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Mark and Priscilla are expecting their second child
and are desperate for their perfect family home.
PRISCILLA: The apartment doesn't work for us.
Of course, there's no storage.
But these two want everything customized...
The tiles are a little bit busy.
...to their very specific tastes.
I would like to punch
a little more color in here.
You see, your wish list is getting bigger and bigger here.
That's where we come in.
I show people properties with promise.
MARK: Holy smokes! Look at the ceilings.
God, what is that?
JONATHAN: And I take on the renovation.
Whoa!
[ Beeping ]
Wow.
We know how to transform
a tired, old space into a dream home.
I just really need you to deliver.
We are the Property Brothers.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Mark and Priscilla are back in the city after living abroad,
and they're cramped in their condo.
They need to find a new place to live.
DREW: They want a family home for their daughter, Alex,
and new baby on the way.
Life abroad allowed them to live like royalty,
but now that they're back, the cost of living is higher.
This family's gonna get a wake-up call
when it comes to house hunting.
Hi. I'm Mark.
I'm Priscilla.
We have a daughter, Alexandra.
And another one on the way.
We met in Costa Rica almost 12 years ago.
The luckiest night of her life.
[ Laughs ]
Married for around five years --
almost five years, as well.
The best years of her life.
Yes.
We've been doing a lot of traveling,
and most recently, we've been living in Africa for work,
and we decided to come back home to throw down some roots.
And we rented an apartment,
but, of course, there's no storage,
so this is our reality.
As you can see, we are right in the city.
It's a beautiful view.
Lots of restaurants
and places to go when you are single.
[ Laughs ]
But when you have a family, really,
you need more than that.
The apartment doesn't work for us.
It's a really small kitchen,
doesn't have an open concept that we want.
I know I'm very detail-oriented,
but Mark is detail-oriented and very picky.
Ducky.
Picky.
Picky.
Well, going for a stroll with our daughter
is a bit difficult
because we're in an urban setting.
It's just concrete
without any child-friendly places to go.
It's really frustrating.
Our wish list for a dream home
would be a big, detached home
in an older, mature neighborhood
that's very family-friendly.
For sure, we would like an open concept.
High ceilings.
Still within the city.
Five bedrooms, a bunch of washrooms,
a big backyard.
Our budget is $680,000.
We're looking for a dream home. We need to find it now.
We're kind of staring down the barrel of a shotgun here.
We've got a baby on the way.
The Property Brothers, they'd better deliver.
This couple really wants it all.
They do, and they've got a lot to look forward to
in the coming months with another baby on the way,
but it's just hard where they currently live.
Well, they can certainly
look forward to the first house we're gonna show them.
It's perfect for them.
Yeah, I wouldn't hold your breath
'cause with what we've seen so far --
and you said it yourself -- they really do want it all.
Here's the house -- three-story plus a full basement.
Love the neighborhood.
Beautiful community.
And this house -- fully renovated.
Wow.
Wow, this is a nice one.
MARK: Oh, wow. I love the beams.
They're amazing.
It's exactly the kind of thing we want.
This is great. Wow, this is amazing.
Uh-huh.
Holy smokes.
DREW: Top-of-the-line appliances,
everything you could want in a kitchen.
Wow. What material is this?
Quartz.
PRISCILLA: I like that.
They've opened it all up
and then put in that window behind you.
I think that's a huge feature.
MARK: Wow. That's a great yard, too.
Yeah. A lot of natural light.
It's great -- the double sinks.
Beautiful, yeah.
I mean, and as much as I do like the backsplash --
It does create an openness --
we're obsessed with storage a little bit.
It would almost be nice to maximize some of the space
and get a little more storage.
If you want more, I mean, this is a lot of storage.
Look how far out this expands.
Like, this is a lot.
How many dishes do you have?
[ Laughter ]
I think that I would like
to punch a little more color in here.
You see, your wish list is getting bigger and bigger here.
No matter what house you do eventually get,
you're gonna have to put
some of your own influence into it.
But with that in mind,
don't throw away things that a house already has
that might be great for you.
Why don't we head upstairs and check out the bedrooms?
Sure.
Oh, wow.
You have three big bedrooms.
Oh, there's a lot of space for our kids.
What do you think of the bathroom?
Whoa!
Double sinks.
Wow.
The tiles are a little bit busy for my like,
but still, you can appreciate the space.
It's customized to their taste, not exactly ours.
MARK: It's very glamorous.
I don't know if that's really our personal style.
You're a glamorous man, Mark.
Don't be afraid --
Don't be afraid to admit that.
Check out the master bedroom.
Oh, wow, this is nice.
Wow, this is great.
Beautiful.
Oh, yeah, daddy's home for sure.
[ Laughter ]
Feet off the bed.
And now that we've seen the whole house,
why don't we head downstairs and talk numbers?
Let's do it.
Sure.
Wow. I do love those beams, though.
I know. They are beautiful.
It's a pretty cool feature.
Well, it's a big house.
It has everything that was on your wish list.
The list price is $929,000.
Ooh, yeah, that does sound daunting.
No, it sounds impossible.
Yeah, well, we have some money to play,
but not that much money to play.
We're just trying to be realistic
in the sense that,
don't run away from that extreme fixer-upper.
That is where we can get a property
that's at a lower price point, get more money for renovation,
and we can customize the place for you.
We're not picky to be difficult and cantankerous.
We're picky because
we want to contribute and leave our mark.
We'll find you something
that needs to have a big renovation done,
and we'll add your flavor.
But then I have a question.
Can you deliver before I deliver?
If we do not deliver on time,
Jonathan will baby-sit for you
so you can go out for some nice dinner.
What?
Yeah, it's okay.
All right, you're on.
I will take that bet, yes.
Sounds good. All right. Let's go look at some houses.
Well, always a first for everything --
a couple who weren't exactly blown away by their ideal home.
I wasn't completely surprised
at how specific they are with their wish list.
It's just, we still need to convince them
to get exactly what they want custom-tailored to their needs,
we need to renovate a fixer-upper.
Just leave that part to me
because I'm the better negotiator in this family.
You will so just buy the house and then leave me with the mess.
I would never do that.
You are the guy that does that all the time.
No, that ain't me.
All right, here we go.
We have a detached garage out back.
1,700 square feet.
MARK: It looks pretty good.
Downtown.
There you go.
Oh, you've got to be kidding me.
Popcorn ceiling.
[ Cat hisses ]
What is this -- a bedroom?
I think it smells like a hamster cage in here.
Whoa!
You got to be kidding me. No one's gonna sleep in there.
Yeah, it's like 1929 phoned.
They want their Depression-era home back.
Nothing can be used from there.
DREW: Mark and Priscilla need a family-friendly home
that matches their very specific wish list.
Mark is detail-oriented and very picky.
Ducky.
Picky.
Picky.
DREW: I'm showing them a lot of diamonds in the rough
and hoping they'll get on board with renovating a fixer-upper.
This house was built in the early 1900s.
It needs a lot of work,
but you have three bedrooms upstairs.
You have a fourth bedroom right here.
This should be your front room.
Yeah, you got to be kidding me. No one's gonna sleep in there.
It's great that Mark and Priscilla
were impressed by the outside of this house.
I just hope that their feelings warm up to the inside.
It's a detached, two-story home
with four bedrooms, two bathrooms,
over 1,700 square feet,
and I know Jonathan can put in those special custom finishes
to make it the perfect family home --
exactly what Mark and Priscilla expect.
PRISCILLA: Wow, this is pretty narrow.
MARK: Wow, this is pretty narrow.
If I put on a little weight [Laughs] tough to get through.
Wow.
MARK: Holy smokes.
Yeah, it's like 1929 phoned.
They want their Depression-era home back.
DREW: Oh, it's not that bad.
JONATHAN: I mean, it does feel tight,
and that's just the layout of this home.
These houses were all compartmentalized,
and they felt it was more valuable
to have many rooms
as opposed to fewer, larger rooms.
Let's continue out of here into the kitchen.
Now, this is some strong lighting in this kitchen,
but it's a great, big space.
It's like a disco from New York in the '70s.
This is wild!
[ Laughter ]
I was gonna say, "All aboard for your cruise dream."
Yeah.
Mark maybe will want to keep that.
Yeah, for the bedroom.
I would not let you keep that.
This is a renovation
that they did in the very early '90s,
maybe late '80s.
This would've been considered the coolest kitchen ever.
Now, ugh.
Yeah, not so much.
Has to be completely redone.
Nothing can be used from there.
This is their TV room.
Oh, okay.
But they also have a second prep area,
so they're using this as a second kitchen.
We can make the actual kitchen a little big bigger
and then use this for something else
or even open up this wall
and make this entire thing the kitchen.
Outside, you can see quiet yard.
You have some green space, a two-car garage out back.
Oh, look at that little fireplace.
That's character, right?
Yeah.
And see, when he's getting on your nerves...
sound barrier.
Oh, yeah.
Perfect. Nice and quiet.
[ Muffled ] Let me in!
Go and sleep on the couch.
Why don't you come in here,
and we'll head down to the basement?
Wow. This is kind of dangerous.
Yeah, no banister -- not good for the pregnant lady.
No, and for Alex, either.
Yeah, not really childproof down here.
Whoa! Holy smokes!
I love the salon!
You guys didn't lie.
DREW: What I would like to point out, Mark,
is that there is enough height for us tall guys.
Oh, we can kind of jump around a little bit.
Don't do that again.
That basement is crazy.
I've never seen a salon in a basement before.
JONATHAN: There's nothing that I can even do.
Add a little bit to the top. [ Laughs ]
It would have to go.
Jonathan can check to make sure
that there are no wiring issues down here
'cause I'm sure they wired in their own stuff.
Four to five bedrooms you're looking for.
This house has four.
We would lose the one on the main floor,
but we could put another one down here.
But the one thing you will like about this place
is the price.
It's listed for $579,000 -- well within your budget.
Think we really want something a little bit bigger.
Like, we want this house just to be our perfect dream home,
and I just don't know if I see it here.
We have one little one.
We have another one on the way, and who knows?
There might be a few others.
No.
We just don't know.
All right, well, let's get to it.
Let's start looking at some more houses.
Actually, come on over here a sec.
Just want to show you -- just in this chair.
Just come over here.
If you touch it, you're gonna get hurt.
Just let me take a little off the top.
[ Razor buzzing ]
Not happening.
What?
Eh.
[ Buzzing continues ]
No, better not.
I don't think they're sold on this place.
I mean, they want to find
that perfect home that they can raise their family in.
Yeah, they're just moving back to town,
they want to set down some roots, and they're being picky.
