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DREW: Megan and Greg
have both lived and worked abroad.
Now they're back and want to settle down where Greg grew up.
Living with parents kind of feels like teenagers again.
Greg and Meg. Are you up yet?
We're dying to get out of the basement now,
and we need to find a home.
That's where we come in.
I show people properties with promise.
This is not a lot of prep space.
It's tight.
I'm already stepping on his foot.
JONATHAN: And I take on the renovation.
Some of them are quite a bit different.
Like, you can see that, a little bit more modern.
We know how to turn a dated disaster
into a fantasy first home.
We are the Property Brothers.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Megan and Greg are a sporty couple
that have traveled the world.
But now they're ready to return to Greg's childhood neighborhood
and settle down.
Yeah, they're done living abroad,
and they want to start a family.
Currently, they're living in the basement
at Greg's parents' place.
They need a home of their own.
This is where we're living.
I mean, you can see all the suitcases, things like that.
We just sort of have piles everywhere.
Our shoes are kind of everywhere.
These are all my shoes, unfortunately.
You can see she doesn't have too many.
Things are very temporary, we're hoping.
Greg and Meg. Are you up yet?
MEGAN: We're coming.
Okay.
Living with parents kind of feels like teenagers again.
Mom and Dad pop in, and they ask, you know,
"What are your plans for dinner?
What are you eating?"
So, it's a bit of an adjustment coming from living on our own.
We've both lived different countries,
different cities, seen a lot of the world.
We started living abroad while Greg played hockey.
I've been playing hockey for the past eight years.
But we're coming back here to settle down.
My parents have a family business,
and my dad's fortunate enough to hire me.
And me. [ Chuckles ]
Yeah. They already employ Megan.
I do work from home right now.
Hey, Megan. How's it going?
Um, it's okay.
There's not really a separation from home to work.
Living here and working together, it's been a lot.
I mean, my dad loves to talk about work.
They're great people, and we love being with them.
It's just 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is a lot.
We'd love to find a house in the area that I grew up in.
This area's really important to me.
I still have some friends here.
We all grew up here.
There's good schools.
It's got all the positives and not too many negatives.
We have absolutely no experience with renovations.
From what I've heard, to keep the cost down,
you have to do a lot of things yourself.
I, unlike my dad, am not too handy.
Working full time,
I don't know how we would find time
to go through the process.
In our dream home, we'd love to have...
An open concept would be great --
kitchen/living/dining, all flowing.
A big backyard, natural light.
And definitely a man cave.
He's really set on this man-cave thing.
Our max budget is $630,000.
I'm personally hoping we go a lot lower than that,
but I also am trying to be realistic.
We're dying to get out of the basement now,
and we need to find a home.
JONATHAN: I get it.
They want to be close to their parents but not with their parents.
But it is important to be close to family
when you're gonna start your own.
Well, also, it's easy access to free babysitting.
Anyway, it is a good plan for the future,
but they really need to get a home of their own.
And this place really checks off everything on their list.
DREW: Come on in.
Wow.
This is what I'm talking about.
Look at this -- You have from the front of the house
all the way to the back, that open sight line.
Yeah. That's amazing.
We can see all the way to the backyard.
JONATHAN: It's all in the details, right?
And it's so important to have everything finish off properly.
And it's in a great area, which all kind of checks off our list.
[ Laughs ]
Selectively.
That's great.
It feels new, it looks new,
and I love how it's right off the kitchen.
So if you are prepping a meal,
you can still interact with your guests.
MEGAN: Yeah. I love this.
GREG: The granite's amazing.
I love the backsplash. That's awesome.
DREW: Yeah, the glass-tile backsplash is really nice.
I mean, everything we could ask for is in this kitchen.
It's great.
I like that light fixture. It's really nice.
Oh, that's cool.
There are four bedrooms in total up here.
These are decent size.
This is your master bedroom.
GREG: All right.
Ooh, I love the window. That's great.
Nice, high ceilings.
Yeah, it feels a lot more spacious than it really is.
Come on out here. I'm gonna show you the bathroom.
Oh, wow. That's beautifully finished.
That's great.
Over here, you have the office.
This would be your domain.
MEGAN: Oh, I like that.
It's fantastic.
DREW: A whole wall of windows is a nice thing.
A house that's perfect for entertaining, inside and out.
The thing that isn't quite ideal, though, is the price.
The list price on this house is $799,900.
[ Chuckles ] Okay.
That's well over our budget.
And that's a couple hundred grand over your max budget.
Okay, well, if not this, then what are we looking at?
We'll find a fixer-upper.
I'm here to work for you, so I'll take all these things
you've pointed out that you like,
and I'll put it in your dream home.
Well, it sounds like you guys have a plan.
I do have a plan. Let's get to looking at houses.
You just got to get on board with it.
We're getting there slowly.
DREW: The home was great.
The location is perfect for them,
but the price, it wasn't.
It was far above their max budget,
and unfortunately, I had to show them this house
to bring them back into reality.
They can't afford move-in ready, something renovated like this.
Yeah. They were clearly disappointed, and that's okay.
Because we just have to show them
there is potential out there
and this was a fixer-upper until somebody else came in here
and basically put a bunch of equity in their pocket.
So let's do the same thing for these guys.
Here it is. Great neighborhood.
Three bedrooms, two bathrooms.
