Mike Holmes

Last updated

Mike Holmes
CIAS - Mike Holmes - Ford Booth (4558716897) (cropped).jpg
Mike Holmes signing autographs
Born
Michael James Holmes

(1963-08-03) August 3, 1963 (age 61)
Other names
  • Mike Sr.
  • Big Mike
Occupations
Children3

Michael James Holmes (born August 3, 1963) is a Canadian builder/contractor, businessman, investor, television host, and philanthropist. [1]

Contents

Background

Mike Holmes began learning construction from his father starting when he was six years old. [2] By the time he was 19, Holmes had started his first contracting company with a crew of 13 employees. At 21, Holmes founded his own renovation company. He has run two companies during his 20-year contracting career. He has three children: Amanda, Sherry, and Mike Jr., who have all appeared and worked on his shows. [2]

In 2006, Holmes started The Holmes Foundation after seeing a renovation that was so poorly done that he felt it was necessary for him to tear the house down and start again rather than try to repair the damage. [3] The purpose of The Holmes Foundation is to encourage young people to enter the building trades as well as to assist those who have been impoverished by bad renovations. Holmes works with SOS Children's Villages.

In 2006, Mike Holmes was recognized in the House of Commons of Canada for his promotion of skilled trades and for his advocacy for improved building standards. He was acknowledged as an "extraordinary craftsperson" and "an accomplished master builder with a social conscience". [4]

Holmes is the author of two books: Home Renovation with Canada's Most Trusted Contractor,Holmes Inspection: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy or Sell Your Home, as well as a weekly newspaper column. [5] [6]

In May 2010, Reader's Digest's second annual survey named Holmes as the second most widely trusted person in Canada behind David Suzuki. [7]

Television career

HGTV Canada

Mike Holmes' first starring series was Holmes on Homes , which premiered in 2003, on Corus Entertainment's HGTV Canada. [8]

Bell Media

In June 2019, Bell Media announced a new development deal with Holmes, ending his relationship with HGTV Canada. His library of programming moved airing to Gusto, which was rebranded as CTV Life Channel, and two new series were announced, including Holmes 911, and the Holmes Family Rescue for CTV in 2020. [8]

Television series

Holmes on Homes

Broadcast on HGTV Canada, Holmes on Homes first started in 2001. Holmes on Homes was first conceived when Holmes approached the producers of the Just Ask Jon Eakes home improvement show on HGTV with the idea for a new kind of home improvement show. Although there were few submissions to the show initially, their number ballooned by the fourth season. As the show evolved, it generally focused on bad renovations and the results of bad contractors.

In Canada, Holmes on Homes airs on HGTV Canada, BBC Canada, and Casa for the French version. It airs in the US on HGTV and DIY Network, in New Zealand on The Living Channel, in Australia on Lifestyle Home, in the United Kingdom on Discovery Shed (formerly Discovery Real Time), in Germany on DMAX, and in South Africa on the Home Channel.

Holmes in New Orleans

Between the end of Holmes on Homes and the start of Holmes Inspection, Mike Holmes starred in a one-season series, Holmes in New Orleans, on the construction of a new home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, to replace one destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. [9]

Holmes Inspection

Holmes began a new series in 2009 called Holmes Inspection that profiles home inspections gone wrong. The series started airing in the fall of 2009 on HGTV Canada. [10] In the United States, the series debuted on HGTV on Sunday, December 19, 2010. Holmes inspected the houses while checking up on the construction, leaving long-time crew member Damon Bennett as the lead site manager and backup host.

Best of Holmes on Homes

Best of Holmes on Homes is a 2012 remix TV series featuring clips from Holmes on Homes, brought together on a common theme, to illustrate home problems. Holmes narrates the show. [11]

Holmes Makes It Right

Holmes started a new series for 2012 called Holmes Makes It Right, where he profiles and renovates disaster-stricken. The series focuses on natural disasters and bad home inspections or bad contractor work. The name of the series revolves around Holmes's personal motto, "Make It Right". [12] [13] [14] While Holmes visited the construction sites, he had long-time crew member Damon Bennett in charge and mostly hosting.