Yeah, we'll just keep looking.
This house actually has a basement income suite.
Having a fire hydrant on the front lawn --
complete deal breaker.
PRISCILLA: No way.
But I think that we need more of a central location.
What's up with all this overgrowth?
No, it's very creepy.
Like a haunted house.
DREW: I got a call from Mark and Priscilla.
They were walking through this neighborhood.
They saw a "for sale" sign,
and they want to look at the house.
I tried to explain
that this is a very expensive neighborhood.
It's over their budget,
but they still want to look at the place,
so it's my job to show them.
Well, here's that house you wanted to see.
Great neighborhood.
That's why I wanted to see it.
Come on in.
Wow!
[ Laughs ]
The character home.
Yeah, it looks old to me.
Hey, you guys are the ones that wanted to see it.
MARK: A lot of wood, but it could be
too much of a good thing, you know?
A lot of original wood in this place,
which is great, but the thing is,
there's so much of it that it just feels old.
JONATHAN: Fireplace they've added at one point.
Okay.
I think maybe the only original part
is the hardwood.
The hardwood looks...
It's pretty worn, too, though, right?
It's in rough shape.
We almost have to replace this if we wanted to move in.
Look at the ceilings. My God, what is that?
DREW: [ Laughs ] You don't like the texture?
Man, that's like a popcorn ceiling gone crazy.
JONATHAN: Look at the rail that they've got up top there.
You do not use screws to put that in.
This particularly, the electrical here,
that's totally illegal.
You can't surface-mount the electrical lights.
MARK: Sounds expensive.
I can't see it.
I'd rather have something a little bit done.
I totally understand why they want to look in this area.
It's family-friendly,
and this house is on a cul-de-sac,
which is another pro, but it does need work.
It's a detached, 2 1/2-story home
with five bedrooms, two bathrooms,
and over 2,000 square feet.
Budget is a challenge,
but after they see the state of this home,
who knows?
Maybe their plan will change again.
A lot of space for the dining room.
Wow. Look at these ceilings!
Why do they have different floors here?
JONATHAN: I think that they just laid it
over top of the original hardware.
I don't know what this is.
They've run an extension cord underneath the floor there,
something like that.
Oh, my God. What is with these stairs, here?
Those are very scary, I would say.
It's -- They're too narrow, and they're very steep.
Look at this. This is your rail to hold onto.
Yeah.
[ Rattling ]
It's just a nightmare.
I think that that has to be changed.
DREW: Let's just shift into the kitchen.
They probably spent a lot of money on these cabinets
and then ruined it by, like -- The finishing work is so bad.
There's surface-mounted electrical
all over the place.
Look at the countertop.
Instead of spending the extra bit of money
to get an actual stone countertop,
they took flooring tiles
and decided to make their own countertop.
You have three bedrooms on this floor.
You can see over here, we have the bathroom.
It's so small. It's, like, for circus performers.
And, apparently, the plumbing is just as bad
as the electrical in the kitchen
because look how off the *** is in the shower
from the actual faucet in the tub.
That's awful.
PRISCILLA: It's not centered.
You got to be kidding me.
DREW: This would be the master bedroom.
Right now, it's an okay size.
You have a big walk-in closet.
Now, come through here.
These are two bedrooms for the girls --
both great sizes, as well.
Yeah, this is all right -- big bay window.
This house really does knock off
a lot of the items on your wish list.
It's a brick character home.
The house is over 100 years old,
but there is a lot of potential in this place.
How expensive? What's the damage?
The list price on this house is $780,000.
Ooh!
Way out of our budget.
Man, that's...
I don't think so.
It's over 100 grand above your max budget.
We'd have to -- We'd have to think about it.
I mean, the house -- The bones are great,
but it needs so much work.
To get into this house
and do all the work that needs to be done,
you're gonna need another $100,000 minimum.
So is that something you can do?
I mean, it just comes down to budget.
We really weren't expecting to pay this much.
I want to make sure, though,
that you guys aren't, you know, being swayed
by the fact that it is a beautiful area
and you love the size of the house.
And maybe you're thinking of bumping the budget up
to a point where it wouldn't be manageable for you.
This is at a whole different level now, right?
We weren't even thinking of putting out
this much money for a house.
First of all, before you even make a decision
if this is the house for you,
Jonathan will put some designs together,
and we'll see if this or that other property
are the best match for you and the growing family.
Yeah, let's do it. Let's give it a shot.
All right, sounds good.
Whoa!
It's huge. Look at all the space.
It's perfect.
This is a tough one.
DREW: Priscilla and Mark have seen two homes --
one that I found for them
with amazing potential for their family,
the other in a prime neighborhood
that Mark wanted to see,
but he'll have to dig into his savings
if he's sold on the designs.
Jonathan has drawn up plans for both.
PRISCILLA: Hi.
Hi.
Hi.
You look stressed.
I know. It's like wedding night for me.
[ Laughter ]
Excited, too, huh?
You mean excited, not stressed.
But that's all right. It's a big day.
You have to make a huge decision,
and we have two properties with a lot of potential,
but very different price points.
That sad salon -- remember the one
with the barbershop in the basement?
Love it.
Yeah, well, you don't need it, but you love it.
And then the other house, that was the wonky wiring house.
That place had a lot of work.
Why don't we start, though,
by having a look at that sad salon?
Sure. Let's do it.
