The Untold Truth Of Renovation, Inc.
Home improvement fans fell in love with Bryan and Sarah Baeumler during the pandemic with the debut of their show "Renovation Island." The HGTV stars — who hail from Canada — made the decision to move with their four children to the remote Bahamian island of South Andros to renovate and open their own beach resort. Of course, there were plenty of ups and downs, and viewers got to witness every disagreement, weather-based setback, and family bonding moment over the course of the series.
"Six weeks after we opened, we got hit with COVID, zero travel, travel shutdown, the country was locked down, the island was locked down," Bryan told The List in an exclusive interview. "It was kind of terrifying to dump your life savings into a hotel and six weeks later basically the world says nobody's allowed to travel."
Luckily, the couple's gamble turned out to be a success. Caerula Mar Club is the first new resort South Andros has seen in almost 20 years and has garnered terrific reviews from clients and critics alike. And although their incredible dream has become a reality, the Baeumlers aren't leaving HGTV anytime soon. In fact, they are back with a new show that takes a look at how they built their booming business.
What is Renovation, Inc. about?
Viewers who have wondered how Bryan and Sarah Baeumler got their start are in luck. HGTV's "Renovation, Inc." is a prequel of sorts, giving fans an inside look on how the couple worked together to build their hugely successful home renovation business.
Bryan opened his own handyman business when he was a teen, and although he earned a degree in political science, he ultimately decided to make construction his lifelong career, per HGTV. Bryan founded Baeumler Quality Construction in Ontario, Canada, and Sarah eventually joined the family-owned construction company as project manager. The show, subsequently, follows Bryan and Sarah as they learn to get past their vastly differing opinions and tastes, and rely on their shared sense of humor and good-natured rapport to work together.
In addition to juggling multiple projects and difficult clients, Bryan and Sarah are also dealing with their complicated home life. The duo are parents to four children: Quintyn, Charlotte, Lincoln, and Josephine, per Distractify.
"It's been so exciting for Sarah and me to share our adventures in The Bahamas with HGTV fans on 'Renovation Island,'" Bryan said in a press release. "Now, we're even more excited to go back in time and show you what we were up to before moving to the island and how it all got started."
The show was originally called Bryan Inc.
Before their success with "Renovation Island," Bryan and Sarah Baeumler had another television show in their native Canada called "Bryan, Inc." The 2016 series was then rebranded as "Renovation, Inc." — most likely to capitalize on the success of the couple's other series, "Renovation Island."
Another reason for the name change: The focus isn't just on Bryan. "Renovation, Inc." gives viewers a front-row seat on how the Baeumlers learned to work together after Sarah officially joined the business as a project manager. The first episode follows the couple as they help James and Lisa Lajoie on their first home renovation project — and Sarah figures out how to deal with client expectations, delays, and budget demands.
"Juggling multiple projects while learning to work with your spouse isn't exactly easy," Bryan said during the show's first episode, per HGTV. "I normally take the tough-love approach with my clients, and that's something Sarah's just going to have to learn to do."
How Renovation, Inc. got started
As Bryan and Sarah Baeumler revealed during an interview with NBC Connecticut, they have been filming together for 15 years as they renovated and built homes in Canada. After starting his own construction business, Bryan encouraged his wife — who has a passion for style and design — to come work with him full-time and "bring the film crew along" to capture the couple navigating work and home life together.
"There's a steep learning curve," Bryan explained. "There's some discussions that we tend to have, and at the end of the day, there's a bunch of beautiful projects and happy homeowners and a few mountains that we've had to climb to get there."
And while Bryan and Sarah definitely work hard, they are sure to make time to spend time together outside of work, especially with four children at home. "Bryan and I have always been adamant about teaching our children that Mommy and Daddy need time to be adults and friends to one another," Sarah told Vancouver Mom. "When you have children you spend years dedicating every ounce of your time and energy to their well being. But we have always told our children that we need to put time and love into our own friendship."
Renovation Island's success led to Renovation, Inc's U.S. debut
There's no denying that "Renovation Island" was a huge success for HGTV, debuting in June 2020 when many people were still confined to their homes during the pandemic. Viewers loved watching Bryan and Sarah Baeumler — along with their four children – restore and renovate a neglected resort to make the first working establishment of its kind on South Andros in nearly two decades. In fact, more than 18.5 millions viewers watched it, making "Renovation Island" the number-two cable series in its time-slot. So it makes sense that the network would want to give viewers more of the Baeumlers by launching "Renovation, Inc." in the United States.
"'Renovation Island' is a consistent ratings winner with each of our key demos because it's a secret fantasy come to life," Jane Latman, president of HGTV and streaming home content, said in a press release. "With this series, the Baeumlers share a blueprint for doing what you love, with the people you love, in a place you love — no matter what life throws your way. No wonder viewers can't get enough."