Mike's Ultimate Garage

For the fall 2014 TV season, Mike's Ultimate Garage, a mini-series about building a man-cave garage for Holmes Sr. (Big Mike) by son Mike Holmes Jr. and daughter Sherry Holmes aired on HGTV Canada. Holmes Sr. guest stars in the series, while it starred Mike Jr. as the construction lead and Sherry.

Holmes and Holmes

For the fall 2016 TV season, Holmes and Holmes premiered. In this series, Holmes stars with his son Mike Jr. The show premiered on HGTV Canada, produced by Make It Right Productions. [15] [16] Now in its third season, Holmes and Holmes aired on the DIY Network (USA) in October 2019. [17]

Holmes: Buy It Right

For the fall 2016 TV season, Holmes: Buy It Right premiered. In this series Holmes stars as an advisor to new home buyers, showing them how to choose a house. The series premiered on DIY Network (USA). [18]

Holmes: Next Generation

Holmes: Next Generation premiered in April 2018 on DIY Network (USA). Mike Holmes assists two of his children, Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes, as they take on remodelling projects. [19]

Holmes Makes It Right: Retooled

Retooled premiered during the spring 2019 TV season on DIY Network (USA), where Holmes revisits Holmes Makes It Right (2012) episodes that have been "retooled", and examines construction issues. [20]

Holmes 911

HOLMES 911 premiered on September 17, 2019 on CTV Life, in which Holmes returns and examines the results of unscrupulous contractors, unhealthy homes, and DIY projects gone wrong and is joined by his son Mike Jr. and daughter Sherry. Over 12 one-hour episodes, the Holmes family takes on five different houses, and repairs them. [21]

Holmes Family Effect

Holmes Family Effect premiered in Canada on February 7, 2021, right after Super Bowl LV. The series debuted a month later in the United States on March 16 on FOX. It features Mike Holmes, his daughter Sherry and his son Mike Jr. helping homeowners, schools and businesses in need of improvement. They work to overhaul not only houses, but commercial and public buildings.

Holmes Family Rescue

Holmes Family Rescue premiered in Canada and the US on December 4, 2021 on HGTV and later on CTV Life. It features Mike Holmes, his daughter Sherry and his son Mike Jr. helping homeowners who have had improperly done construction work on their homes.

TV judging and hosting

Handyman Challenge franchise

Holmes was a judge on all seasons of Handyman Superstar Challenge. [22] He was also a judge on All American Handyman . [23] He was a judge on season 1 of Canada's Handyman Challenge . [24] [25]

Home Free

In late April 2015, Fox announced a new eight-episode Holmes-hosted show entitled Home Free, which premiered on July 22. The show featured nine couples who spend each week renovating a different dilapidated home. At the end of the week, the couple with the worst handiwork is eliminated, until the final two teams compete for a prize home. Unknown to the contestants as they were competing, each eliminated couple was awarded the home that they were working on in the episode they were eliminated in. [26]

Eight-episode unscripted competition series Home Free premiered July 22, 2015 on Fox. "A home is way more than brick and mortar," says Home Free host Mike Holmes. "So being part of this new series and partnering with Fox is truly exciting for me. I'm ready to break ground with these couples." ( Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ). [27]

Guest appearances

Holmes was a guest builder on Home to Win . Guest builders designed and built a room of a renovated home that would be won by a Canadian family selected by the show's producers from submitted entries. [28]

Holmes has been a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show twice during a season 4 episode in December 2006. The first instance led to a two-part episode on Holmes on Homes. He helped the Tiu family who bought a new house, a bungalow, in the Los Angeles area which he had to fix a shoddy renovation left by a clueless contractor. The second guest spot was to show Ellen the completed construction of the Tiu's newly renovation house, which Holmes, his crew and local contractors worked together to finish the project. [29] [30]

Holmes also made a guest appearance on an episode of the Canadian series Corner Gas as Wanda's ex-boyfriend. [31]