JONATHAN: Instead of having
a bedroom at the front of the house,
I'll give you a comfortable living area
with a gas fireplace, mid-tone hardwood floors,
and modern furnishings.
Flowing from the living room,
I'll make you a large dining area
that's perfect for entertaining family and friends.
Whoa!
PRISCILLA: Wow, that looks nice.
That's amazing.
It's a completely different house.
Continuing the open concept
and flowing the hardwood throughout,
I'll completely remodel the kitchen,
giving you dark, custom cabinets with white quartz counters.
There will be tons of workable space,
including a breakfast bar for the kids.
Looks so modern.
Those appliances are awesome.
Look at all the space.
Beautiful home, but can you break down the cost?
DREW: Right.
The list price is $579,000,
which is pretty much market value.
I'd say $580,000 is market,
and they've priced this house to sell.
And I want you guys to get in there if this is the one for you
before anyone else does
so we don't have to worry about competing offers.
So I would make our target price $580,000.
Renovations.
Renovations are pretty substantial.
It's gonna be around $90,000,
and I will do my best to get it done in five weeks.
That brings us in at a total budget of $670,000,
which is $10,000 below your max budget of $680,000.
But there is another property.
Let's have a look at the wonky wiring house.
JONATHAN: I'll give you an enormous living space
by taking down that wall that separated the hallway.
I'll put in brand-new hardwood floors throughout
and remodel the existing fireplace,
converting it to gas.
MARK: Whoa!
PRISCILLA: Oh, that looks amazing.
It's huge. Look at all the space.
It's perfect.
All right, well, shifting over from the living room,
let's have a peek at the kitchen.
By removing the walls, you'll have a vast open concept,
allowing for a much bigger kitchen.
I'll put in classic, white cabinets,
a gas range, and tons of prep space.
Open to the kitchen, you'll have a generous dining area,
which will be perfect for family gatherings,
and I'll also add a powder room at the back of the house.
I love it.
DREW: Honestly, we listen.
We listen to you guys.
You know, I'm really impressed with all the customization I see
'cause we are particular about what we want.
You're particular?
What?
What?
It's all her. It's all her.
[ Laughter ]
DREW: The list price for this house is $780,000.
Now, they are overpriced.
I feel a fair market value would be $760,000.
However, it needs so much work.
As soon as buyers walk into this house,
they're gonna see the issues --
the faulty wiring and everything else --
so I feel we can come in comfortably at $740,000
as our target price.
Renovations.
JONATHAN: Time line's gonna be about the same -- five weeks.
It's gonna be $125,000,
but that will include that playroom at the back.
The kids are gonna love it. They'll never want to leave.
That brings you in at a total cost of $865,000.
That's $185,000 over your current budget of $680,000.
Whoa.
Now, you don't think that at $860,000,
we will be able to find something already done?
We have looked at a lot of houses in this community,
and that's what I'm saying.
In a different community, you have that.
We've shown you that and what we can do with this property,
but in this community you're asking for,
this is a fixer-upper,
and you're still paying this price.
Ooh.
Man, that's a lot of money.
Exactly. This is an exclusive area.
And you will pay for that.
We love the neighborhood.
But look at the financial end
because you don't want to be house rich and pocket poor.
Think it through, the financial side of it,
as well as what you like in each of the houses.
And when we come back,
hopefully you've made a decision,
but this is a tough one.
Okay. Thanks, guys.
Thank you.
Decision.
[ Grunts ]
What do you think?
If we buy the sad salon,
we will have so much cash left.
I know you're concerned. I'm concerned, too.
But then I'd be more concerned about
letting this opportunity slip by.
But it is a smart move
to use all our cash into buying this home?
I think, Priscilla, this is one of the reasons
why we actually went to Africa --
to save all this money so that we could come back
and buy a home and buy our dream home.
[ Speaking foreign language ]
You have to trust me.
This is about getting the home of our dreams.
They did reject our offer.
[ Groans ] Come on.
DREW: Mark and Priscilla are deciding between two houses,
and Jonathan's design plans are making it a tough choice.
There's the $579,000 sad salon house
with the $90,000 reno
and the wonky wiring house
for 780 grand and a reno budget of $125,000.
A lot to consider, but time to tell us their pick.
No, it's not that I don't love the idea.
It just scares me so much.
Don't worry -- nothing's gonna be compromised.
I wouldn't dare do that to myself
or to you or to our family.
We're okay.
Okay.
Beso.
I am sensing that you may have made a decision.
Yes, we did.
Smiles -- This is good. What's the decision?
Well, you know,
a coward dies a thousand deaths.
We want to go for it.
We're going for the wonky wiring.
Financially, though, you really --
You feel comfortable coming up with that much extra cash?
It's a bit scary.
We can do it.
We're not gonna have to take on any extra debt.
We'll just have to move some assets around,
and our rainy-day fund will be decreasing,
but this is a tremendous investment opportunity
and a tremendous home, so we've got to go for it.
The only thing is, I really want that you deliver.
Right?
Oh, believe me, I'll get all of my labor done
before you get your labor going.
So we will deliver on time
so that you can deliver on time into a house that's beautiful.
First of all, I have to get that place,
so I'm gonna prep the paperwork.
You guys chat design, but congrats on the decision.
Okay, appreciate it.
Thank you.
DREW: This is a big step for Mark and Priscilla,
and I know Priscilla has her reservations
about the overall budget,
but they've looked at the numbers,
they know their finances,
and they should be able to make this work.