Yeah, I grew up just down the street.
MEGAN: I like the park out here.
It's nice.
I mean, it's a beautiful area, family close by.
GREG: Oh.
It's a lot of pink.
I'm loving the wallpaper.
JONATHAN: You like flowers, right? You wanted meadow fresh?
Coming in, I really see
just the pink floral wallpaper.
It's everywhere.
I don't know how we can do all this ourselves.
I mean, there's just so much work to do.
Well, that's why we would want to open up these walls.
I'm already stepping on his foot.
Watch the head here.
It seems like a ton of work.
I'm trying to keep an open mind.
DREW: Megan and Greg
want a move-in ready home in Greg's family's neighborhood.
We're dying to get out of the basement now.
So, I'm showing them fixer-uppers
GREG: Oh.
MEGAN: Coming in, I really see
just the pink floral wallpaper.
But are they ready to buy into our renovation plan?
I mean, there's just so much work to do.
DREW: You can see all the work has probably been done
in the '70s and '80s -- very dated style.
And we have to give it a good cosmetic cleanup.
Okay, so, they're not feeling the wall-to-wall carpet
and the wallpaper, but that's an easy fix.
This place has a lot going for it.
It's a detached three-bedroom, two-bathroom, single-story home
with over 1,600 square feet, and it's close to Greg's family,
which means the location is a bonus.
The decor? Not so much.
All right. Well, shift into the living area.
You can see, also a big room.
It's dark, and the fireplace is also dated.
I think the most important thing here is,
we need to open up this wall.
GREG: Okay.
DREW: It does feel a little closed-in here.
This isn't that big of a table, but it feels kind of tight.
If these walls were gone,
just imagine how much space you'd have in here.
That would be great.
It would be great to see through the kitchen.
If I'm cooking -- Well, if Megan's cooking...
DREW: Yeah, let's be realistic here.
Exactly.
And this is the kitchen.
Yeah, it's a good size,
but a lot of useless space over there.
That's where the kitchen table would go.
Do you want to have a kitchen eat-in area,
as well as a dining room right there?
No, I don't think we need that.
JONATHAN: 'Cause right now, it's like a blank canvas.
We could really do anything
because, obviously, these cabinets are gonna go.
It's just a massive space that'll be an empty box.
You've also got three bedrooms and a large main bathroom,
and there's one other thing I want to show you.
Here it is -- full basement,
GREG: Whoa!
Whoa! Now, this is amazing.
[ Laughs ] Really?
Yeah. I love it.
This place is great.
I mean, this is the only untouchable room
[ Laughter ]
It still needs to be touched.
I mean, when you think about
the walls, the wallpaper, the carpet,
there's just a lot of things that have to change.
So, I'm not sure that I want to go somewhere
where I have so much work to do.
Yeah. Time issue, and, I mean, how expensive is this gonna be?
DREW: The list price on this house is actually not too bad --
$550,000.
It's important to not settle on the things you can't change --
area, the lot, things like that.
But then we can renovate the home.
Everything you don't like with this place is within the home,
and those are all things Jonathan can change.
I'm definitely not sold. I want to see more.
This room?
Well, you'll be sleeping down here.
JONATHAN: Oh, I thought you meant the whole place.
I'm like, "Perfect!"
Yeah, we're gonna show you some more properties.
There are a lot of great places with a lot of potential,
Okay.
MEGAN: All right.
I love the size of the lot here,
and you have a two-car garage out back.
Promising at all?
No man cave? I don't think so.
DREW: I'll find you one.
I'll find you a house with a man cave.
This house has a man cave. Don't fret.
From the outside, there's good character.
GREG: Yeah, it looks really old.
Well, that was better than the last one.
Looks better from the outside than on the inside.
Don't be afraid of a little work.
That's what I'm afraid of.
DREW: This house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms.
Well, it looks nice so far.
House isn't too bad.
It's just too close to the busy street for us.
DREW: Here we go.
Now, this house has 1,400 square feet
and a fully finished basement.
Well? First impression?
This entry is small to me.
Yeah, it's really closed-in.
Walking in this house, it really feels small.
It's just kind of boxy, so that's discouraging.
It's just really choppy.
Keep in mind, if you open this area wide open
to the other part of the house
into the dining area and the kitchen,
it would feel a lot bigger.
This house has a lot of character.
It's a detached single-story home
with two bedrooms, plus one in the basement,
and two bathrooms.
With the potential for a great man cave in the basement,
this could really hit everything on their wish list,
especially for Greg.
This dining room feels a little small,
but it's actually not a bad size.
It's just that they have so many furniture pieces in here,
it's cluttering the space.
I noticed the window, though. I like the natural light,
but the backyard is not very big.
It may look like a shallow yard,
but keep in mind, it's a 90-foot-wide lot.
So, you're getting a lot of land with this house.
The big thing we need to look at here
is the fact that there's so many walls.
It's closed off from the kitchen.
It's kind of closed off from the living room.
We could open all of this up, all these walls gone,
and you have the sight lines you're looking for.
DREW: This is not a lot of prep space.
It's tight.
I'm already stepping on his foot.
That's why we would want to open up these walls.
It's very small.
JONATHAN: You can even look.
They only have basically one bank of cabinets -- uppers and lowers.
That's totally inadequate.
I'm trying to keep an open mind.
