Skip and Lisa Schiendler left their Forsyth County home with a shopping list in mind.

They pictured insulation improvements, a garden structure and their extra space outdoors in need of a fun upgrade, or two.

"Did you see that awning?" Skip Schiendler asked, referring to a retractable, 180-degree shield that automatically collapses when winds gust too hard. "And there are more local distributors for gas grills than I ever knew existed."

The couple found an ideal venue to window shop and ask questions at the Georgia Mountains Center, where the 2011 Northeast Georgia Home Expo opened Saturday and continues at noon today.

They crossed cedar off the materials list for their planned pergola, killed one insulation idea and collected a few business cards for the future.

"For us everyday people who are not in the (building) business, it was very informative," Skip Schiendler said.

Saturday's rainy conditions worked in the Expo's favor, said Van Neese, executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Gainesville-Hall County that organizes the annual event.

Hundreds of inquisitive residents explored the center's arena for consumer knowledge with nearly 100 booths highlighting building products and services. Pitches ranged from adoptable pets and stone paver walkways to rain gutters and custom-designed septic systems.

"When my daddy started in 1958, a lot of people in Hall County still had outhouses," said Harold Kilgore, owner of the Talmo-based Gravelator Systems, Inc. "(My dad) never thought we'd ever be to this point."

Kilgore stood next to a special container filled with rich Scandinavian soil made of ground peat and bog, key ingredients to a high-end waste filtration system his company sells. Joining him was Ward Cleveland, president of A&W Soils Inc. of Lula.

They work together to evaluate soil, design and install septic systems in areas where typical solutions won't work.

The business has changed dramatically since Kilgore's dad, Horace, replaced privies, Kilgore said. And it will advance again before his son, Heath, takes over.

"There are two things you can't do without in a house: That's fresh water and a place to put your waste," Kilgore said. "To me the technology coming will be even more exciting. But no one really thinks about it until you have a problem."

Another family business reminisced about the changes taking place, one generation to the next.

When Reggie Bell's father, Robert, founded Bell Construction, he did so by hard work and handshakes.

"It was just always what he did," Reggie Bell said of his father and grandfather, Hal, who started building homes together in the 1950s. "Back then, there were very few builders, you knew everyone in Gainesville."

With the economic hit that has eliminated many Northeast Georgia building businesses, the industry's feel is a lot more homey than it was just a couple years ago, Reggie Bell said.

Along with "more realistic" marketplace for new builds, there is a more straightforward buyer who desires modern simplicity.

"Technology is huge right now. Everyone wants their life at the touch of their iPhone," said Matt Bell, a third generation builder and son of Ron Bell, another partner in the family business. "As a builder you have to be on the cutting edge of that."