And I wouldn't sell them a place that they couldn't afford.
MARK: This is not an irresponsible decision.
We've rejigged our finances,
so we feel really comfortable with this.
Although it wasn't our original intention,
we know we're there.
We know we can make it happen.
This is about getting the home of our dreams,
and that's exactly what we intend to do.
So, we're gonna go in at $740,000.
That's well below list price,
but this house needs a ton of work,
and I don't think it's so low
that it should offend the sellers.
The seller has provided a home inspection,
and Mark and Priscilla's finances are in order,
so they've decided to go in with no conditions.
I always recommend doing our own home inspection,
but they feel confident Jonathan can solve any issue,
even though we know this house does have electrical concerns
and the stairs to the basement are not to code.
I know you guys mentioned it's renovated,
but the place has to be completely re-renovated.
Hey.
PRISCILLA: Hi.
Well, this has been a lot of back and forth.
They did reject our offer.
[ Groans ]
They have come back at $770,000.
[ Sighs ]
You know, these people,
they must be way too home-proud.
This is really frustrating.
What's our next move?
Well, I mean, we would have to counter back.
I honestly think that we can come up a little bit.
I mean, how do you feel about coming back at $745,000?
Yeah, I think we could do it for $5,000.
Hang out here, I'm gonna call the agent right now,
and hopefully, I can convince them to go for that.
Okay. Good luck.
Thanks.
Bye.
Hey, it's Drew.
I really think that's a fair offer,
knowing how much work has to be done.
Okay.
They have said, after a lot of back and forth,
that they will be willing to come down to $750,000,
but that's the lowest they're willing to go.
That's it. So it's really up to you guys.
I don't want to lose this house for $5,000.
Let's do it.
Let's do it.
You're gonna do it?
Yeah.
Well, congratulations, and you have a new house.
God!
I'm gonna leave you guys to celebrate
because you've already started.
Congrats.
Yeah, and we'll finish the paperwork tomorrow.
Hug it out, hug it out.
[ Chuckles ] Congratulations.
It's never easy finding the perfect balance
between wants, needs, and budget.
Sometimes, you need to compromise,
but Mark and Priscilla refuse to believe that.
They love this area so much,
they found a way to make it work.
They got the house for 30 grand under list,
keeping Jonathan's reno budget at $125,000
but raised their total budget to 875 grand
to get into this area
and cover the work needed for such a big transformation.
I do enjoy working with clients who know exactly what they want
because it takes the guesswork out of everything,
but I have a feeling with Mark and Priscilla
that my designs are gonna be up for debate,
so we shall see.
I'm opening up the whole main floor
and creating a more family-friendly house
complete with great sight lines,
and at the back of the house, I'm adding a powder room.
It's a big job, but I've promised to get it done
before Priscilla goes into labor.
For now, she insists on having fun
with this type of labor.
Whoa!
A little further back.
Like a piƱata.
Don't let her size fool you.
She likes to throw her weight around.
She sure packs a heavy punch.
[ Laughs ]
Mark wants better clearance
getting to this area behind the kitchen,
so I'll have to check the structure.
Is there wood there? Hold on one sec.
So, there is a steel beam.
You can see it right there.
Why you wouldn't raise it up
so that you have more height here --
Can you even clear that?
No, I can hit my head on that.
I'm actually going down.
I can hit my hair. That's the most important thing.
Yeah, you got to comb your hair.
I'll have to talk to my engineer for a solution.
We're opening up the wall between
the kitchen and the dining room, and, you know,
they did a renovation here not too long ago,
but seeing some of the quality of the work,
we'll have to see what we find.
I think we should ask you to leave.
There is a good chance
there could be asbestos in this wall,
and we don't want you to be in here breathing that in.
So, asbestos -- That sounds expensive.
Fingers crossed. We're looking for savings.
Let's bust this bad boy open.
Okay, I'll ask you to pop out.
Well, thank you.
It's a little bit nerve-racking, but we'll have to deal with it.
That's what renovations are about.
It's a bit scary. You got to take a risk.
I just hope it's not all over the place.
With the baby on the way, all this stuff makes me nervous.
Who knows what other problems they're gonna find?
PRISCILLA: Yeah.
Well, what's the word?
A little bit of good news, a little bit of bad news.
Let's take a look.
This is...
So it's tied in.
...completely illegal.
Holy smokes.
It's just one thing and another thing and another thing.
[ Beeping ]
Wow.
DREW: Mark and Priscilla bought in a prime area
and had to rework their budget to purchase this home.
Whoa!
I know I expected it, but I hope they're not too upset with
the major issues I found.
You can see they've replaced the HVAC.
They've replaced the pipes.
So they've removed the asbestos from this section here.
Money saved.
Great.
Walk over here.
In behind there, you can see -- that's your sliding door --
there's a big asbestos run right in there,
and it goes all the way up.
So they did not remove that one.
I guess they decided that was gonna be too much money,
so they left that for us to pay for.
Over here, no asbestos in here.
However, we are dealing with active *** and tube.
*** and tube?
Yeah.
They've run new electrical for a lot of their stuff here.
They just added on top with all of this.
That's not how we do it.
I just would've hoped
that whoever did the renovation last time
had it removed like you're supposed to.
This thing is frustrating
'cause he's run one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven new electrical runs
and still left the *** and tube in there.