Why don't we actually check out the basement?
This could be the man cave.
GREG: All right.
I feel sunny.
Watch the head here. A little low.
MEGAN: That's not a problem for me.
Wow. Yeah.
Honestly, I think you would want
to just scratch the entire place,
open up all the walls, and start fresh.
Yeah, it does seem a bit cramped,
but it is a huge area.
Now, before you completely judge this house,
why don't we step outside and check out the yard?
MEGAN: All right.
[ Chuckles ]
So, now that you're out here, what do you think of this backyard?
MEGAN: It's definitely better than I thought.
Like you said, the width is great.
GREG: It's got lots of potential.
You have an area over here you can actually build
a beautiful entertainment space.
It would still leave you some room over here
Yeah.
It seems like a ton of work. It's really choppy.
I know Jonathan said that he can do a lot,
but it just --
She's laughing at you.
No, there's a ton of potential here,
and I know what you guys want.
I can put that in this home,
and I can keep it under your max budget.
First of all, let's talk numbers.
They just re-listed it two weeks ago at $535,000.
So that's well under your max budget.
I still think we can bring them down a little bit more,
and I know the sellers really want to sell.
I know you're gonna open it up,
but it's just hard for me to imagine.
This is what we'll do -- We'll take your top two contenders.
We'll do some designs on these places, show them to you.
And then, at that point,
hopefully you can make a decision where you want to put an offer.
Okay.
JONATHAN: You don't seem sold.
I mean, it's just hard to visualize for us.
Wow.
MEGAN: This is really perfect for us.
Now I can believe what you guys are talking about.
I mean, it's a tough choice.
DREW: Megan and Greg are debating a house
papered with floral patterns and a DIY gut job.
I mean, it's just hard to visualize for us.
Jonathan has great plans for renovations in both locations,
so it's gonna be tough for them to decide.
Well, we have a couple of great designs for you,
two great properties.
We have that floral fun house and then that beat-up basement.
Any favorites?
No.
The houses are actually great houses.
They're just a little rough around the edges.
So, we need to polish them up.
All right.
I'm gonna modernize this house with new flooring throughout.
I'll decorate with vibrant colors,
strong accents, and contemporary furniture,
and I'll reface the fireplace with tile
for a fully updated look.
I love the fireplace.
And the decor looks awesome.
Good first impression?
We could definitely move in there.
I mean, a great space to entertain.
DREW: Can you imagine if the living room in that house
looked like this when you walked through?
No. We can't imagine it.
[ Laughter ]
All right. If you loved that living room,
how about the flow here into the dining space?
JONATHAN: I'll take down the dining-room wall
and create an open-concept chef's kitchen.
It'll have a sleek, modern look
with new cabinetry and high-end appliances.
Now, I'm sure your family's gonna be over a lot,
so a large harvest table
will be the centerpiece of this space,
and an island will have lots of room for prep.
This is really perfect for us.
Are we sure you guys can do this?
I know that I can do this.
If this is the house you choose, I will deliver that.
All right. Let's talk numbers.
The list price of this house is $550,000.
They are overpriced.
I feel that market value is $540,000.
Now, they do have an open house this weekend.
They're waiting on any offers until then.
They're trying to create some buzz.
But I think if we come in with a target price of $535,000,
we'd be perfect.
Renovations?
Renovations are gonna cost us around $95,000,
and it'll take six weeks.
But that's six weeks to get this.
DREW: That brings us in at $630,000,
which is your max budget.
You could be living in that house.
Sounds good.
We'd love to stay under budget, if possible,
but we know that renovations can get expensive.
Well, keep in mind the $95,000 includes a contingency.
And with the age of the home and the neighborhood,
I'm not expecting there's gonna be
any big surprise hidden behind the walls.
So, I think we can stick to that budget.
All right.
All right. That's not the only property.
We also have the beat-up basement.
Okay.
JONATHAN: We'll start by renovating the main floor.
With all-new window treatments,
an update to the fireplace, and fun furniture,
this room will be totally transformed.
I'll take down that wall
to give you the open concept that you want.
I'll put in a modern, sleek kitchen
with high-end appliances and an island for cooking.
For this inviting, modern space,
it's just gonna be perfect for entertaining.
Your friends and family will never want to leave.
I like that there's still a fireplace.
That's definitely great.
Now I can believe what you guys are talking about.
Does it feel more spacious?
Because that was a cramped area when we went into the house.
Yeah.
I just love how it flows seamlessly.
Living, kitchen, I mean, entryway.
It's perfect.
Well, it's customized to exactly what you said you wanted.
Well, you guys definitely got it right.
How about this for the man cave?
[ Chuckles ]
JONATHAN: The basement looked like a DIY gone wrong,
so I'm gonna gut it and start fresh.
I'll level the floors,
give you a large multipurpose room with a big-screen TV,
and I'll decorate it in a sports theme.
It'll be the classic guy's getaway space
that's stylish enough so that you'll both enjoy it.
Now, this is what I'm talking about.
[ Laughter ]
He's never gonna come out of there.
I could just see myself down there with a huge TV.
Megan, you're not gonna see him upstairs.
No. He'll be ringing a bell for service.
This is a functional space. It's stylish.
And you have more than enough room
for anything that you would want in a basement suite.
It's really hard to believe the transformation.
