What Renovation, Inc.'s Pilot Episode Revealed About James And Lisa's House
The pilot episode of Renovation, Inc. gave fans of Renovation Island the fix of Bryan and Sarah Baeumler they've been craving since their first show wrapped up at the end of August. The Baeumlers are already stalwarts of HGTV Canada, and indeed Renovation, Inc. was released up north in 2016. Where Renovation Island charted the couple's journey to making their dream of owning and operating an idyllic Bahamian resort a reality over a perilous season loaded with setbacks and arguments, Renovation, Inc. goes back to a simpler time when Bryan and Sarah were running their home renovation company in Ontario, taking on one project at a time and not accruing mountains of debt in the process.
Similar to other HGTV shows, Renovation, Inc.'s pilot episode featured the couple assisting in the remodeling of a home for clients James and Lisa. Social media naturally took note of a couple things that really stood out about this particular renovation.
James and Lisa paid considerably more than the asking price for their house
As Meaww notes, James and Lisa revealed pretty early on that theirs was the first home they'd purchased together. Although the property seemed a little outdated, it was clear the couple wanted it more than anything, particularly since, as they told Bryan, kids are definitely in their future. As it turns out, the couple wanted the place so badly that they paid $200,000 above the asking price.
The owner got 20 bids overall, but since James and Lisa presumably offered to pay much more than anybody else, they got it in the end. Fans online immediately started cracking wise about the revelation, with one wondering on Twitter, "Why can't that happen when I sell a property?" while others were simply left flummoxed over that massive $200,000 figure.
The budget for the renovation on James and Lisa's house was huge
Maybe it shouldn't be too surprising that, considering they paid so much over the asking price for the actual house, James and Lisa didn't stick to a strict budget for the revamp either. As Meaww advises, they had a pretty long and specific wish list of items for the Baeumlers, including a bathroom renovation and a fireplace installation. When Sarah warned them about going over budget, the couple initially cut back but then magically the money was there.
One fan on social media was confused by the sudden change in their financial circumstances. "They keep 'moving around money' to add to their budget ... who are these people?!?" she demanded (via Twitter). And another tweeted, "Stick to a budget!!!!! Don't go into renovating your home if you cant stick to a set budget. Now they lookin at their contractor and designer crazy as if they're not the ones adding more elements that cost in labor & materials." At least James and Lisa were happy in the end, which is the main thing.