It's disappointing that somebody would do that
not just for the fact that it's gonna cost us more money,
but for the fact that it's a complete safety hazard.
Let's get out of here and let the guys come in
and deal with the asbestos.
We found a total of four asbestos-wrapped heat runs,
and before much else can happen on the site,
they need to be removed safely.
It's not gonna be incredibly expensive,
but it does take a good chunk out of their contingency
right out of the starting gates.
We've demoed the main floor right back to the studs
to find the original structure is rock-solid.
Problem is, alterations made since
were pretty makeshift.
Lot of work has been done here.
PRISCILLA: Oh, the ceiling is gone.
[ Chuckles ] Watch your step.
We do have some nails that are still sticking out,
but we have discovered
a lot of issues that we need to deal with.
Here's your *** and tube.
Okay.
Tied into the newer -- I mean, this is...
So it's tied in.
...completely illegal.
You are not allowed to do that inside the wall.
So somebody, at some point has --
has decided that that's the way they want to renovate,
and now we have to make up for it.
And so that was live the whole time?
This is all live.
I just actually right now
'cause we still have some of the lines run.
[ Beeping ]
Wow.
I could go on forever about
all the problems with this place,
like the asbestos that we first came across
and then the cheated *** and tube
that looked like they updated it, but they didn't.
And then inside the walls, we found plumbing problems.
You cannot have your plumbing on the exterior wall
because it gets so cold here that it'll freeze,
and they obviously froze their pipes at some time
'cause they're using spray foam everywhere here
to try and protect it.
You have to put in a new framed wall here,
seal it properly.
We're gonna try and move
all of the plumbing to an interior wall.
Holy smokes.
It's just one thing and another thing and another thing.
Every code for stairs has been broken here,
not even nearly met.
Codes as to how wide the stairs have to be,
I mean, how much headroom you have to have going down.
Your rise and your run
have minimum lengths that they have to pass,
and this doesn't.
So we're gonna do it right.
It's becoming a bit of a money pit,
and I hope it really doesn't sink us.
There's a lot of stuff.
We have a decision to make right here.
You wanted to raise this up, and that requires a new beam.
JONATHAN: There's still a lot of questions
about that area between the sun-room and the kitchen
and how high we can raise that beam.
I mean, Mark would spend anything
just to get it all the way up,
but I think there are better areas
that we could spend our money.
It's gonna probably cost about $2,500,
maybe, at the absolute max, $3,000.
PRISCILLA: Sure.
So then our headroom is gonna be dramatically cut.
Right now, we're getting --
We're saving 2 inches of headroom.
If you spend a few thousand dollars,
you would maybe get an additional 4.
Is it worth that?
So, right there.
I don't think we need to spend our money on that.
Yeah, sure. Yeah, I agree.
Well, Priscilla is a fan of also keeping it low,
but she's also 5'2 1/2, so no big deal for her.
We need that $3,000 for removing other things
that are more important to me than this little height here.
I see what you're saying, but my point of view is,
I think we'll never regret the things we do,
but we will regret the things we don't do.
We're still at the point where we're hanging onto ideals,
so I'm gonna try to push for that one
to see how far we can take it.
JONATHAN: There's no debate about the plumbing.
We're moving it away from the exterior wall
and adding new runs for the new powder room.
And we're saying goodbye to the treacherous staircase
one step at a time.
All the electrical is being upgraded to today's standards,
and we're removing all traces of the old *** and tube.
We're also reframing for the new steel beam
that will span the entire main floor.
Hello, hello.
Hi, Jonathan.
Wow, it's open.
I have almost completely removed the walls.
[ Chuckles ] We're working on it right now.
This is supporting the ceiling temporarily,
so we actually can put in
one steel beam the entire way across.
Oh, great!
Then there's nothing obstructing your view.
So...
Wow.
...you talk about the steel beam.
Do you remember the first house you showed us?
And they had that awesome barn-door-cladded beam
that went from one end to the other.
Can we do something like that, you think?
Well, there's extra cost involved
in anything that we add on.
Right now, we're just finishing it all off in a drywall,
and we're gonna have crown molding on this side.
That sounds really boring.
We want something exciting and beautiful.
Now, what about the fireplace?
It would be nice to knock the whole thing out
and put in floor-to-ceiling brick.
Is that something we can do?
We don't have money for that.
It makes me fearful
because Mark's fixated on finishes
while we still have to concentrate on
the structural issues.
Right now, your contingency is a thing of the past.
All the reframing we have to do here
is just costing us an arm and a leg,
and that's because
they didn't have a clue what they were doing.
I really kind of like the size of this tile here.
I just really need you to deliver.
Mark, relax.
JONATHAN: Priscilla and Mark have already blown through their contingency
as we deal with the mounting reno problems.
Every code for stairs has been broken here.
I'm hoping the worst is behind us
and that we finish up on time and on budget.
Right now, your contingency is a thing of the past.
We have so many issues with how they built these stairs.
We have to move this wall over
'cause we still want to have
36 inches minimum clearance on these stairs.
Right.
And then here, we have to pull the stairs back to about here,
so this wall is actually gonna move to about here
and go all the way up.
The biggest issue is this right here. [ Taps ]
We need to make sure
that this corner of the landing is supported,
so we're gonna have to run a beam across
from this side over.
This is not how you structure it.
They didn't know what they were doing here.