It's gonna be an amazing property.
Even though it's not in your ideal neighborhood,
Yeah.
All right. Let's talk numbers.
This house is on the market for $535,000.
They are overpriced.
Market value would actually be around $520,000,
but I think we should go with a target of $510,000.
What do you think for renos?
Renovations are substantial.
We're gonna do about $110,000,
and it's gonna take us six weeks.
DREW: So, that would bring us in at a total cost of $620,000,
which is $10,000 below your max budget of $630,000.
That's great news.
Great news, yeah.
I mean, it's a tough choice.
Look at all the pros and cons
between that floral fun house and the beat-up basement.
We'll leave you to chat, but when we come back,
hopefully you can decide which house is best for you.
BOTH: Okay.
I'm nervous about price, so, at first thought,
the beat-up basement sounds good.
Saving the money would be awesome.
And the man cave, I mean, that's a bonus.
Well, I know, for you.
But I know we're concerned about location, too.
Yeah, the floral fun house, it's a great location.
It does have that formal dining room that we want,
and it is a little bigger.
Yeah.
Maybe it's worth the money.
After seeing those designs,
it's even harder to make a decision.
I know.
They're both great homes.
I mean, it's a really tough decision.
No one else put in an offer,
so we felt like we could come in a little bit lower.
What's the news?
Unfortunately, the seller rejected your offer.
DREW: Megan and Greg are torn between two fixer-uppers.
Jonathan has presented designs for both homes.
Will they pick the floral fun house for $540,000
with a renovation budget of $95,000,
or the beat-up basement for $520,000
and $110,000 in renovations?
It's time to make a decision.
I'm hoping that we have some good news and the decision?
Yeah. I think we've made our decision.
All right. Which will it be?
Well, we're a little nervous,
but we're gonna trust you
and go with the floral fun house.
That is perfect.
It was the family, right?
You wanted to be close to the neighborhood?
Yeah, close to the family,
and we really wanted that formal dining area.
So we felt it's a little bigger, so it's worth the extra money.
DREW: Yeah.
And it is still a budget that you can afford,
because that's what we established.
Now, we have until the weekend
before they're looking at offers.
I want to see what happens with this open house
to see if any other offers actually come in.
So, I'll keep you posted.
Be patient, but congratulations on making the decision.
Why don't you guys talk some design? We'll catch up soon.
The sellers held two open houses,
and still not a single offer.
They supplied an issue-free home-inspection report,
so the market value on this property holds at $540,000.
But Megan and Greg want to lowball their offer at $525,000.
No one else put in an offer,
so we felt like we could come in a little bit lower.
We have a ton of renovating to do,
and we thought we could save a little bit of money
on the front end to spend it on the back end.
Hey, how are you?
Good. So...
What's the news?
The news is not good.
Unfortunately, the seller rejected your offer of $525,000.
She just felt it was too low.
She did come back with a counter of $545,000,
so she came down 5 grand.
I honestly think we can get her down a little bit more,
but any more than that, it's really gonna offend her.
So I suggest coming in at $540,000.
Out of everything you've shown us,
that's definitely our favorite house.
So maybe we just have to commit to spending a little more.
So, you want to go in at $540,000?
Let's do it.
Hey, it's Drew. How are you?
$540,000 is as high as they can go.
Okay.
Well, I'll let them know,
and I'll touch base with you in a bit.
The stresses of real estate, eh?
Just give it to us.
Congratulations. You got the house, $540,000.
That's such a relief.
I know it's stressful.
But you guys, you really deserve this.
Thank you so much.
That's fantastic. Thank you.
I'll prep the paperwork.
We'll finish it off later today, and I'll talk to you soon.
MEGAN: Bye. Thanks.
We caught a break in that we didn't have to compete
with any other offers, even after two open houses.
But this was still a tough negotiation.
However, in the end, we found middle ground,
and Megan and Greg now are homeowners.
They bought their house for $540,000,
which is under list price
but still more than they wanted to pay.
So now Jonathan has $90,000 to work with
and six weeks to renovate this home
so this couple can escape Greg's parents' basement.
I know Megan and Greg have some big ideas
about what they want to do with this place,
but now that we have a tighter reno budget,
we're gonna have to get a little bit creative
so that we can still make this happen.
This is a major renovation,
including a complete overhaul of the living room
and creating a modern chef's kitchen from scratch.
I'm not anticipating any problems with this place.
I've seen the inspection report, and it's pretty solid.
There we go.
MEGAN: I'm super excited to do some work
and take down these walls.
We'll see if I'm actually strong enough
to actually tear something down.
GREG: We're very excited with demo day.
We're excited to see the transformation
that it's going to become.
[ Laughing ]
Oh! One more.
[ Laughing ] There's a small dent.
Hey!
JONATHAN: One more.
[ Laughs ]
That looked pretty awesome. [ Chuckles ]
This is a load-bearing wall,
so we're gonna leave the studs for now.
Then I'm gonna size up exactly what we need
with the engineer for the beam.
And we can move on and start taking that wall down.
All right.
JONATHAN: What do you think of that?
Wow.
Changes the space completely.
Now you can come right in the front door.
You can see the beautiful dining room.
Lots of flow into the living room, into the kitchen.
Yeah, it looks fantastic.
It's great.
Now, Jonathan, we were thinking about fully opening up
and taking that wall right out.
