
Live Here Buy This
Find balance with a couple who want to say adios to the live-to-work attitude.

Find balance with a couple who want to say adios to the live-to-work attitude.

In the second episode of the season, Jesse and Mel face off against fellow Victorians Bec and George to help Sarah and Damon along with their two boys, baby girl, and beloved family bulldog, Chelsea to decide should they Renovate or Rebuild.

Dallas and Nick, a young couple from Queensland, are faced with the question of whether they should renovate their home or knock it down and rebuild.

Renovation projects stalled over ten years ago due to an illness in the family, which also prompted owners Norma and Ron to spend time enjoying the cottage rather than laboring over it. Daughter Christyn called in the Weekend Reno team to finally complete this work-in-progress. After Anthony takes time out to go fishing, he realizes there are no free lunches and pays for it with extra-long days of flooring and finish carpentry work. And Merrill tackles some special projects of her own, while Michelle scours a local flea market for stand-out pieces to bring the design together.

Bill has a sentimental attachment to the cottage he helped build with his father and is reluctant to change a thing, despite the fact that wife Karen and daughter Andrea feel it's stuck in a time warp. With Michelle and her team in for the weekend, Bill gets the nudge he needs to finally see the transformation from a dark, dreary basement into a bright, welcoming walk-out. A collection of worn couches and the putting-green like carpet are replaced with a cozy, modernized seating area, a custom bar and new flooring, which garners a BIG reaction from the cottage owners!

Arica and Sean are relocating from San Francisco. They're visiting some of the most desirable properties in Orange County, California. Will they find their dream home?

Eddie and Esperanza are looking for a home that'll cut down their commute. They're visiting some of the most desirable properties in Los Gatos, California. Will they find their dream home?

Brett and Michela are looking to leave the city and move towards the beach. They're visiting some of the most desirable properties in Playa Vista, California. Will they find their dream home?

Selena is looking to move closer to Silicon Valley. She's visiting some of the most desirable properties in Saratoga, California. Will she find her dream home?

Kevin and Danielle are looking for a home for their growing family. They're visiting some of the most desirable properties in Pasadena, California. Will they find their dream home?

Tyler is leaving Los Angeles to expand his business. He's visiting some of the most desirable properties in Silicon Valley, California. Will he find his dream home?

Nicole and Caffery elevate an unfinished basement into a sophisticated hotspot for Krysti and Dana.

Rebecca and Thomas had several contractors bid on their renovation project, and when all of them came in with quotes that were lower than what they had initially expected, they thought they'd found a deal. Pipes burst in the ceiling of the basement, flooding down the walls and leaking through the new pot lights. Then they discovered electrical outlets in other parts of the home were sparking while others were not working. In this episode, Mike explores the true cost of a basement renovation, and the pitfalls of competitive "underbidding" by contractors.

Living in a construction zone is an unpleasant reality for homeowners undertaking a renovation. The hope is that the mess and discomfort will be as short lived as possible. For Alex and Marie and their 2 children, a planned 3-month renovation dragged out to a year and a half with no end in sight. They were beginning to feel like prisoners in their own home- until Mike and the team arrive on the scene.

A string of bad luck leads Mike to the front door of a homeowner named Franca. Her home sustained major damage from an electrical fire. Immediately afterward, Franca suffered a series of personal tragedies with the unexpected passing of her mother, and then her husband. The contractor repairing the fire damage took full advantage of Franca's fragile situation. Upon inspecting the reno-in-progress, Mike intervenes to avoid yet another disaster in the making.

This story highlights the work of a modern day ''Snake Oil Salesman''- a contractor that doesn't fit the stereotypical con-artist profile. His slick computer assisted sales pitch and impressive portfolio eventually gave way to sloppy workmanship and incompetent engineering. The basement facade put up by this contractor finally came crashing down when the newly installed ceiling collapsed, prompting the homeowners to place a distress call to Mike Holmes.

Downtown dog lovers, Dave and Jorge, love art and entertaining. But with tenants in their basement and no creative space inside, Brian and Sarah turn their uninspired backyard into a creative party lounge and build a shipping container-inspired structure for a cool, industrial feel.

Mom and son duo, Paul and Catharine, are overwhelmed by Paul's multi-level backyard. Brian and Sarah muscle up to the challenge by building a gym in his backyard, alongside a hot tub and a beer tap to help cool down after a big workout.

Ex-city slickers and newlyweds, Lauren and Mark, miss their friends and family from the city. Brian and Sarah create an enticing country retreat with an outdoor party pad, indoor dining and lounge areas, and a chicken coop. Now when Lauren and Mark's friends visit, they never want to leave.

Paris lovers, Louise and Rick, want to share their European enthusiasm with their two daughters without racking up the mileage. Brian and Sarah build them a French-inspired urban escape. It's Paris in their backyard! C'est magnifique!