The Scott Brothers are at the Center of the Renovation Craze
by Amy Lignor
When you need help making those perfect chocolate chip cookies you remember from your youth, you head straight to Grandma’s kitchen. When you need help filing your taxes, you go straight to that CPA who has a box of Kleenex on their desk for when you begin to sob. And when you want to know how to renovate your home (on or under budget) in 2016, you head straight to the phenomenal duo – the Scott Brothers.
Drew and Jonathan Scott have taken over the television airwaves, and now the bookstores, by doing exactly what everyone seems to want to learn about these days – renovation and making the “old, out of date” house look brand, spanking new. One of the biggest rages in this country can be found on HGTV. People no longer want to just hop into a mega real estate loan in order to buy a new, ready-to-move-in home on the market. Of course, they don’t have to now, seeing as that a slightly more used house (and way lower priced) can be fixed up to a standard even higher than it was the year it was built.
Beginning on a horse farm in Vancouver, the Scott brothers have become the leaders of this renovation craze. These identical twins actually bought their first house while still in high school and ended up flipping it for a $50,000 profit. Today, Drew is the real estate expert wearing the nice suit while Jonathan (in work clothes and tool belt) takes care of all the renovations new homeowners need. Shows like: “Property Brothers,” “Property Brothers at Home,” “Buying & Selling” and “Brother vs. Brother,” make up the Scott’s body of work to help the homeowner. And now, they have put out a book called, “Dream Home: The Property Brothers Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House,” that gives everyone out there information, instructions, and aid on how to make their old home look like new.
Whether buying or selling, the Scott brothers offer up “must-know” tips on what to do to make your buy or sell the best it can be. The Scott’s main advice? Well…
Be realistic about what you can fix. It is important to understand that not every car is a Porsche and not every home is a “dream” home. There will be places that you can’t change within the house, and the owners should look at those things first and accept the fact…that’s just the way it is. The Scott’s say that any house can be made to look beautiful, but location is important, as well as what’s around this particular house that could make the resale value plummet, even if it has had a nice renovation. (A horrible structure next door, a busy highway running behind it, etc.)
Next up… Inspection. When it comes to fixer-uppers, inspections are really important. The Scott Brothers say to hire the pickiest individual you can for the job, and definitely ask all questions you want to ask. If the inspection is thorough, the homeowner does not have to worry about something horrific (and expensive) popping up out of nowhere.
Then comes; budget. The Scott brother’s projects on TV are one thing but not the real thing when it comes to certain fees and expenses that the real world will make a homeowner pay. Most likely you will not be able to renovate your house and stay at a $30,000 budget just because there was an episode you saw where the brothers did that. Make sure the contractor’s cards are on the table, so to speak, and make sure that you completely understand that only a few rooms and not the entire house may be covered under your budget. Unless your last name is Trump, of course.
Also, when it comes to the contractor, remember that they are not also designers. Designers are a whole different species. The contractor builds your walls sturdy, but you will want a good designer to make those walls pleasing to the eye.
With each month, home renovations (as well as the tons of TV programs that focus on the subject) are multiplying in the U.S. People want to refurbish, redecorate, or in some cases tear a room out and put something else in. A good idea and great for resale value, but you must make sure that before you green light projects that you seek out the best advice possible. And make sure that these identical twins – the Scott Brothers – become a weekly viewing attraction as you sit on your couch in your “good, old” house.
Source: Baret News
