With over 350 booths at the Western Fair Agriplex, the Lifestyle Home Show is celebrating 30 years.
“This is the start of the year and people are starting to think about ‘am I going to do a renovation this year?’” said Jared Zaifman, chief executive officer of the London Home Builders Association (LHBA).
“’Am I updating something in my home? Am I looking for a new home build or am I ready to buy that new home?’”
With interest rates coming down, Zaifman described this as an incredible start to 2025.
“If you wait too long or if you wait until spring or summertime, you’re already too late to get on people’s list,” he said.
“That is why whether you’re looking for landscaping work, or home renovation, there’s something here for everybody.”
The show which runs until Sunday evening features a main stage with speakers on various topics and included a meet and greet with London Olympic Champion Damian Warner on Saturday afternoon.
With vendors from all over Southwestern Ontario, highlights include cooking, home product and renovation demonstrations.
It also gave people a chance to get hands on with skilled trade practice.
Zaifman said a recent BuildForce Canada report forecasts a necessary rise in housing starts this year, peaking at 691,600 in 2029 and requiring the corresponding workforce to grow to a staggering 1.038 million workers – an 83 per cent increase from the status quo to reach the Government of Canada’s goal of 5.8 million new homes by 2033 to correct the housing shortage and address housing affordability
He said the biggest trend is on the traction gaining on the energy efficiency side.
“The cost of living keeps going up,” said Zaifman.
“So, people are trying to find different ways to do that is really critical. We’ve got some net-zero, some energy efficiency people here from insulation to windows, all sorts on that kind of front. But that’s really gaining a lot of popularity. Whether you are looking for a new heat pump or different ways to maintain your home heat and control, that’s a big feature.”
The show runs until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