I'd love to say at the end of the day,
we have money left to clad this beam,
but, you know, you guys have said it, too.
You want to make sure that the house not only looks great
and has your sense of style, but that it's safe.
PRISCILLA: Yeah.
JONATHAN: And this will do it.
They build skyscrapers out of this stuff.
It's a 1,500-pound beam
that will support this three-story house
for at least another 100 years.
[ Man shouting indistinctly ]
MAN: Okay, now put the pipe underneath.
JONATHAN: But it's not easy...
or fast, hoisting this thing into place.
[ Man grunting ]
JONATHAN: And the new stairs now measure up to code.
JONATHAN: With all the structural work required,
I can tell you we do have a bit of bad news with the beam.
The engineer said it needs to be supported
by something more than what was already there.
The engineer also examined the entrance to the back room,
and we have no choice.
We have to replace this with something stronger.
And you can see that this one, as well,
is pushed all the way up to the big beam.
So I gave you
an extra 4 inches of headroom, but that is it.
We physically could not get any more headroom.
I wasn't going to do this,
but the engineer told us that we had to.
We have to listen to him,
so now we just have to try
and stay even more on top of the budget.
JONATHAN: So, I hope the worst is over.
It's time to get back on track.
With the drywall up, it's time for the floors to go down.
I've gone with an engineered hardwood in a medium tone
to cut costs, but not style.
To take their minds off the stress of the reno,
I've sent Mark and Priscilla shopping
to find the perfect dining-room table.
MARK: We're looking for a long harvest table,
a lot of character.
I love this one.
Good length.
That rustic metal finish is just great.
It's so beautiful.
I see the price.
Yeah, 94.
Almost 8 feet, yeah.
Oh, look at this one.
PRISCILLA: That's nice.
Yeah.
And it is rustic and modern.
The only thing is, too short.
Yeah, it's a little dinky.
Do you think that they will customize in here?
No, this is what it is.
This is a little flimsy, right?
Yeah. It's tiny.
Loser legs.
Oh, man.
Not quite there, right?
It's too expensive.
Tons of tables.
I kind of like the first one we saw, actually.
[ Sputters ]
I don't really know what to do.
[ Ringing ]
Hi, Jonathan.
JONATHAN: Hey. How's the table hunt?
Ugh, I don't know.
We're looking all over the place,
but not much luck with this table.
Oh, how come?
They're too ornate, too modern.
There's just almost too much to choose from.
It's analysis paralysis.
We really need your help on this one.
If you could do some looking around for us,
we'd really appreciate it.
Okay. Well, let me see what I can come up with.
All right, buddy, talk to you soon.
I think I have the perfect solution.
I'm getting a custom table made
out of the oak planks left from the demo.
It'll have a rustic feel,
which is what they're looking for,
but it's a fraction of the cost.
It's a risk moving ahead without their okay,
but the new look of the centuries-old oak
should win them over.
They have been adamant
about getting wood cladding on the beam.
I agree it's a great look,
but now we'll have to find savings somewhere else.
We send Jonathan a lot of e-mails.
There's a lot of communication,
but, really, what's wrong with that?
We just want to be clear
and make sure he knows what we want.
I'm really pleased about the progress.
After resolving the plumbing and asbestos issues,
the kitchen's now being installed.
I'm going with classic-white custom cabinets
and a clean, modern look.
The powder room is also coming along,
and I'm reusing the original wood trim,
keeping the character of the home,
and it's really a savings that I need.
Hey.
Hi, Jonathan.
We were hoping to see you here.
Wow!
What do you think? Doing some baseboard.
Oh, we have drywall up. That's exciting.
Yeah. Holy!
Can I shake your hand?
Yeah.
"Hi, Jonathan!"
Oh, my God! The stairs are being done!
Yeah.
Holy smokes!
This, I think, just looks great. Compared to now.
Oh, yeah.
It's very dusty, then.
I think I will wait for you in the car.
Okay.
The progress looks great.
Say bye.
Bye-bye.
MARK: I'm here to, you know, put the pressure on
and make sure things get done well.
This is our dream house.
There's a few things. Yeah, okay.
Looks like the floor is done, so we can leave that alone.
A little bit of a moot point.
So, for the kitchen backsplash,
I really kind of like the size of this tile here.
But then I kind of like the, you know, the shape of this one.
I'm 100% certain Jonathan thinks I'm a lunatic.
I'm crazy, I'm manic. I get it. I see it.
And the color of this one really appealed to me here.
I was hoping you could kind of capture some of that.
And then with the hardware,
again, I like this nice, chunky handle
that maybe we can put on the cabinets.
Then I have all these different kind of curtains,
different drapes.
There's the yellows here, there's a green, there's a blue.
Mark, relax.
I just really need you to deliver.
I'm gonna deliver. I'm on your side.
I think that you need to go
and spend some time with Priscilla.
I can be helpful. I can -- I can hang out.
No. All right?
[ Laughing ] Don't come back.
Being told to go home
was actually a blessing in disguise,
and I'm sure all my nitpicking is gonna rub off on Jonathan.
All I want to do is spend time with my wife,
get ready for the baby, and have this renovation done.
JONATHAN: Me, too.
Everything's come together to my standards.
I'm just crossing my fingers that Mark will be okay
with all the final decisions I've made
to complete the project.
If you haven't gathered this already,
he's kind of particular.
DREW: Guys, come on home.
