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Would you do it?
Open your home for three days to upwards of 5,000 strangers examining every nook and cranny?
Eight Smith Mountain Lake couples do just that each fall for the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour.
“At first, my wife was a little apprehensive,” said Mike Mutchler, whose home on White Cap Lane was among the 2002 feature houses. “But then we found out how well organized they were and that put our minds at ease.”
Now in its 17th year, the Home Tour benefits eight area charities. This year a record-breaking $240,000 was raised, a fact that wasn’t lost on Thomas Warme. When approached about having his Hillview Drive home on the Tour, Warme, a semi-retired Lutheran minister, did the math.
“If you have 10 homes on the Tour and they raised $240,000, that’s $24,000 per home,” he said. “Our blessing becomes something good for others, too. We’re fortunate to live here.”
Mutchler, a retired General Motors executive, said support for the community and charities also helped he and his wife Delores decide to participate. However, he said they also hope the Tour will benefit the sponsors of their home, all of whom were involved in the more than 3-year construction process.
“All the people who worked on our house did a workmanlike and professional job and are proud to show it off,” said Mutchler, who explained that having his home on the Tour was a way to pay them back through exposure for their businesses.
The Mutchlers have lived in their home just over two years. It features traditional modern architecture with a 24-foot ceiling in the center of the house. That focal point is what Mutchler said he thinks Tour participants will remember most about his home.
All of the homeowners are honored each year at the Home Tour Gala. The event includes a seated dinner, live music and dancing. The cost is $75 per person.
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2006 Home Tour Houses
Skelton Home
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