EPIC Expo Preview: Mike Holmes – Make it Right

I wrote this post by request (although it was my pleasure) for the happy frog and EPIC expo blogs

The man behind the crusade for the honest homeowner is Mike Holmes, and he’ll be on the main stage at the EPIC Sustainable Living Expo this Saturday.

For the last seven seasons I’ve tuned into HGTV‘s Holmes on Holmes to watch home renovation disasters be dismantled, torn apart, and re-done the right way.

“I was constantly being hired to do renovations a second time. I had to constantly fix bad work done by other so-called contractors. I hated doing things the second time and I hated the toll bad renovations took on families. Sometimes families spent their life savings trying to create their dream home and instead ended up with no occupancy permit…or a home full of mould…or a dirt foundation…or ice dams on the roof…or crumbling stucco. You name it, I saw all sorts of screw-ups.” [Holmes on Holmes]

The ultimate goal of Holmes on Holmes was to teach people to hire a reputable contractor to complete their projects. I admit, there’s no phrase uttered in Canadian television today that gets me more excited than, “we’re going to gut it!” Sledgehammers and crowbars in hand, the Holmes crew take their time, and bring in the right guys for the job. Showing up fully prepared for a challenge, full of Tim Horton’s coffee, some of the contractors and specialists who arrive on scene donate their own free time to help out the cause of the day.

“Trades people are absolutely critical to society but don’t always get the respect they deserve.” – Mike Holmes

© Holmes on Holmes

Despite the amazing contributions by the Holmes on Holmes crew – arming homeowners with the knowledge they need to avoid devastating damages, financial woes and even court appearances with shoddy contractors – Mike felt that this was still too ‘small scale’. Kicking things off with the “Lien on Me” project in 2006, the Holmes Foundation was born.

The mission of The Holmes Foundation is to ensure that all residential renovation and construction in Canada is done right–the first time.

The Holmes Foundation will do this by partnering with schools, businesses and governments to raise the profile and reputation of all skilled trades in Canada, using Mike Holmes’ reputation to encourage young people to pursue careers in the skilled trades and to encourage employers to hire them. [Holmes Foundation]

Not only does Holmes ensure the job is done right, he also uses innovative energy efficient and sustainable methods in his homebuilding. His environmentally conscious efforts and unsurpassed expertise make him an innovator in his field. Also, it looks totally cool on TV when they’re applying that enviro-friendly spray foam insulation.

I’ve been a fan of his for years, even his coffee commercials made me chuckle, and I truly look forward to catching his talk this Saturday at 1:00pm.