The WORST episodes of Holmes on Homes
Every episode of Holmes on Homes ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Holmes on Homes!
Construction and renovation expert Mike Holmes visits unlucky families who have been swindled or abandoned during their home improvement projects. Mike uncovers shoddy construction methods, improper techniques and down right rip-offs. You'll see Mike correct the problems, as well as explain how the homeowners could have safeguarded themselves from unscrupulous builders and dishonest contractors.
#1 - Holmes for the Holidays
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/23/2004
Janice and Craig, a young couple with big dreams, bought a small bungalow on a large lot with visions of transforming it into the house of their dreams for their four young children to grow up in. After grossly underestimating the quote and the job, the contractor abandoned them, leaving the family living for over seven months in the dank, dirty basement of this dangerous and poorly supported skeleton of their former home. With Christmas just around the corner, and with all their money and hope drained, they ask Mike Holmes to take on the monumental task of giving this horror story a happy ending. Mike and his team of dedicated pros take on the biggest challenge of their lives. In just eight weeks they transform 4,000 square feet of cold rafters and dust into a finished awe-inspiring dream home, just in time for the holidays.
#2 - Rocky Reno
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/1/2007
In the shadow the Rocky Mountains is the home of Yvonne and Tadashi. They had an addition added that included a covered front porch and entranceway. During construction, they began to get worried when the renovation in progress didn’t exactly match the building plans. When the contractor began asking for the substantial completion payment before the job was finished, they refused and offered to have a lawyer hold the payment in trust until the work was done. The contractor walked off the job, and they called Mike Holmes to come to Canmore Alberta, and ‘Make it Right™’.
#3 - Brick A Brack
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/3/2008
When Mike arrives at the home of Val and Dave, he thought it was an exterior renovation repair only- until he went inside. Originally, the scope of the project involved repairing a home that suffered from defective brick- the face of the brick was falling off, causing it to quickly erode. This weakened masonry was causing the chimney to lean dangerously and the bottom rows of brick were so compromised that replacement was needed to prevent the brick walls from collapsing. When Mike went inside the home, he discovered that the homeowners were literally drowning in their own possessions. There were mounds of stuff piled to the ceiling in almost every room in the house. There was so much junk crammed in the basement that it wasn’t even possible for Mike and the team to do a basic electrical and HVAC inspection. Mike decides that a clean-up intervention is needed, to save the homeowners from themselves.
#4 - Re-Inventing
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/17/2008
Christine and her husband bought a brand new townhome in an upscale suburb. Their dream home had virtually everything a homeowner could ever wish for - except enough heat. After six years and countless band-aid repairs by the builder, they called Mike Holmes and his team to get to the bottom of things. Preliminary evidence suggested that the improper installation of the flexible ductwork inside the walls and ceilings might be the culprit. Mike discovers the only way to make this situation right is to painstakingly remove the existing drywall, design and build new bulkheads, create new ducts and vents, and install an entire HVAC system that performs correctly.
#5 - Behind the Scenes
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/24/2008
In this special episode, the Holmes crew (both construction and production) reveal the behind the scenes work during the filming from the seventh season, including the process from viewer submission to filming, how three or four episodes are produced at the same time, and the logistical issues with having a camera crew and a construction crew trying to work over each other. The episode includes behind-the-scenes footage from Additional Grief, Country Kitchen, Paradise Island, Lien on Me, and an upcoming episode titled Blind Faith, as well as a Maxwell House commercial and Mike's interview on 20/20. It also explores the origins of the series and how the Holmes Foundation was founded, as well as providing some insight into the Holmes family (all three of Mike's children work on the show in some capacity).
#6 - Kitchen Knockout
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/15/2008
The story itself was all too familiar- a botched kitchen renovation. The big difference here was the person who wrote the letter - former heavyweight boxing champion, George ''Boom Boom'' Chuvalo. The three-week kitchen renovation had gone into its third month. George and his wife Joanne had lost their patience, and the contractor finally made a hasty departure, leaving behind a badly laid out kitchen - featuring dangling pot lights, no working electrical, and no countertops. During George's boxing career, he went the distance with Muhammad Ali, twice. Ali stated that ''George was the toughest guy he had ever fought.'' And now, ''Boom Boom'' Chuvalo's kitchen disaster goes toe-to-toe with the heavyweight contractor, Mike ''Make It Right'' Holmes!