The way it opened up was awesome,
so now we're kind of hoping we might be able
to take down the wall leading to the living room.
It's very addictive.
Once you see that open concept,
and you want a little more of it.
But keep in mind, we'd have to pay for it.
This is a load-bearing wall,
so we'd have to remove this and put a beam in.
Okay. How much are we talking.
Uh, well, it'd be similar to this side,
maybe even a little longer,
so we're probably looking at about 2 grand.
MEGAN: You know, it'll be an added cost,
but we can see the benefit.
There's a ton more work to do,
so we don't have to finish this wall up right now.
Why don't we get rid of that valance?
MEGAN: It is dusty. [ Laughs ]
It is dusty.
We've opened up all the walls in this place,
haven't discovered any problems.
We move on to the simplest part of the demolition.
That's tearing down the valance.
And what do we discover?
There we go.
You might want to see the whole thing.
GREG: Oh. Yeah.
Oh, crap.
A nest of carpenter ants.
I mean, there has to be at least 500 there.
Not a good sign.
Those are carpenter ants.
Are you serious?
Oh, yeah. They're all over the place.
Eww.
If they get into the structure,
that's just as bad as having termites.
Uh-oh.
That's not good at all.
That's too bad.
We were hoping to take the wall down.
So now, with the ant issue, it may not happen.
We're just a little bit worried about money right now.
JONATHAN: Megan and Greg bought a dated house
that I can transform into their dream home.
But finding carpenter ants on the first day of demolition
has them worried about their budget
and stressed about renovating.
Depending on how long they've been there,
they may have eaten through some of the structure.
And you can actually see a little bit of a sag
in the ceiling line right there.
And I hope that's not what it's caused by.
But if it is, we're gonna have a lot of expense with massive restructuring.
We were hoping to take the wall down.
So now, with the ant issue, it may not happen.
We definitely didn't expect this
going over the home inspection with Drew, so...
Yeah, we're just a little bit worried about money right now.
Actually, I'm gonna call my guys right now
and have them come in and inspect
before we maybe disturb them too much.
So, this is the source of the problem right here.
We pulled down a valance that was all the way across.
And when it came down,
there were hundreds and hundreds of ants.
And my concern is if they've got into the wood
and they've compromised the structure there.
JONATHAN: We checked all the ant-infested areas
in the walls and attic
using a flushing agent to irritate them so they evacuate.
Of course, you want to eliminate the ants.
There's a lot of really, really nice low-toxicity options
that we have available, or we could drill a few holes
and put some residual insecticide in there
to kill them.
Again, very targeted, so it's not going all over the house,
It's going exactly to where the ants are.
I guess, most importantly,
what kind of a hit to the budget
we're gonna take for the treatment?
A typical budget is anywhere between about $400 and $700.
We've had to break open the wall a little bit, as you can tell,
and he's actually just doing
some preventative stuff right now.
We want to make sure that we don't have any future problems.
I know you guys are nervous, 'cause I can tell on your faces.
And you're worried, "Is there gonna be a structural problem?"
And even the cost alone -- It's gonna cost about $700
to do the inspection and the treatment.
Okay.
But the good news is we don't have to do any restructuring.
There was no damage to the header above the window.
So, you can breathe out.
Yeah.
We were worried.
Well, one issue resolved, another to solve.
Until you get things opened up,
you never know exactly what they're doing.
You'll notice here that this is a load-bearing wall,
and it supports the load in line with this right here.
The beam has to be in a perfectly straight line,
so that means that none of these ceiling joists are getting picked up.
So, we now have to double them up -- sister them --
and bring them all the way across
so that they are supported by this beam.
It's gonna be a little bit extra framing that we have to do
in order to ensure --
'Cause you said it's important, right?
You want to have that flush ceiling.
Yeah. It's important. We want that gone.
Yeah, we want the height. We don't want the wall.
We don't want the roof to fall on us.
If that's what it takes, then that's what it takes.
Can you tell us an approximate cost?
Well, from where we're at right now,
I think the additional cost here,
Okay.
And that's not too bad.
This is a bigger question that we have with this wall.
You guys had said
that you want to open this up a little bit wider,
and we can accommodate probably upwards of about 11 feet
if you want to take it a little bit further...
to about there.
That would take us back to around here,
so it's nice and open.
You still have a little bit of separation.
I think we should keep this in
because, again, there's a point load here.
We need to support everything above it.
Okay.
Now, is it gonna be weird if there's, like,
a little L-shaped thing in the middle?
I mean, if we open that up, and then there's all this open?
Yeah, what were you thinking design-wise?
No, honestly, once it's all done,
you never really notice it.
It just feels like part of the structure,
part of the architecture.
If you want to remove this and do the same thing
where we bring a beam all the way across, that's a big beam.
And that's probably gonna cost us a couple grand extra.
I already knew we had some funky structure going on
with our load-bearing walls, and I can deal with that.
But it really comes down to the fact
the more walls you want to remove,
the more money it's gonna cost.
In knowing the extra cost of fully opening it up,
I think that we're pretty confident
that's just out of our budget.
It doesn't seem worth it.
Yeah. Okay. Good.
Well, then we'll spend our money where it needs it.
So, all right, I have no more news for you,
so you can just breathe, relax.
Breathe easy.
