It’s not very often Halton Hills resident and celebrity contractor Mike Holmes gets to help a family ‘make it right’ in his own backyard.
But that was recently the case when he heard about the health hazards Georgetown residents Jason and Alisha encountered in their new home.
The local couple bought a wartime house during the height of the competitive pandemic real estate market, and like many others, they couldn’t put any conditions on their offer for fear the seller would move on to the next buyer.
So a home inspection by the Holmes crew didn’t happen until after the deal was done.
“There was lots of mould, radon - they found everything,” said Alisha.
With Jason beating childhood cancer twice, and the couple being on a journey to become parents through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), they knew the importance of making the home a healthy one.
And that’s where the Holmes family comes in. Local residents can watch Mike Holmes and his children, Sherry and Michael, overhaul Jason and Alisha’s house on the latest episode of Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy, airing tonight (Nov. 26) at 9 p.m. on Cottage Life.
“We gutted the entire house and did everything by the book, because that’s what we do,” said Mike.
A big priority was ensuring the home is free of radon - the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
“It’s a naturally-occurring gas - you can’t smell it, you can’t taste it, you can’t see it. You have to test for it,” said Michael, explaining that it seeps in from the ground through basement concrete slabs.
“Indoor air quality is something that not enough people talk about. Nowadays we build airtight homes, so we have to vent it (radon) outside or have a proper air circulation device.”
Added Mike, “It’s a very bad problem right now. This house had four times the limit (of radon).
I recommend everyone test your air.”
With a fan installed that runs 24/7 pulling the radon out of the house, and the mould safely addressed, the Holmes crew turned their attention to maximizing the layout of the home, making it more open concept and creating storage space.
They worked with interior designer Kimmberly Capone to bring their decor vision to life.
With Sherry Holmes being Alisha’s best friend, she may have felt the most pressure to make sure everything was perfect.
“I wanted to make it super esthetically pleasing, with the best layout to make the house feel larger and welcoming; something that feels like them, and not just a showroom house,” said Sherry.
It’s safe to say the Holmes team achieved their goal.
“Just wow. I was pretty speechless,” said Alisha after seeing the changes for the first time. “It still hasn’t sunk it that this is ours. It looks so different. It’s beautiful.”
A definite highlight for the couple is the nursery.
“It’s so warm and welcoming,” said Jason. “It’s also my favourite because of what it signifies, what’s next.”
The Holmes team is currently casting for their show in the GTA. For further information, visit makeitright.ca.