In October 2019, Holmes made an appearance on HGTV's renovation competition series Rock the Block when he was a guest judge for one of the projects. For the series' second season in March 2021, Holmes was one of the contestants. He teamed up with designer Alison Victoria of  Windy City Rehab  whom he judged in season one. She says, "I'm a designer and [Mike's] a genius in the build. It's a partnership like no other." [32]

In July 2021, Holmes was a guest judge alongside Mina Starsiak of Good Bones on the HGTV renovation competition series Battle on the Beach , where contestants team up with a star designer to battle it out renovating their outdated beach houses in Gulf Shores, Alabama. [33]

Business activities

The Holmes Group

The Holmes Group is the conglomerate and holding company for Mike Holmes' companies. [34]

Mike Holmes Protection

In 2021 Holmes launched Mike Holmes Protection. This company offers home services contracts. [35]

Holmes Approved Homes

Holmes has partnered with several home builders and renovators in Canada and the United States to develop the Holmes Approved Homes program. The goal of the program is to raise the bar for home building above minimum industry standards. A lawsuit was filed in December 2021 by Tarion, a consumer protection organization established by the Ontario government to help ensure new homes' defects under warranty are repaired, due to several homes built with partner companies having had numerous defects in Meaford, Ontario. [36] Subsequently, three of the homes were demolished due to the nature of the defects discovered. [37]

Other activities

Several magazines with Mike Holmes' brand and image have appeared on newsstands. Holmes: The Magazine to Make It Right ran for two years, and ended after a dispute between the publisher Dauphin Media Group and the Holmes Group. It had run from 2009 to 2011. Make it Right magazine, a collaboration between publisher TC Media and the Holmes Group was published in 2013. [38] Holmes is an advisor for Ottawa Land Bank, a land banking service for speculators, managed by Oakwood and John Liptack. [39] [40]

Awards and accolades

Publications

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Holmes on Homes</i> Canadian television series

Holmes on Homes is a Canadian television series featuring general contractor Mike Holmes visiting homeowners who are in need of help, mainly due to unsatisfactory home renovations performed by hired contractors.

<i>Fixer Upper</i> (TV series) American reality television series

Fixer Upper is an American reality television series about home design and renovation that aired on HGTV. The series starred Chip and Joanna Gaines, a married couple who own a home renovation and redecoration business in Waco, Texas. The show's pilot aired in May 2013, with the first full season beginning in April 2014. Season two began in January 2015; season three began in December 2015; and season four began in November 2016. The final season premiered on November 21, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Baeumler</span> Canadian TV host

Bryan Baeumler is a Canadian television host on several HGTV/HGTV Canada shows. A former handyman and businessman, he translated those careers into a series of TV shows about home renovations in Canada and the U.S. as well as a hotel renovation in the Bahamas. He has won a Gemini Award for his hosting and has published a book on home renovations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott McGillivray</span> Contractor, entrepreneur, investor and television host

Scott McGillivray is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, television host, author and educator.

<i>Holmes Inspection</i> Television series

Holmes Inspection is a 2009 Canadian home renovation series on HGTV, co-hosted by general contractor Mike Holmes and construction supervisor Damon Bennett. It is the third of Holmes' renovation series, following Holmes on Homes and Holmes in New Orleans. The format of the series is similar to those of his previous series Holmes on Homes, where Mike enters a home in need of repair and often finds substandard work. However, unlike Holmes on Homes, whose focus was on substandard work done by fraudulent or poor-quality contractors, the focus of Holmes Inspection is on homeowners who have been victimized solely as a result of poor home inspections. While Holmes Inspection has been fairly popular, some within the home inspection community have criticized the show's presentation of their business. For example, Andrew Christie of Safe Homes Canada has critiqued Holmes Inspection as being more about comedy and exciting made-for-TV type scenes than about the actual work done by home inspectors.

