayside Housing, Habitat for Humanity, Olympic Neighbors and the Community Boat Project’s “Shelter from the Storm” program, which enabled Polly Nole to build her “She-Shed.”

The Home Show has seen as many as 600 attendees in a single day, and Coker said it’s been growing by about 15 to 20% each year.

“People know of us and know we’re the first weekend in March,” she said.

Schedule of speakers for 2020 Home Show:

9:15 a.m. — Screening of the Housing Solutions Network’s video, “Cultivating Community Solutions to the Housing Crisis.” Housing advocate Justine Gonzalez-Berg will discuss the Housing Solutions Network and its housing action teams, which are taking steps to increase housing opportunities.

10 a.m. — East Jefferson Fire Rescue Commissioner David Seabrook provides an introduction to “Firewise” landscaping, covering “defensive zones” and addressing which homes are at the greatest risk for fire, as well as the reasons for an increased risk for wildfire locally, and the meaning of “wildland urban interface.”

11 a.m. — Dustin Halverson and Jeanne Sparks of All Weather Heating present ductless heating solutions for your home. Ductless heating and air conditioning systems operate on less power, are smaller than traditional forced-air systems, and allow homeowners to create “zones” in their home, which means they no longer have to cool or heat rooms that aren’t occupied. There are also rebates that allow homeowners and businesses to save money as well as energy.

Noon — Joshua & Eveline Langevin of Savory Landscaping go over urban homesteading and micro-farms that allow homeowners to grow food, not lawns. Some might be surprised at how much food can be created in a small space. From patio barbecue gardens to complete urban homesteads, this presentation will help homeowners assemble a diverse assortment of companion plants and shrubs, designed to provide food for years to come.

2 p.m. — Andy Cochrane and Jen Clark from Power Trip Energy will offer a lesson in “Solar Power 101:  Spin Your Meter Backwards.” Learn how to utilize the sun to create your own clean electricity, by gaining a greater understanding of how solar power works in the Pacific Northwest, and how your investment in independent energy can help reduce your utility bills and gain you a 26% Federal Tax Credit. Enjoy zero sales tax on your completed project for 2020.

3:15 p.m. — For the final presentation of the day, the Home Show is updating its “Housing on the Horizon” panel from last year on local housing and future developments. This panel will include members of affordable housing groups and representatives of local development projects.