I got my first taste of what to expect when Homearama opens next month during the Dusty Boots open house last weekend.

Although I’ve visited the homes before, Dusty Boots marked the first time I’d seen the inside of most of them and had the time to check out everything.

The Dusty Boots preview offers the public a free sneak-peek at the Homearama houses while they are still under construction.

It gives guests the opportunity to see the progress of the homes and also learn about the features and details before they have to pay to enter them.

Although most of the major construction was finished in time for the event, the houses are still pretty barebones, and the floors are still a bit dusty — hence, the name Dusty Boots.

When I arrived on Saturday at Shelter Cove Court, the new cul-de-sac on which the homes are located, I had to drive around to find a parking place, because hundreds of guests came to the event.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of the event or the homes, but I was surprised and pleased with what I found.

First of all, these homes are absolutely beautiful.

When I first read the descriptions of the homes, all I could think about was their massive size and how I’ll never be able to afford one, but once I ventured inside of the houses, I loved exploring the rooms and seeing the new features that were included or planned for them.

The little details are the most exciting things to check out, because while you might not be able to purchase a Homearama house, you might be able to afford to get some of the fun things they include.

For example, the King’s Cottage house has a microwave drawer in the island of the kitchen instead of one above the stove.

While appearing to be a regular drawer, the fully functional microwave can hold bigger items and is safer to use than overhead microwaves.

I might not be able to buy the King’s Cottage at the price of $599,000, but I might be able to save enough pennies to get a microwave drawer … eventually.

In addition to all the great amenities and features, you get to see an amazing process take place by visiting the Homearama houses.

To see these houses go from renderings to fully loaded homes in a few short months is pretty amazing.

Even at the Dusty Boots event, I was amazed by how much work has been completed in a short time.

But I was also taken aback when I thought about the amount of work I know is going to be finished before Homearama opens on Oct. 15.

Although I had no idea what to expect, the things I saw at the Dusty Boots preview blew me away.

And if you didn’t check out the Homearama houses this weekend, you should definitely take the time to see the finished results at the event next month.