House of Bryan is a Canadian home renovation television series which premiered in 2010 on HGTV Canada. The show follows Bryan Baeumler, host of Disaster DIY and Leave It to Bryan, as he manages a team of professionals and apprentices build a house. The show is produced by Si Entertainment. House of Bryan 1 set an audience record for HGTV Canada, in April 2010.

All American Handyman is a HGTV reality competition show between a group of handymen and women. The show is hosted Molly Culver, and judged by Mike Holmes and Scott McGillivray. It is a spin-off of Handyman Superstar Challenge, with similar challenges. A revamped Handyman Superstar Challenge is based on All American Handyman, called Canada's Handyman Challenge.

Deck Wars is a 2011 Canadian television series, airing on HGTV. It is considered a sister series to Decked Out, and like Decked Out, stars Paul Lafrance and his deck building crew. Unlike its sister series, Deck Wars is a game show that pits two teams of contestants against each other in building a deck in two days with a common theme.

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<i>Canadas Handyman Challenge</i> Canadian TV series or program

Canada's Handyman Challenge is a Canadian reality game show. The series premiered on January 10, 2012, on HGTV Canada. Canada's Handyman Challenge is the successor to HGTV's previous series, Handyman Superstar Challenge, similar in format to the All American Handyman sister show.

Paul Lafrance is a Canadian television personality on HGTV Canada. Born in Wimbledon, England, he is based in Pickering.

I Wrecked My House is a Canadian home renovation reality series, which airs on HGTV. Hosted by Steve Patterson, the show visits homeowners with poor home renovation skills — people whose abilities are, according to the producers, more MacGyver or Red Green than Mike Holmes — who then receive a professional home renovation from contractor Dave Rannala in collaboration with a local design company.

Save My Reno is a Canadian television series featuring contractor Sebastian Clovis, a former Canadian Football League player, and designer Samantha Pynn helping homeowners complete needed renovations on a limited budget.

Home to Win is a Canadian home renovation reality television series, which premiered April 24, 2016 on HGTV Canada. The series features contractors and designers from all of the network's original productions collaborating on the renovation and design of a single "dream house", which will be awarded to a registered viewer at the end of the series. The series is also dubbed into the French language, and aired on the Canadian channel CASA as Maison à Gagner.

<i>Property Brothers</i> (franchise) Canadian television franchise

The Property Brothers franchise is a Canadian media franchise that stars Canadian twins Jonathan and Drew Scott and centers around the selling, purchasing, and renovation of real estate property. The shows also often guest star their older brother J.D. Their first program is Property Brothers—initially produced by Cineflix Media—and has aired on the W Network and HGTV Canada in its country of origin, on HGTV in the US, and on other networks in over 150 countries. The success of this show led to spin-off series, several web series, a how-to book, a radio show, and an app. Strategy magazine named the Property Brothers its 2013 Brand of the Year.

<i>Flip or Flop</i> (franchise) American reality television franchise

Flip or Flop is a television franchise of television programs. With the exception of Flip or Flop: Follow Up, each series follows a format, with couples in different parts of the United States purchasing homes, flipping them, and reselling.

Holmes and Holmes is a Canadian television reality show, which premiered on HGTV Canada in 2016. The show features contractor Mike Holmes and his son Mike Holmes Jr. renovating homes.

<i>Island of Bryan</i> Canadian reality television series

Island of Bryan is an HGTV Canada reality television series of renovation, home life, and business activities, premiering in Spring 2019. The show is similar to House of Bryan and Bryan Inc., two previous shows starring builder Bryan Baeumler, his wife Sarah, and their children; along with Bryan's apprentice Adam. The Baeumler family is renovating and restoring a tropical island beachfront resort, to operate as their own, that the Baeumler couple has bought by leveraging everything they have, and their financial safety net. The show was broadcast in the United States on HGTV USA as Renovation Island.

Holmes Family Effect is a Canadian reality television series, which premiered on 7 February 2021 on CTV. Hosted by Mike Holmes with his children Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes, the series features the trio working with service organizations seeking to redesign and improve their working spaces.

References

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  39. https://ottawalandbank.ca/
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