#7 - Pane in the Glass
Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/5/2008
Jon and Candice seemed to be having problems with their window installation contractor. Proof that things were going badly came to the homeowners in the form of a DVD. A neighbor across the street documented the entire contracting mess from a home security camera. For the first time ever Mike Holmes and his team get to witness a bad renovation as it happens. If a picture speaks a thousands words, this footage says, ''It's all coming down!''
#8 - Gut Ache
Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 7/3/2008
Jeremy had a total kitchen renovation- or so he thought. There were new cabinets, new counters, new appliances, new paint and a new tile floor- all the cosmetic items were brand new. Unfortunately, his renovation company only dealt with the finishing items. Everything below the surface was still the same old kitchen. Mike and the crew have to completely gut this kitchen to deal with all the problems that are bubbling under the brand-new, finished surface.
#9 - A Different Slant
Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired 7/10/2008
Lee and Bailey bought a brand new townhouse two years ago. It came with many modern conveniences like a fridge that made ice cubes. One item they didn't ask for was an attic that made snow cones- enough snow that they had to shovel it into plastic bags to prevent it from melting into their house. After the builder showed up to do several band-aid fixes, they called in Mike Holmes to get to the bottom of things, on the top of their house.
#10 - Capital Offence
Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 7/24/2008
Gwyn and Andrew, self-confessed ''Holmes On Homes Junkies'', had seen every episode and read Mike's book. They took all of Mike's advice and thought they did everything to make sure their bathroom renovation went smoothly, yet things turned out very wrong. Mike uses this example to show how far we have come in preventing renovation disasters and to also show how far we still need to go to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous contractors.
#11 - Kitchen Catastrophe
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/3/2003
Wayne and Gilda paid a contractor close to $20,000 to renovate their kitchen. After gutting the kitchen, the contractor stalls for six months with numerous poor excuses. Mike Holmes and his crew step in to mediate and gives the homeowners a brand new kitchen- in just one week.
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#12 - Wall of Sound
Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/19/2006
This is a story about proximity. Many newly built homes such as semi-detached, town homes and condo units feature designs that share common walls. In the case of our homeowners, Sylvie and Guy, who had just moved into a brand new semi-detached home, they were in for a shock when they realized that they could clearly hear their next door neighbor through the walls! The sound issue was so disruptive that the homeowners were certain moving away was their only option, until Mike and the team found the solution.
#13 - Bar None
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/13/2005
After suffering through some painful personal troubles, Jim and Lisa planned to re-direct their focus on something positive by finishing their basement into a bar and entertainment room. A contractor came highly recommended by a neighbor, and the renovation started off quite smoothly. The contractor seemed to have a good heart, and as the renovation progressed, Jim and Lisa actually formed a friendship with him. But with the budget spent, and the job only partially completed, the contractor seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Even after befriending Jim and Lisa, the contractor abandoned them without any warning, leaving them with a half finished renovation. Upon inspection, Mike Holmes decided that the contractor meant well, but severely under-priced the job and didn’t know how to fess up to the mistake. With the help of iron, brick and bar specialists, Mike completely re-finished the basement with an incredible English Pub theme, giving Jim and Lisa the bar of their dreams.
#14 - What a Mesh
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 10/12/2006
A tile supply company had been given a rubber cheque by a contractor for ceramic floor tiles. An effort to locate the contractor brought them to the doorstep of the homeowner, who was having the tile installed in their home. The tile supplier was told that the contractor had abandoned the job weeks earlier and disappeared, also leaving them with a half completed kitchen and badly installed tiles. Disgusted by the poor workmanship and saddened by the emotional state of the homeowners, the tile supplier offered that he would try and figure out a way to help them. They called Mike Holmes and offered to donate all new materials if Holmes On Homes would do the installation. Inspired by this act of generosity, Mike and the team roll up their sleeves to make it all come together- and complete the unfinished kitchen as well.
#15 - Showing the Cracks
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/5/2006
Janet and her elderly mother, Audrey, upgraded their vinyl kitchen floor to ceramic tile. Shortly after the work was completed, they noticed hairline cracks through the centre of the tiles. The flooring contractor explained it wasn't his fault, and that the weak structure of their home was shifting and causing the floor to crack. But the cracks were forming through the ceramic tile, and not along the grout lines- the weakest part of a tile floor. Mike and the team put on their investigative hard hats and get to the bottom of this tile flooring issue.
