Vancouver Fall Home Show: Bryan Baeumler looks at the long term

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Canada’s favourite handyman has changed his mind about where to best spend money on home renovations.

Bryan Baeumler, congenial host of several home, resort and business makeover shows streaming on Stack TV, has told audiences for many years that their money should be spent on kitchen, bathroom and basement improvements. But with the current housing crisis and ever-rising real estate prices, Baeumler has more realistic advice.

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“Now it’s about long-term maintenance and annual operating costs that often people don’t think about when they buy a home. We’ve spent decades spending on cosmetic stuff to increase the value. Now, it’s none of those things,” says Baeumler, who will share his tips on building real home value at the Vancouver Fall Home Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

It’s not just the type of expenditures homeowners should be making, it’s the quality of those expenditures. It’s about spending more money today on big-ticket items because in the future, they may cost much more.

“It’s the difference between spending on a 10-year or 15-year asphalt roof, and a lifetime roof that may be double the cost. In the short term, it’s more expensive, but if you have to replace that $50,000 roof in the future, it might be $75,000 and the time after that, it could be $100,000. Look at putting money into efficiencies and materials that will save money later,” he says.

Better appliances, furnaces, hot water systems, insulation and windows may save homeowners a couple of hundred dollars a month today. But if energy costs double, they’ll save twice as much in the future.

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“It’s exponential saving, but it’s also exponential costs going forward if you don’t do those things,” he adds.

A tough decision for the first-time homebuyer in 2024 is to temper their expectations and purchase a home well below their budget. If they can spend $1 million, they should aim to buy something half that price and use the extra money on infrastructure upgrades that add value. People have to live within their means, Baeumler notes.

“In my grandparent’s generation, they would have raised four or five kids in a 1,000-square-foot bungalow. It’s a matter of what’s valuable: cosmetics and a lot of square footage or turning your shelter into an asset rather than a liability.”

Baeumler has been filming another series called Building Baeumler, which is scheduled to premiere next year. It’s a reality show about his reality shows, a behind-the-scenes look at the different projects that he and his wife Sarah are involved in. He calls it the evolution of the Island of Bryan. With the Caerula Mar Club in the Bahamas now open for business, the Baeumlers are turning their attention to a resort they just purchased in the Florida Keys.

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Byran’s tips to building real value

Buying A Home

Purchase property that is well below your budget and use the extra cash or credit to make improvements.

Renovating

Cosmetic improvements add little value. Spend more money on infrastructure like a new roof, quality flooring, better exterior siding and other major items that will last much longer.

Reduce operating and maintenance costs

Invest in a high-efficiency furnace, Energy-rated appliances and quality plumbing fixtures. Book a home energy audit to find and repair air leaks.

Move up later

Plant the seeds today, watch your investment blossom and then you’ll have additional resources to move up to a second home or investment property.

Bryan Baeumler will appear on the Sleep Country Main Stage at the Vancouver Fall Home Show on Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m.

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