28-01-2025
HGTV star to give tips at Tacoma Home and Garden show. One: buy the diamond in the rough
Celebrity home-renovation expert Bryan Baeumler likes to work the crowd when he makes public appearances. He's known for hit HGTV shows like 'Rock the Block' and will headline the educational speaker lineup at this week's Tacoma Home and Garden Show at the Tacoma Dome.
'I like to talk to the crowd a lot and get questions,' Baeumler told The News Tribune in a phone interview from Palm Beach, Florida. He was on his way to a few stops in Canada before heading to Tacoma.
Some of those questions are about his various TV shows, which include 'Renovation Resort' and 'Building Baeumler.'
While other questions concern his construction business, many are just about home ownership.
'The decisions people are making and where we spend our money and what makes sense,' he said. 'More and more young people are giving up on home ownership.'
In an era of ever increasing real estate prices and building material costs, some belt tightening might be needed, Baeumler said.
'People have been living beyond their means for so long and focusing on the cosmetics of housing,' he said. 'We've got a lot of properties that need a ton of work.'
The hard part, he said, is figuring out how much fixing up you want to take on versus a 'turn key' home — real estate parlance for a home that needs no work.
'So people want to know, how do I get into home ownership? How do I do it affordably, and where should I spend my money to make the most amount of money by the time I sell?' he said.
Don't get distracted by the bright and shiny, he advised.
'We've always bought the diamond in the rough, the worst house in the neighborhood,' he said.
Too many home-renovation TV shows do the barest minimum of structural work and instead focus on cosmetics, Baeumler said.
'But people quickly realize, this place is expensive to heat in the winter,' he said. 'Maybe the roof is getting older. The siding has issues. There's leaks in the basement.'
He advises young people and first-time buyers to leave room in their budget for renovations rather than spending it all on the purchase and look for homes that are structurally sound. Money spent on insulation and window upgrades also save on heating costs which could rise exponentially over time.
'Like I said in the shows, if you buy a freshly renovated house, it's usually renovated for the cosmetics so you'll be attracted to it,' he said. 'I would rather buy an older place and put some money into cost saving.'
The recent wildfires in southern California destroyed an estimated 12,000 structures and will impact both the labor and supply markets, according to experts.
'We see that in South Florida, as well, after a major hurricane,' Baeumler said. 'Trades are busy. Cost materials go up. It's harder to get materials. The lead times are longer. We'll definitely see that.'
Eventually, the market will adjust, he said.
What also needs to adjust is resistance to disasters, he said, whether it's from fires in California, earthquakes in Washington, hurricanes in Florida or tornadoes in the Midwest.
'So building codes hopefully will evolve to where, if you're building in an area that is prone to hurricanes, you're going to build a home that is resistant to hurricanes,' he said.
In Tacoma, Baeumler will appear at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, on the Garden Stage.
What: Tacoma Home and Garden Show
When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 30-Feb. 2 (closes at 5 p.m. Sunday).
Where: Tacoma Dome, 2727 East D Street, Tacoma.
Admission: Adults $15, children 12 and under free. Opening day is free admission.
Parking: Free in Dome lots.
Information:
