Looking for a change of space? Rochester Area Builders’ two weekend tours offer a peek into the city’s newest show homes and remodeled rooms.

All 21 of the homes in the 2020 Fall Showcase of Homes and the nine homes in the Remodelers Tour will all be available for virtual tours over the weekend. Some of the homes are also open to in-person tours -- but many will remain closed to the public, out of respect for the homeowners.

“I sat at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee and went on all of the tours,” said RAB President Alissa Moe.

The majority of the homes on display in the Fall Showcase, taking place this weekend and next, have been constructed in the past year, with a few model homes from years past.

“All of these homes have the finishing touches on them,” Moe said. “The visitors to the showcase tour are walking through homes that they could potentially move right into.”

The functionality of homes has been increasingly important to buyers, Moe said. Potential homebuyers have been looking for spaces suitable for working at home for longer than the past six months -- but COVID-19 may have sharpened buyers’ interest in certain features quickly.

“When people are walking through these new-built homes, they’re looking for open concepts, they’re looking for the functionality of the space,” she said. “We’re seeing less and less of the eat-in dining room -- it might be an eat-in kitchen.”

The Remodelers Tour, which takes place Sept. 19-20, features more niche, individualized projects. Many of the rooms and homes featured are older homes that have received kitchen or bathroom face-lifts, Moe said -- trendy updates and decorating, as opposed to the Fall Showcase’s empty shells.

Designer Kailee Klevan from Beyond Kitchens worked on a kitchen featured in the Remodelers Tour. She said visitors can expect to see personalized touches and more focus on warm, inviting spaces. The business also created a walk-through YouTube video and will hold one-on-one Zoom calls to help visitors get a sense of the space from their own homes.

“The Showcase and the Remodelers Tour both offer such different experiences for the consumers that are going to attend,” Moe said. “We’re thankful that we’re going to have them, even if we’ve had to adapt in certain ways.”

The RAB events have made several more concessions because of the continuing threat of COVID-19. Face masks and social distancing are mandatory, and only 10 people are allowed in each home at one time, which means some visitors may be asked to wait until others leave.

Construction was deemed an essential industry early in the pandemic. Moe said usual concern for safety measures inherent in that business has served the RAB well over the past months.

That attention and adherence to safety measures will also be on display this weekend and next, she said.

“It’s also a way to showcase how we’ve been thorough with safety,” she said.

If you go

What: 2020 Fall Showcase of Homes and Remodelers Tour

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19-20, and Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27 (Fall Showcase only)

Where: Various locations, virtual viewing available on the RAB events app.

Cost: Free

More Information: Download the RAB Events app at https://qrco.de/RAB-HS-FB .