Holmes on Homes finds new home on Cottage Life TV
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Mike Holmes prepares his kids to take over the business
As far as home and garden-type of programming goes, this might be as dramatic as it gets.
After surviving childhood cancer twice, homeowner Jason is shocked to learn that he’s living in an unhealthy home with his wife Alisha, especially as they are trying to grow their family.
Bidding wars in a hot market had forced them to purchase the home without an inspection, and now they’ve got trouble. They’re dealing with excess mould and high levels of radon gas.
The episode, titled Surviving a Deadly Home, (first aired Tuesday, Nov. 26 and now available on demand on Cottage Life TV), Mike Holmes and his kids, Michael and Sherry, help homeowners Jason and Alisha, as they deal with a very unhealthy home.
Knowing that Jason and Alisha are hoping to grow their family, the Holmes family focuses on bringing healthy features into the home, including a radon mitigation system, a water softener and an energy recovery ventilator.
Jason and Alisha are relieved and energized by the transformation as they can soon welcome a baby into this now healthy home.
It’s part of Cottage Life’s highly-anticipated new original series, Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy, a reboot of the hit Holmes on Homes program, sees construction pioneer Mike Holmes reflect on his lifelong career helping homeowners.
In describing their reaction when they first saw the renovation, Jason says “I was amazed at everything being so thoughtfully done. It’s perfect. The behind-the-wall changes are my favourite — the clean home systems installed, and knowing that the air circulating through this home is clean and healthy.
Alisha says she was speechless. “It is beyond what I ever would have dreamt. They [Mike, Sherry and Michael] have gone above and beyond. They’ve touched every inch of this house and I love the openness of the kitchen and living room.”
In the new six-part series, there is a whole other plot going on as audiences will see Mike Sr. turn the family business over to his children as a way to continue his legacy.
The show also delves deeper into the Holmes family dynamic as Mike mentors his children in the family business. “The big difference now is bringing my kids in and really putting them in front of the camera,” says Mike Sr.
Says Mike Jr.: “Sherry and I have brought out a different side of our Dad that viewers will get to see in Building a Legacy. In Holmes on Homes, Dad would enter a house with a stern look, point out the flaws, then tear it all down and fix it. Now, you see a lighter, more playful version.”
Says Sherry: “This new series not only has a strong family message, but an educational aspect too; we’re exploring new home technologies you can install to make your home smarter and healthier.”
In an interview conducted at the Toronto-area home of Jason and Alicia before taping of the episode, Sherry reveals the couple are also her best friends, so this episode has extra meaning for her. “There is a real heartfelt component to this show and that’s what is the different from the past,” she says. “Before it was mostly focussed on construction”
And as a natural as the transition of the family business from father to kids appears on screen, it didn’t always look that way.
Mike Jr. says although he got involved in their dad’s business before Sherry did, he didn’t actually join until he turned 21. “It was more difficult in the sense I did not want to do exactly what my father did — hanging out and playing tools was something we did do to bond — but it was not a viable career option for me. It took a long time for me to get into my head that this was actually something I could do,” he says.
As for Sherry: “You could (now) say I was born to do this, but did I know that? No. I was 14 when I started working with my dad. For me, it was about a chance to spend time with him. What I didn’t realize is that I would fall in love with something I was doing.”
Says Sherry, now a well-known advocate for getting women more involved in the trades, “I was very intimidated to join a construction group but I did it. and now there is no looking back.”
One more question, will Mike Sr. be stepping away completely?
About that, Sherry says, “Dad says we are going to take over,’ but he will never stop, he does not know how to.” And Mike Jr. says, “My dad will always be involved.”
Mike Sr. says he is his own worst enemy. “I did say I would retire at 50, then it was 55, then 60. As of now, who knows?
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