[ Laughs ] That's good news.
It's coming along, though.
Yeah. Okay.
JONATHAN: One of the places we do need to spend a bit of extra money
where it's really worth it is the fireplace refresh.
The new gas insert has a higher BTU,
so I need to replace the old gas lines
and install a larger exhaust flue.
I know Greg and Meg are anxious about the budget.
I just hope that doesn't affect their confidence
when it comes to picking out flooring and finishes.
I hope you guys are ready to make some decisions,
because we have a lot of stuff that we need to decide on now
so that I can get it ordered.
Where do you want to start?
Do you want to start with countertops,
window coverings, flooring?
Uh, flooring for me.
Flooring sounds serious.
All right. Let's do it.
When I think about the long-term of the house
and all the decisions we're making,
how the flooring's gonna be there in 10 years
and the backsplash,
it just makes me, you know -- a little added stress.
I think we could do something a little bit different
if you guys are bold enough and willing to do it
and maybe go with some flooring that has a gray wash on it.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'm really into that.
No? It's a bit too much for you?
Yeah. I think so.
It's cool. [Chuckles ]
I'm not sold yet.
Maybe not cool for us.
Maybe you guys aren't cool enough for it.
Maybe.
I agree.
So that leans us toward the hickory.
I think so.
Okay.
It's very neutral -- neutral tones.
Why don't we work next with our backsplash tile?
So, this is in your kitchen.
A lot of different options. And I really like the color.
I want to use this opportunity
to introduce some color into the kitchen.
Okay.
So, that's why I've chosen some pretty bold colors here.
We've got a little green up top.
That's a good color. I like that.
You're in?
Yeah.
Good. Two decisions down.
Countertops.
This has, you can see, just kind of like some sparkles in it.
Some little flakes.
Mm-hmm.
You don't like the sparkle?
[ Laughs ]
What do you think?
I'm a fan of the silver fleck in there.
I think it kind of adds personality.
And I also think when it's dirty,
you may not see as many crumbs as when it's a solid black.
[ Laughs ]
Yeah, that might be a little too sparkly.
I really don't like that very much.
If you didn't use the word "sparkle,"
he would have agreed.
I don't really like the sparkly quartz countertop.
I mean, it's just a little too sparkly for my taste.
It's not that sparkly.
I suppose not. Okay.
So, when I chose the different flooring,
you were like, "No, I have to live with this for a long time."
But when she gives you the puppy dog eyes...
But I don't have to live with you for a long time.
That's true.
True. [ Chuckles ]
Okay. Let's go with this. The sparkle it is.
I want her to be happy, so I kind of gave in.
Now, window coverings.
We're gonna custom-make your drapes.
So, which fabric would you like to see framing your windows?
I know it probably drives you crazy when people ask this,
but if I go home tonight and I worry about the drapes,
can I change my mind?
I will say this, and then just, maybe...
Just don't be surprised if you get a call.
Are you having second thoughts already?
Not about your ideas, but about our ideas.
I'm a little unsure about the countertops still.
So, maybe, if we change our mind --
[Chuckles] I change her mind --
then we can go with something different.
I can't really get a read on Greg and Megan
because I don't know if they love something
or they're just saying they're okay with it
'cause they don't know what else to say.
And the downside to this is once I put it all together,
if they actually don't like it at that point,
well, we're stuck.
We've already installed it. So, that could get expensive.
And we just found out we have a great housewarming gift.
JONATHAN: We'd have to change things now
so that the design would go with these appliances.
JONATHAN: Megan and Greg
want their dream home to be perfect.
But with all their back-and-forth
about the finishes, I'm worried they're gonna hate their choices
once it's installed.
1, 2 --
[ Laughter ]
Megan and Greg are really worried about their budget,
so I thought I'd cheer 'em up a little with some two-on-two.
First to three wins.
Whoever loses gets to prime and paint the whole house
and put this renovation back on financial track.
The assist.
[ Laughs ]
We're gonna get paint for you guys.
Whoa! Ah!
Whoo!
GREG: Oh! Big save!
He's intimidating.
High-stick foul over here.
Whoo!
GREG: You paint, or we paint?
Whoo!
We're the winner!
Whoo!
JONATHAN: All right. Good game. Good game.
JONATHAN: It's all fun and games until someone loses the bet.
Back to work for me.
We only have a couple concerns right now,
and they really surround the venting.
In the kitchen above the range,
we want the hood to vent the air outside,
but we can't punch straight through the wall
because there's a header there above the old door.
So, we're gonna have to go up through the roof structure.
It's just another challenge I'm gonna have to work around.
GREG: Ohh.
Wow.
JONATHAN: Hey.
This is looking unbelievable.
This is fantastic.
I'm loving the opening.
I'm so glad we didn't spend the extra money
to take down everything.
I think that post, really, you know, it's not a big deal.
Yeah, you hardly even notice it.
The opening's still great.
They were so worried
about leaving that one little section of wall
between the dining room and the living room,
and I assured them it wouldn't look bad.
You wouldn't even notice that it's there.
And it helps define the space,
so I'm glad that they like it in the end.
Everything you were questioning me on,
everything you were saying, "I don't know.
I don't know how this is gonna look."
Good.
GREG: We're coming around. We're coming around.
I'm just waiting for those words.
You were right!
Yeah, that's all I wanted to hear!
