Bryan Baeumler and his wife Sarah have been through their fair share of renos. The “craziness” of their “forever” home’s massive revamp is documented on the new season of House of Bryan: The Last Straw. The project had the couple working with a shorter timeline and tighter budget — goals that are sometimes easier said than done.
Baeumler’s tip for homeowners who want to quickly complete a big reno on a budget: Be prepared to spend a little more money and take a little extra time.
“They say you can have it good, fast or cheap. And you have to pick two. If you want it done quickly and well, it’s not going to be cheap.”
The number one problem homeowners get themselves into, he says, is when they under-budget. That causes corners to get cut and relationships with contractors to fall apart.
“We’re optimistic about how fast it’ll go, how little it’ll cost… and at the end of the day, you get what you pay for.”
READ MORE: Planning a home renovation? Tips for keeping your finances in order
His wife, who reprises her role as designer in this season, adds that you also shouldn’t underestimate how much planning you’ll need to do beforehand. But regardless of how well you plan, sometimes things can get a little chaotic during renovations. Especially if you choose to stay in the home like the Baeumlers did (despite it being a situation the celebrity contractor usually discourages).
The lack of space became the most challenging part for them.
“We went from having a bedroom and the kids sharing, to no master bedroom, to a child sleeping on a chaise lounge, to us living in the family room,” Sarah said.
“We had five or six days without power where we all slept in front of the wood stove,” her husband added.
“The moral of the story: in general, if you’re doing a major renovation you should get out of the house.”
“We, in retrospect, I think had a lot of fun. And I would —” he said before Sarah cut him off.
“Don’t say you’d do it again. Choose your words wisely, sweetheart.”
“Without discomfort,” he replied, “there is no comfort.”
READ MORE: Reno advice: best bang for your buck, easy fixes and what to avoid
The season premiere of their latest House of Bryan season airs Oct. 11 on HGTV.
HGTV Canada is owned by Shaw Communications Inc., parent company of Global News.
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