Masters of Flip will be there to give ‘value’ advice
From DIY projects that won’t break the bank to accessible coach houses for seniors, home show offers inspiration, S. Evelyn Cimesa writes.
Autumn is a great time to take a good look at our homes and think about what we can change to make them more beautiful.
We hunt for DIY projects on Pinterest, explore home decorating and furniture stores and walk through Ikea thinking, “Gosh, I’d love to make our room look like this.” Then there are the gorgeous renovation projects to create the kitchen of our dreams, a spa-like bathroom escape and perhaps a master ensuite retreat. And, of course, there’s the tiny-home movement — it’s going strong in the Ottawa community as seniors and baby boomers look to bring family members together or for a source of rental income.
At the Ottawa Fall Home Show, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 at the EY Centre, you’ll have the opportunity to get tips and tricks from hundreds of decor and home improvement experts and be inspired by the projects they have on display.
HOME RENO INSPIRATION
Whether you’re flipping a house or adding luxury to a home, you usually want a project that will add value without hurting your wallet too much. And then there’s the due diligence — you want to make informed decisions when taking on a project. No one wants to invest in a renovation only to have to hire another contractor to make repairs or redo the project.
Dave and Kortney Wilson took a different approach: The country music stars traded in their microphones for tool belts and began flipping houses. Their popular TV series Masters of Flip features them taking on dilapidated homes in Nashville and turning them into something spectacular.
“We had just had our first son Jett and we needed a way to make money in jobs that would give us complete flexibility to be with him and pursue music,” Dave says.
At the time, their real estate agent saw their home post-renovation and suggested that they should flip houses. A few months later, they bought their first flip. He adds: “As it turns out, house flipping is a process very similar to songwriting. You create something and then pass it off for someone else to enjoy.”
For those looking to get into the business, Kortney advises doing your homework. She admits she and Dave didn’t do as much research as they should have.
“Luck played a role in the first home we flipped. I would make sure you speak with people that are already flipping in your own market to understand the numbers, the downfalls and to set expectations on the front end,” says Kortney. “I would rather see people go in with a great attitude, realistic expectations and to financially plan for the worse-case scenario so the outcome is positive and profitable.”
The two will be onstage at the home show to discuss how to add value to your home, DIY projects that won’t break the bank and tips on smaller renovations.
RETHINK SENIOR LIVING
Ottawa’s zoning rules have recently changed, allowing for separate coach houses on the lots of existing homes. The idea of having a detached living space that could be anything you want can be very appealing to homeowners. They are experimenting with the limits of this concept, creating studios, man caves, rental units and guest homes.
Coach Homes of Ottawa took it one step further and also developed a line of affordable homes that provide practical and accessible living spaces for seniors. They’ll have three fully functional models that can be explored at the Welcome Home Village at the home show.
“It offers our senior clients an independent option, yet keeps them close to family without the renos and without impeding on each other’s privacy,” says Amy McConnell Friesen, CEO of Tea & Toast Inc.
The traditional retirement home is often a last resort for seniors; it displaces them from their communities, isolating them from their friends and family, and can be quite expensive. Louise Desjardins, president of Coach Homes of Ottawa, believes that coach homes are the first viable alternative for seniors and families to solve their housing needs.
“Many times, families will have no choice but to look at renovating their own home to accommodate an elderly parent. This puts stress on the senior since most seniors do not want to ‘live’ in their child’s home and in many cases the spouse of the child is not always receptive to have a parent live in their home,” she says.
While most coach homes require payments upfront, these models can be installed on a bylaw-compliant lot, rented and later removed. They also come with a superior package of homecare services, with reduced and flexible costs, to promote better health care.
“Services will include personal support workers, professional foot care, expert dental hygiene, a physiotherapist-guided exercise plan and a nutritional meal daily, all in the convenience of a specially designed coach home equipped with safety in mind,” says Susan Hagar, owner of Nurse On Board Ottawa.
Coach Homes of Ottawa established criteria that ensured accessibility ( barrier-free) and safety in the design process.
ALSO AT THE OTTAWA FALL HOME SHOW
The High Low Feature Room: Explore stylish spaces and guess which ones carry the higher-priced items. One lucky winner will bring home $10,000 worth of La-Z-Boy furnishings. DIY Inspirations — One Nightstand
Challenge: Watch as Algonquin College design students showcase their skills and creativity as they transform a simple nightstand into a masterpiece. Pieces will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity. Explore the Micro-V Feature Home by Bonneville Homes: A beautiful tiny home with a lot of personality.