That's all I wanted to hear!
JONATHAN: Looks like we've got sign off on the fireplace design.
We're blocking the side door
to make room for more cabinets in the new kitchen.
Once we've finished the insulating and the boarding,
we're gonna start priming.
Fingers crossed, no more changes.
Greg.
GREG: Yeah?
I'm really struggling
with the countertop we made a decision on.
Yeah.
I just don't know.
I know we like -- Well, I like the sparkle to start with,
but I'm worried that it's gonna compete with the backsplash.
Originally, I preferred the non-sparkly,
but it's totally up to you.
I just want you to be happy.
All right. You know, I'm struggling with the sparkle,
so I think we'll go with the one you liked.
All right. Perfect.
Fortunately, the kitchen install hasn't happened yet.
So, while it may affect our timeline,
we can still switch the counters.
The flooring? Not so much.
I know Megan was nervous about this choice,
I just hope she likes it, 'cause it's too late
for them to change their minds on this one.
Plus, there's a whole other decision that has to be made
that's gonna affect the entire space.
The crown molding's gonna have to be replaced
because we've torn half of it out
and we can't match up the original plaster ones.
We'll pull that down.
We'll put up one that's made of wood or MDF,
and it's gonna look just as beautiful.
Hey -- Oh, you brought company.
Yeah, I brought someone to meet you. This is my Dad.
Nice to meet you.
JONATHAN: Apparently, you didn't get the red plaid memo.
[ Laughs ]
Well, she has orange on, so it's not quite the same.
It's a good thing that you did come, too,
because we have to pick crown molding.
I want to make sure that you've seen everything.
There's a lot, and they look really similar.
Some of them are quite a bit different.
Like, you can see that, a little bit more modern.
That looks -- keep going.
[ Laughter ]
PAUL: Oh, I kind of like that.
You do like that one?
More traditional, right?
Saying your dad's got old-school tastes?
GREG: Maybe a little bit.
JONATHAN: This is a pretty big one.
Just kind of like that detail there?
MEGAN: That's my style.
But I agree, it's a little big for the size of our space.
We can do...well, this is the same style, just smaller.
This is getting heavier.
[ Laughter ]
PAUL: I think that one's great.
Yeah. Yeah.
JONATHAN: 'Cause you get the nice, rounded detail here,
and then a straight edge right here.
And it's a good size, too. I think it fits the space.
I think it'll finish off the space really nice.
Do you want to make a decision.
I think that's perfect --
not too traditional, not too modern.
Oh, I'm for it.
Yeah? That's the one?
Okay. Easy to please.
So, once it's installed, if you don't like it,
Okay. I will.
[ Laughter ]
Sounds good. I'll order that.
That's gonna look great.
JONATHAN: Meg and Greg make me nervous.
They make a decision about the design elements
and I think I know what they want,
and then they change their minds.
But we have to keep things moving forward
if we're gonna stay on track.
And at least I'm about to get us back on budget
with a little help.
Paul came by to give me a hand with the painting,
and that's awesome.
Because more hands does make for lighter work,
and I've got a lot of painting to do.
I'm helping Jonathan out
because I want to keep the job on schedule
and I want to save the kids a few bucks.
And I've done a little bit of painting,
so that's one way I can help.
I appreciate you coming to help help me prime the walls,
'cause it's a lot of work to do for one person.
You know, if you'd have called me a little sooner
and got me involved in the ball hockey game,
I don't think it would have been necessary
[ Laughs ]
One thing I discovered Drew is not good at, that's ball hockey.
Eh, he wasn't bad, I guess,
but he is really not good at painting.
I don't believe that. Anybody can paint.
I think that's just a front.
He does not want to get his hands dirty.
You can tell that Paul's a proud dad,
and he's just happy to have Greg and Megan closer to home
so that he can visit more often.
And I think he's just really excited
to see what it looks like when it's done.
I will admit, it makes me a little bit nervous
when somebody says they have a surprise for me, but...
Well, we hope you're excited.
We are fortunate we have great family,
and just found out we have a great housewarming gift.
Housewarming gift.
Uh...
Yeah, how does this work with your design?
Can you work around it or...?
We'd have to change the design.
I mean, I picked the appliances, the stainless steel, originally,
to go with our current design.
We'd have to change things now
so that the design would go with these appliances.
But if you guys --
Well, you have them now, so, I guess...
Yeah, they were free, so...
We'd like to use stuff that's free.
So, we'd really like to use it.
Yeah, that's definitely a good way to go.
If you guys really like it and you really want them,
then we will adjust the design to match these
as opposed to the other way around.
I picked the appliances to match the design before.
Okay.
If you can do it, we'd be excited.
It's pretty good. [ Claps ]
The gift of the appliances solved our budget issues,
but I'm really scrambling now to incorporate the appliances
by coming up with a new design plan.
And I just hope that this freebie
doesn't end up costing us in the end.
We're already installing the cabinets,
but I was able to change up the doors.
I've adjusted the color of the tile
to work a little better with the retro look
of the appliances.
The classic black-quartz counters are timeless
and ready to install without issue.
Hang on.
Yep.
There's the height.
JONATHAN: I found an amazing deal on a vintage table,
and I've repurposed it for an island,
adding character and function to the new kitchen.
We are down to the wire, and I'm nervous.
