Renovation Realities

Tom and Charise Wenzl are the proud new owners of a split-level fixer-upper in Mount Vernon, Wash. Unfortunately, much of the interior of the house is in too poor condition to save. Before they can officially move in, Tom and Charise are tearing most everything out and starting all over. The renovation is wrought with mishaps from the beginning and small victories are far and few between. For every step Tom and Charise take forward, the house seems determined to push them 12 steps back. With every job turning into more work, more time and more money than expected, the couple feels more inclined to hold an exorcism for all the house's demons rather than continue on with the renovation.

Jennifer and Shawnt Batmanian are about to take on their biggest renovation ever. Shawnt is a pharmacist and Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom to their adorable 3-year-old son, Adam. The couple has successfully renovated their bathroom in the past, so taking on a kitchen doesn't scare them at all. Shawnt's extremely organized. Going into the project, he created a binder laying out the right tools and the right plans to succeed. The demolition of the existing out-of-date kitchen begins with ease, but as the couple progresses, things go horribly wrong. Shawnt makes a critical move that forces the project to quickly spiral out of control, leaving the family without a kitchen and a father deeply disappointed and embarrassed in front of his 3-year-old son.

An eager couple is well on their way to making their dream kitchen, but reality soon hits home. Fighting off sleep deprivation, unforeseen building issues and a looming deadline, the kitchen of their dreams soon becomes a living nightmare.

Newlyweds Alison and Carter Arnett's home sits in a picturesque neighborhood. However, step inside and their kitchen reveals a much different story. Working with a budget of only $3,500, Alison and Carter take DIY to the extreme. From sanding and staining their own cabinets, to cutting their own countertop, the couple tries to trim costs wherever they can. Unfortunately for the young newlyweds, with every dollar saved, there are a dozen tears shed.

Tony and Jen McCue bought the home of their dreams and have spent the last couple of years renovating it. However, when they decide to tackle their backyard, the renovation doesn't come as easy as they thought. From rainstorms, to faulty machinery, to running short on supplies, this couple quickly learns how difficult a backyard renovation can truly be.

Jaren and Ann Skinner recently purchased their dream home on the lake. Unfortunately, the house was a foreclosure and has been vacant for years. In order to make it livable, they must start by renovating the kitchen. But as time starts running out and tensions rise, their dream fixer-upper soon becomes a nightmare.

Daniel and Danielle Lee have recently moved into a home in the country, which is an ideal location for all their animals. Unfortunately, the house itself is not in ideal shape for the Lees to live in. It needs a complete overhaul, and they decide to start with the kitchen. Their plan seems fail-proof until they hit their first roadblock, leaving them struggling to finish in time.

Jeff and Shauna Autenrieth recently purchased an idyllic 1950s Cape Cod style home in Worcester, Mass. The only problem is the home's beautiful exterior isn't necessarily reflected on the inside. They decide to give their outdated kitchen an overhaul, but the couple quickly finds themselves overwhelmed with old walls, cabinets and fixtures that refuse to go without a fight.

Eric Faulkner and his fiancee, Jennifer, have a beautiful home with a lot of land. Unfortunately, their living room space is lacking. They decide to take matters into their own hands and open up their small space. However, they soon discover the task isn't as easy as they think, leaving them with disaster on their hands.

Jessica Martin's beautiful historic home sits in a highly sought after neighborhood. Unfortunately for Jessica, her backyard is a wreck complete with a rotting porch. Jessica recruits her dad, Mike, to help her turn things around, but from day one, they struggle to find common ground, leaving Jessica's new deck in jeopardy of never being finished.

Tony Robison and Laura Whitehead recently purchased a fixer upper in the picturesque golfing community of Southern Pines, NC. Tony and Laura decided to renovate the entire home, focusing most of their efforts on a new kitchen. Unfortunately, the couple's eagerness to finish tasks quickly ends up costing them more time, and money, in the process.

Mark Sibons, along with help from his best friend Jerry, is renovating the tiny kitchen in his Orlando home. The friends plan to expand the space by moving walls and redesigning the entire layout. But Mark and Jerry quickly hit time-consuming snags that force the friends into working multiple 20-plus hour days. Sleep deprivation and fatigue end up creating more problems for Mark and Jerry than the renovation itself.

Peter Means and Pascha Gerni are expanding their historic hundred year-old home to make room for their growing family. The couple enters their renovation with detailed plans and lofty deadlines, but Peter and Pascha soon struggle to stay on time and within historic guidelines. The difficult renovation culminates in a visit by city inspectors.