This is a completely different space.
JONATHAN: Mark and Priscilla have kept me on my toes
with their constant requests for very specific finishes.
I really kind of like the size of this tile here.
Was everything worth it in the end?
We are about to find out.
I can't believe how many places around the world
they've actually traveled, but, at least,
now we've given them a place they can call home.
They will love it.
Well, time to find out for sure.
They're here.
All right. Are you ready?
Yes, I'm ready.
Okay.
Guys, come on home.
Hi.
MARK: Wow!
Holy smokes!
This is a completely different space.
PRISCILLA: Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Wow!
Are you kidding me?!
It's beautiful!
Priscilla, what do you think?
[ Voice breaking ] It's beautiful.
Oh, my God.
I had so many nightmares last night, and I was --
[ Laughs ]
"They could get it all wrong," and trust issues.
[ Laughter ]
Yeah. This is amazing.
I mean, I think we're both at a loss.
Thank you.
DREW: You guys are welcome. You are very welcome.
You guys deserve this.
DREW: Opening up the entrance makes this room feel way bigger.
Saving the original wood trim, adding the new hardwood,
and updating the old fireplace
keeps it intimate, warm, and inviting.
And after so long of working on the road and traveling,
just to have a place you can call home,
a place that you can grow your family.
I didn't expect the crown molding
to be in the same kind of harmony.
DREW: Jonathan was able to reuse a lot of the wood from the home,
and then he blended it in with pieces like this,
the way he cased in the beam.
At the front --
You were very specific with some of the things you wanted.
The wardrobe at the front, exactly to your specifications.
JONATHAN: I got your e-mail and all your instructions,
and we custom-made you a closet for you coats.
Oh, my goodness!
You were having such a hard time finding a dining room table.
I had it custom made.
A friend of mine makes these tables.
I love the raw industrial feel.
And the coolest part --
This is all the wood
that was from the walls we tore down.
This is the wood from this house.
MARK: Oh, man!
Because I know that was one of the hardest things,
was renovating and knowing
that you're gonna get rid of all that nice, original wood.
And they used your grandpa's --
Oh, yeah.
That's from my grandpa's dairy farm,
and it's been in the family for years.
We have all this milk paraphernalia.
Yeah, he's 95 now.
So glad you were able to use it.
JONATHAN: You guys have so many great collectibles
from your travels,
and those are the decor pieces that I want,
'cause it does make it feel homey for you,
but it also adds a real touch of elegance.
This dining room used to be so dark,
but opening up the walls
helps take advantage of the natural light.
One day, your kids will be doing homework here,
or you'll be hosting big family get-togethers.
You guys just nailed this. I can't believe it.
DREW: Well, if we nailed this,
what do you think of the kitchen?
Remember what it was like before?
Wow!
I mean, my mind is just blank right now
because I'm just so overwhelmed
by what an amazing space this is.
It's -- Wow! This is great!
JONATHAN: No more asbestos. No more wonky wiring.
And I just love
how you incorporate everything so well with the wood.
I just love the crown molding.
DREW: A lot of people feel you can't do white cabinets
with a lot of these rich wood tones.
I don't understand why you would say that.
I mean, the frame around the window that's original,
it looks amazing.
It's gorgeous. It's beautiful.
Continuing the open concept
gives you a way-more functional kitchen.
The center island gives you more prep space
and a vantage point
from which you can keep an eye on growing kids.
One of the biggest reasons we have more space in here
was rebuilding that makeshift staircase.
The stairs are now to code.
You can get a couch down here. You can get a bed down here.
Yeah, that's amazingly wide.
Yeah, we'll be able to easily move things down.
And, so, we do have
one other little surprise for you guys.
We cleaned up the back,
and if you have a peek, for Alex and baby-to-come.
We have a little play area.
Nice!
Oh, that's great. Oh, man!
She will love this.
That's perfect.
Another great change to the main floor
is the fact that you now have a two-piece bath.
Take a look.
MARK: Wow!
That's amazing. I was so worried how this was gonna play out.
And it's cased with, again, original wood from this house.
That's amazing. I love how you reused all this great wood.
They did an amazing, amazing job.
We are so, so happy,
and it's screaming, "Home," to me now,
and it's so warm, and I just love it.
It has all the personal touches that we want.
It has the space that we want and the functionality.
This is -- This really is it.
I think we'll be here for -- for a long time.
It almost sounds like a fairy tale.
I mean, you guys are living the life
that you always wanted to live.
So, you guys are the fairy godmothers?
[ Laughter ]
Something like that.
The ugly stepsisters.
So, enjoy. We're gonna leave and let you guys explore.
There's so much more to see.
PRISCILLA: Thank you.
Thanks a lot, guys.
Thank you. Bye.
When they first toured this house,
Mark and Priscilla were feeling
more love for the area than the house itself,
but after today's reaction,
I think the house has won them over.
They paid $750,000 for the house,
30 grand under the list price --
a great savings that was quickly put to the test
when so many issues were found during the renovation.
Jonathan worked hard to maximize their budget,
getting this place up to code
and customized the house to their wants and needs.
And after five weeks, Mark and Priscilla have
a home perfectly suited for their growing family.
Well, thank you.
Oh!
[ Slurps ]
Nice job! You delivered before she delivered.
Happy that they're happy.
Want to go for pizza?
Yeah. Delivery?
Yeah, let's do that.
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.