'Cause after all these changes...
will they like the design?
I can't wait to see the place.
I'm so excited.
It's our first home, so I want to love it.
JONATHAN: Megan and Greg threw me
some last-minute curve balls when it came to the design.
GREG: Housewarming gift.
We'd have to change things now,
so that the design would go with these appliances.
Now that it's finally finished
and all their additions have been incorporated,
will it hit the mark?
We're about to find out.
I can't wait to see the place.
I'm so excited.
I know.
It's our first home, so I want to love it.
I am a shoe guy.
I just think it's cool, though, you know?
These guys have traveled all over the world,
and whenever they do come home,
they stay in their parents' basement,
but now they have a place of their own.
And so does every one of Greg's shoes [ Laughs ]
And they look good. They look polished.
All right.
GREG: Hey.
It's a place you can call home.
JONATHAN: Look at this.
Wow!
This is your house.
This is perfect.
I could not have even imagined something so perfect.
Well, we doubted you,
but obviously we were completely wrong.
Yeah. I'm speechless. [ Laughs ]
DREW: The first time.
[ Laughter ]
There's just so much to take in because it's so different,
and it's such a drastic change.
JONATHAN: We started out by totally changing
the footprint of the kitchen to give you a lot more space.
We went with a sleek, modern look.
But, then with the gift of the retro appliances,
I reworked the whole design at the last minute,
so I'm relieved that you like it.
What do you think of the new tile?
Yeah, unbelievable.
I mean, it just works so well together.
Everything flows so well together.
I love this sink.
I do love the sink.
He really wanted to say the sink like that.
[ Laughing ] Even though I don't wash dishes, I love the sink.
JONATHAN: Just to know that you have a nice sink.
DREW: When you're looking at it from the couch,
you want to make sure it looks nice.
The appliances.
JONATHAN: The appliances are pretty awesome.
You guys...I mean, that's a heck of a gift
that you got there.
No kidding.
Holy cow.
I love the counter top.
I know we had some debate on that.
This was a good pick.
JONATHAN: No sparkles.
You didn't want the sparkle on the counter top.
Yeah, it looks great.
Now, tell me what you guys think about this dining area,
and just picture having
all of your friends sitting around this table,
your family, all the laughter, and the great food.
The light fixtures all the way down,
another rustic element with this dining table.
And then you have modern with the chairs.
I mean, it's perfect.
It's the perfect combination.
I know.
Exactly.
MEGAN: It's hard to believe what was here.
Can't even picture it anymore.
They removed the closet. We have so much more room.
I mean, it feels to me like we're in a high-end restaurant.
Originally, this room was really cut off and dark,
so taking out that wall really let the light in.
It makes a big difference.
In the end, combining the modern and the rustic elements,
like the harvest table,
gives the whole space a cohesive look.
I wish I could show you a mirror right now
because you are beaming.
You are loving what you see.
But that's what we want, you know?
I want you to walk in and just feel --
not only that it feels like home,
but I just want it to wow you.
Well, you've done it.
And this is a living room that anyone would want to relax in.
MEGAN: Oh, my gosh.
You guys, again,
the perfect combination of rustic and modern.
It's unbelievable.
Oh, my gosh.
The fireplace is gorgeous.
I think it looks great,
just having that clean, slick surface, very modern,
but, also, with all the wood tones in here
and the different textures.
It's just very homey.
I mean, you can look from the kitchen
all the way to the backyard
and, I mean, the eye doesn't stop.
It looks amazing.
JONATHAN: With no creepy-crawlies...anywhere.
You made a better home for us and a worse home for the ants,
which is important.
The living room was really dated.
But with a little imagination,
it was easily transformed into an inviting space.
And with the new fireplace and comfy couch,
I'm betting Greg
is gonna want to claim this as his man cave.
DREW: Having a living room like this,
a kitchen like that is over there,
having the beautiful backyard that this home already has,
you're getting everything here,
and you're in a great neighborhood.
I mean, you know the area.
It's just a phenomenal home, all around.
Yeah.
I mean, I think we made the right decision.
With your help.
Yeah.
[ Laughter ]
I pitched in.
Tell you what, something I did pitch in...
Come on around here, Greg. I got something for you.
This here is a solution, a little gift for you,
because you and I share something.
A passion for shoes.
Open both those doors right up.
Oh! Yeah!
This is what I like to see.
This is what I would love in a house.
Now, it's not a room for my shoes, but it does hide them.
I have a gift for you.
Yeah, where do I fit in this picture?
You get all of this.
I like that. Okay.
We're actually really excited now that we have our own home
because we just found out that we're gonna have a baby.
Now with the baby coming in,
I might have to throw all the shoes out
and put diapers in there.
I know Megan and Greg are excited and relieved
that they can finally move out of his parents' basement
and into a home of their own.
They paid $540,000 for the house,
which was under list price,
which left Jonathan $90,000 for all the renovations.
And despite some challenges throughout the project,
Megan and Greg now have a home in the area he grew up,
completed on budget, on time, and ready for entertaining.
Did you see how relaxed they were?
I think it's a combination of the fact that it's done
and they just love it.
Oh, they absolutely love it,
but now they have a beautiful house
in the neighborhood Greg grew up.
No more living like teenagers.
You, on the other hand,
still have a lot of growing up to do.
Whatever. You're it.
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