Tips From A Pro: A Talk With Bryan Baeulmer

This past Tuesday, I was lucky enough to ~~put my arms around~~ listen to the wise words of Bryan Baeumler. For those of you who don’t know who this is, he is a big deal in the design/construction industry here in Canada. Most women are happy to watch his numerous shows because they can swoon over Bryan’s good looks, while their husbands learn a thing or two about renovations and DIY disasters.

My moment with Bryan.

Bryan decided to talk to us about the truth behind reality TV shows and how to save our clients from landing on one due to a renovation gone wrong. First, if you aren’t in-the-know, reality TV is fake, edited and unrealistic. This seems straight forward, no? However, if I had a dime for the many times clients have compared their renovation costs, timelines and expectations to what they see on TV, I would be richer! As Bryan states, it’s edited. Everything is edited. Unfortunately, we cannot edit life, so reality suddenly feels too real when it’s your house, renovation and budget. In summation, don’t believe everything you see. There has been timelines not met, budgets exceeded and much more stress than is let on. Now that is reality.

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As the talk progressed, Bryan shed some light on what he thinks is the most crucial part of any renovation. Can you guess what it is? Expensive finishes? Perhaps the floors? No, of course not. We all know, it’s the structure and “shell” of the house you live in that is the most important. Seems obvious, but why are we not putting the emphasis on quality workmanship and spending our money on the “unseen” things? Frankly, because it’s boring, mature and goes unnoticed. Well, at least to the naked eye, it’s unnoticed.

Bryan explained that with the way some contractors are approaching renovations today, we will have a housing crisis in the next decade or so. Cheap materials, labour and practices lead to disappointed home owners, mold, leaks and the reason for Bryan to still be on TV (but no one is complaining about the latter.) So if a contractor underbids by $20K and allows you to pay with cash, expect that the quality may not be there. You pay for what you get, so do your homework. If you are buying a home, and the basement has been renovated, try to find the permits and inspection reports on this renovation. You do not want any surprises in your future.

Last, Bryan put some perspective on where the money goes once you invest in the “shell” of the house. Let’s take insulation for an example. If you put money into properly insulating your home, you will see a return in your energy savings per month. Over time, this will add up. If you sacrificed your granite counters during the original renovation to allow for the insulation, in time you will be able splurge on the beautiful upgrade because you have the extra money you have saved. Again, seems simple. Now imagine you didn’t insulate your house well, but you have a beautiful new kitchen with granite. Instead of loving your new space, your kitchen is cold, you turn the heat up and eventually, you rip out that kitchen due to the draftiness.

Watch Bryan explain this point at the 1:50 mark.

Take this post as food for thought. Sometimes the right thing and the hard thing are the same. Remember, your house is an investment, and over time, it will start to pay you back.

@kmsalterdesign