#16 - Taking a Bath
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/6/2006
Mary Jo and Ron moved into a brand new subdivision two years ago. In that time, each of their two bathtubs has been replaced four times. That's eight tubs in two years! The problem? Tubs that warped and buckled and mould growth. The builder maintained the tubs were installed correctly and that there was no manufacturing or design defect with the tubs. So, each time the tubs were replaced with the same model tub and installed the same way. Yet the problem persisted. Eight tubs later, the homeowners got fed up and called Mike Holmes to get to the bottom of their bathtub problem.
#17 - Ceiling the Deal
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/2/2006
This story highlights the work of a modern day "Snake Oil Salesman"- a contractor that doesn't fit the stereotypical con-artist profile. His slick computer assisted sales pitch and impressive portfolio eventually gave way to sloppy workmanship and incompetent engineering. The basement façade put up by this contractor finally came crashing down when the newly installed ceiling collapsed, prompting the homeowners to place a distress call to Mike Holmes.
#18 - Out of the Ashes - Part 2
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/16/2006
With Mike and the team in full swing repairing the shoddy fire damage remediation work left behind by the last contractor, Mike discovers an old oil storage tank buried in the backyard. To make matters worse, the container had leaked over the years, making it necessary for Mike to clean up the hazardous mess. It's an episode filled with renovation thrills and toxic spills!
#19 - Out of the Ashes - Part 1
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/9/2006
A string of bad luck leads Mike to the front door of a homeowner named Franca. Her home sustained major damage from an electrical fire. Immediately afterward, Franca suffered a series of personal tragedies with the unexpected passing of her mother, and then her husband. The contractor repairing the fire damage took full advantage of Franca's fragile situation. Upon inspecting the reno-in-progress, Mike intervenes to avoid yet another disaster in the making.
#20 - For Annie
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/9/2006
This is story about hope for the future in the face of heartbreaking tragedy, when "Making It Right" takes on a new meaning- completing an unresolved renovation and making it possible for a family to finally begin the healing process after the loss of a loved one. The connection between the emotional health of a family and condition of their home is a strong one. Mike and the team heal a house left in limbo, and make it a home once more.
#21 - Bargain Basement
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/22/2005
Rebecca and Thomas had several contractors bid on their basement renovation project—and when all of them came in with quotes were lower than what they had initially expected, they thought they'd found a deal. Pipes burst in the ceiling of the basement, flooding down the walls and leaking through the new pot lights. Then they discovered electrical outlets in other parts of the home were sparking while others were not working. In this episode, Mike explores the true cost of a basement renovation, and the pitfalls of competitive "underbidding" by contractors.
#22 - Falling Flat
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/1/2005
A photographer wants to build a photo studio in his backyard. He does everything by the book - has blueprints drawn up and approved and takes out construction permits and deals with puzzling stop work orders from various city officials. Only after the Mayor intervenes, is the work finally completed. Or so he thinks… Three years later, the studio's flat roof is plagued by constant leaks. Mike Holmes immediately identifies the problem - the waterproof roof membrane was never actually finished. The Holmes On Homes™ team discovers that the water damage to the flat roof is so extensive, they have no choice but to pull it all down!
#23 - O-Fence-Ive
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/17/2005
When a fencing contractor rips off a new housing development by taking a deposit from 52 families and working just long enough to cash the cheques before disappearing, Mike and the crew take on the challenge of not just helping one homeowner, but the entire neighborhood! Ultimately, Mike builds more than a fence; he also brings this new community together with a common purpose- and makes things right.
#24 - House Arrest
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/10/2005
Living in a construction zone is an unpleasant reality for homeowners undertaking a renovation. The hope is that the mess and discomfort will be as short-lived as possible. For Alex and Marie and their two children, a planned three-month renovation dragged out to a year and a half with no end in sight. Living out of one bedroom with only partial water service, this family was trapped in a never-ending renovation nightmare. They were beginning to feel like prisoners in their own home- until Mike and the team arrive on the scene.
#25 - House to Home - Part 2
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/23/2005
In part two of the is two-part season finale, Mike Holmes and his crew finish a wheelchair accessible bathroom for the homeowners’ disabled son, repair a leaking foundation and roof and provide a much deserving family with a safe and proper addition.