How to maximize your time at GTA Home & Reno Show

I love investing in my home. It’s where my family and I start and finish our day, it’s where we relax and entertain — it’s where we live our lives.

I have picked up inspiration and ideas for home improvement projects from home shows over the years. And now I work with the team that creates the four annual events since the Toronto home shows are part of BILD. With the GTA Home & Reno Show presented by Re/Max coming up on Feb. 16-19, on Family Day weekend, I sat down with Toronto Home Shows’ online community manager, Anna Rocoski, and answered a few questions to help explain how visitors can get the most out of the show — and make their next home renovation a success. Anna: How has the GTA Home & Reno Show helped you with your own renovations? Dave: We were looking to change the exterior of our house, so we went to the show, not really knowing what to do or what the cost would be. We talked to a couple of people who were in the renovation business, specializing in stucco and other exterior work, and we were pleased to leave with some ideas. These ideas led to a followup visit to another home show and finally to doing business with the renovators. They ended up doing a great job of changing the exterior of our home and we’re happy to this day with the work they’ve done. A: What is the best approach when planning a visit to the GTA Home & Reno Show? D: There are two ways to go. One way is to go to explore possibilities for making your home different and the other is to go with an idea or plan in mind. We’ve often gone to get ideas and have come away with exactly what we needed to start making a concrete plan. The show is a great investment of your time because you see new things you didn’t think about for your home and learn very specific information on how to undertake a project. A: Have you ever tried a DIY home improvement? D: Yes, but it didn’t go well. Do-ityourself takes many forms, from hanging a picture to completing a big kitchen renovation. I tend to let the professionals do the bigger ones, whether inside or outside the home, because I recognize that larger projects require skills that I don’t have. DIY is fun, but you have to have the right tools, the right equipment, the right confidence, and that’s not who I am. I stick to hanging pictures. A: What are you most excited about seeing at this year’s GTA Home & Reno Show? D: I can’t wait to meet RenoMark renovators at the Destination Renovation booth. They’re offering free, 15-minute consultations and I am looking forward to getting professional advice. I’m also a huge fan of Handyman’s Corner, where I can pick up tips on how to improve my picture-hanging skills and tackle other small fixes around the house. D: My turn to ask a question. As an insider, what other features of the show would you recommend to people? A: In addition to more than 300 vendors, we have expert speakers such as HGTV’s Scott McGilligvray, Cityline’s Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault, handyman Chris Palmer, a feature home built by Bonneville Homes, interior designers offering free consultations at Design Intervention, family activities on Family Day and so much more.

And from experience, I’d say plan your day online at gtahomeandrenoshow.com — and be sure to bring your smartphone for photos, a notebook and a pen. See you at the GTA Home & Reno Show on Family Day weekend, Feb. 16-19, at the International Centre in Mississauga. Dave Wilkes is president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), the voice of the home-building, land development and professional renovation industry in the GTA. Follow BILD at twitter.com/ bildgta, facebook.com/bildgta and bildblogs.ca.