This Is How The Baeumlers Describe Their Renovation Island Journey - Exclusive
When you get into the swing of adult life, it's easy to come across the mundane. You get up, go to work, come home, cook dinner ... all to do the same thing the next day and the day after that. But what if an out-of-the-blue scenario presented itself, one that could potentially take you to the other side of the world? Would you take the plunge and just go for it? Would the lack of planning and foresight stop you from pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime experience? Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, of HGTV's "Renovation Island," embody the notion of taking risks. They embarked on a journey that not only took them in front of the camera, but moved them to a gorgeous region of The Bahamas, and they became HGTV stars in the process. Their show, "Renovation Island," is one of HGTV Canada's most successful programs, and their on-screen life catapulted them to new heights.
Season 2 of "Renovation Island," however, took the couple into new territory. Just six weeks after they opened the doors of their gorgeous Bahamas-located hotel, COVID-19 shut them (and the world) down. Their experience of moving, renovating a property, and navigating a global pandemic certainly was one for the books, and no one — especially the Baeumlers — saw it all coming. The List sat down with Bryan and Sarah and asked all the questions that viewers of their show are dying to know. This is how the Baeumlers describe their "Renovation Island" journey.
What inspired Bryan and Sarah to pursue a life in The Bahamas?
If you're thinking, "What made Sarah and Bryan Baeumler go to The Bahamas in the first place?" you're not alone. We had the exact same question in mind, and got the opportunity to ask the couple about what initially attracted them to the hotel renovation business, and what their journey to entrepreneurial and television success has been like. Sarah was the first to concede that the experience has been "unpredictable," and Bryan chimed in to share exactly how they came to find themselves in The Bahamas.
"Sarah and I were exploring The Bahamas in the boat with the kids and, obviously, it's beautiful," he said. "Who wouldn't want to just pack up and move to a beautiful island?" Bryan said they just "threw [the idea] out there" that they should move and create a life on the gorgeous island nation. Bryan shared that as they moved forward with their decision-making process, they "tried to find reasons not to do it," but at the end of the day, their zest for life and adventure motivated them.
"At the end of the day, we realized whether we did it or not, in 50 years the end result is the same," Bryan said. "I hit my midlife pre-crisis and I said, 'Well, [on] the back nine, I want to have some fun. I want to do something crazy.'" And crazy they did, but it clearly has worked out in the best way possible for the Baeumlers.
Why the timing was right for the Baeumler family to move to The Bahamas
They say that timing is everything, and for Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, the way in which their lives lined up with their decision to move to The Bahamas paid off big time. The hit HGTV couple shared with The List that at the time they decided to take the plunge and move to the Caribbean, their kids were "at the right age" — i.e. they still wanted to travel with their parents. "If we tried to do this now, two of our kids I don't think would come with us," Bryan said about the moving and renovation journey. "They're older now, they have friends, the experience wouldn't be there, but it was just the right time in our lives to do it. It felt right."
Bryan went on to share that summoning the courage to pick up life and move to The Bahamas ended up serving as "a reset," and that the journey has "been incredible." The couple credited the people of The Bahamas, and the open doors presented to them, for enabling them to pursue their "Renovation Island" journey.
Sarah told The List that their move to The Bahamas was successful, in part, because they "didn't overplan or overthink it." They simply took the plunge and their experience has been incredibly rewarding. So if you're looking for a sign to switch up your life in a big way, take a page out of the Baeumlers' playbook.
Watch "Renovation Island" Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. New episodes are available to stream on discovery+.