There is absolutely no denying that home renovation shows are hot, hot, hot right now. Every day, they inspire legions of Canadians to break free from the blah of boring homes. They also keep up thoroughly entertained with larger than life personalities and even add new terms to many our respective vocabularies —such as shiplap and knob and tube wiring.
So, as we enter into this first long weekend of the spring, we thought it might be fun to take a look at 5 of our favourite home-grown home renovation shows.
Holmes Makes it Right (HGTV Canada)
Of course no list of this type would be complete without Mike Holmes. The white knight of Canadian home reno, Holmes Makes it Right offers “emotion” along with entertainment, as he comes to the rescue of homeowners who have fallen victim to shoddy reno work.
We think that Holmes Makes it Right arms homeowners with the knowledge to make smarter decisions when it comes to hiring a contractor to work on their home. It teaches them to do their homework.
Disaster Decks (HGTV Canada)
We really enjoy the shows that focus on the various blunders that homeowners can make when trying to do things themselves. Now, please know that it’s not because we take please in the mistakes of others! Because really, who hasn’t messed something up when trying to do repairs at home? We certainly have.
What we really liked about Disaster Decks is that it’s not just about the mistakes, but learning from them. The show provides the lessons some homeowners need, not only when it comes to taking on a deck build themselves, but also when it comes to knowing when you really shouldn’t try to DIY…and of course the larger than life personality of Paul Lafrance make the shows a pleasure to watch as well.
Property Brothers Buying + Selling (W Network)
There is no denying that a very big part of what we love about Property Brothers Buying + Selling is the brothers themselves! Canadian-born Jonathan and Drew Scott not only turn out some incredible home transformation, but they make us laugh the entire time. And there is nothing wrong with that. Beyond that, we really do like their style.
Specifically, we love buying and selling, because it gives a look at the updates, repairs and staging homeowners might want to take on prior to selling their home.
Buying The View
Ok, we know that this is a real estate show and not a home reno show. BUT, we like to think of it as inspiration or maybe research? While we might not be able to own one of the incredibly posh Canadian condos and other properties that they tour, we, we can certainly take inspiration from their interiors.
Brojects (Cottage Life)
By no means do we take Brojects as a professional how-to…and you shouldn’t either. In fact, the show’s stars, Andrew and Kevin Buckles will tell you that they aren’t professional builders. What we love about Brojects is how charmingly Canadian it is. They’re just a couple of brothers, up at the cottage out in Nova Scotia. They’ve got some beers, a few (good?) ideas and the wherewithal to try and make them happen.
