major projects for Baeumler have a project manager and design assistant to help. The influence of the real estate professionals in Baeumler’s inner circle drive the design of the homes he builds and the time that is taken to include elements to attract buyers. Baeumler is very much aware of the things potential buyers want to see when they look at his renovations or new builds. There is a tie with this segment. Baeumler has all the tools and support to use the most modern designs but Holmes does very well with his own choices. If you are judging these two builders as to their ability to design and execute a plan to build a home they would both do an excellent job. Either one has sufficient talent to make a home look exceptional without support staff. Budgetary management is always the biggest element. Holmes does it right. It has only been recently that he has shared the costs for some projects. The days are gone when Mike Holmes would need to budget project costs to get a home building contract. If you could get him, you already don’t care about the price. Construction to last a lifetime is the promise he delivers. It costs what it costs. On his remodeling TV shows the materials are obtained in a variety of ways mostly through endorsements and product placement. A Holmes home cuts no corners on quality, structure or integrity. Bryan Baeumler spends money, a lot of money. His personal projects are very elaborate and uses only the best materials for quality and high design. However, he always works from a firm budget. Even with his TV renovation shows the focus is doing whatever he can within a budget. His jobs are heavily dependent on design because most are headed for the real estate market. Design comes at a price and Baeumler has made a career of knowing what trade- offs to make and when compromises go too far. He must live within budgets because, apart from his personal dwell- ings, his renovations and new builds have limits. Whether you are a Holmes client or a Baeumler builder, you cannot go wrong. Those with deep pockets looking to build their forever home and willing to take the conservative side of design will find the Holmes proposition the best. If you thirst for high design, excellent market potential within a financial pocket then Bryan Baeumler is likely the right choice for you. Baeumler seems like a more sociable guy but Holmes scores points for always having female trades working for him. There is a huge need to bring more women into the trade and Holmeshas been doing it from the beginning. Bryan isn’t without female participation on his team. Sarah Baeumler is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to planning your home and integrating design features that’ll keep your big investment current for several years to come.
stance on his projects but has a more pragmatic opinion on the irrelevant details. When Baeumler does renovations he is clear that his focus is the most difficult problems and thus takes a practical approach to allowing minimal risk items to be fixed later. He is a true renovator and from the ground up builder who loves to use innovative contemporary designs and products like smart walls. It’s close, but the quality edge must go to Mike Holmes. His micro-management of every small detail is the basis of quality. He integrates new innovations into his methodolo- gy only after it has proven to be better. He seems to love the “really bad” problems and cherishes finding elevated risk deficiencies. Holmes has had many years of “on-the- job” training compared to Baeumler who has done other jobs like run a start-up air cargo company prior to diving into the construction business. When it comes to taking time to fix a home, Mr. Holmes routinely moves out the owners. TV hides the duration but it is rumored to be months in many cases. His need to dig deeper and find every item needing attention must add weeks onto any schedule. Holmes clearly places accuracy and quality over timelines and speed. Baeumler is frequently shown building his own homes, reno- vating run down homes into palaces, or tackling single room jobs inside someone’s house. In each case he is reminded very frequently time is money and missing deadlines can be expensive. Baeumler works under tight deadlines and his wife Sarah is normally the one pushing his buttons. Both her parents are in real estate and so is Bryan’s brother which reinforces the importance of timelines for Baeumler as he completes his work. The advantage must go to Baeumler on making the best use of time. He recognizes borrowed money has a time element attached to it and often makes quick calls to change design to keep a project moving. Holmes does know time is important but never compromises his need to make every detail perfect to adhere to deadlines. He has established trades and a crew who know what he wants in his work and he doesn’t tolerate doing things fast versus right. Designing a home and selecting the materials attractive to potential buyers or current clients is always a surprise moment for Holmes during his “reveal.” His distinctive touch is rarely wrong but occasionally jobs appear boring and repetitive. While he certainly has producers and stagers for his TV shows, Holmes has shown he likes to be given high-level instruction from his clients and takes it from there. His style is very conservative with a touch of modern. However, Holmes would drop any design element that compro- mised quality or structural integrity. Bryan Baeumler has a secret weapon. His wife Sarah. She is extremely gifted in the use of modern design techniques. In addition, most
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JULY 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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