The Truth About Getting Your Home Renovated on Property Brothers

By Maggie Winterfeldt

Updated on 5/26/2018 at 6:30 AM

Getty | JB Lacroix
Getty | JB Lacroix

We would be lying if we said that in all the hours of Property Brothers watching we have under our tool belts, we hadn't pretended it was us on screen. It's nearly impossible not to imagine what it would be like to create our dream home with Drew and Jonathan; what outdated house would we have Drew put an offer in on? How many walls would we demand Jonathan knock down to create our open concept living area? What personalized wall art project would the brothers thoughtfully surprise us with? Would we meddle during the renovations? Cry at the reveal? The only way to know is to be on the show, and now we know exactly what producers look for when picking the homeowners. Think you have what it takes to be cast on Property Brothers? Keep reading to find out.
You Must . . .

  1. Have a Sidekick

    2. No solo Sallys allowed. They want a dynamic duo, be it you and your spouse, partner, friend, whatever.

  2. Have a Reno Budget of at Least $90,000 USD

    3. Jonathan might be a magician, but he still needs some moolah to work his magic.

  3. Pick the Four Rooms You Want Made Over

    4. With a six- to seven-week shooting schedule, they don't have time to gut whole houses! Applicants must pick four rooms they want their renovation budget to cover.

  4. Decide Between Renovating the Kitchen or the Bathroom — Not Both

    5. You can't have it all. You must pick between these two expensive and time-consuming house hot spots.

  5. Throw In a 25 Percent Contingency Fee

    6. Things inevitably go wrong (leaky roof, termite infestation, bad electrical wiring) and when they do, the Property Brothers want a homeowner who can survive the unbudgeted overages.

  6. Tell Them What House You're Already Looking At

    7. The application asks you to give the address of a house you're interested in and even provides a space for you to tell them when you're closing on a house if you've already purchased one.

  7. Be Free to Film Ten Weekdays

    8. If you want to be on the Property Brothers, you better make time for them — they need you to be available to shoot for seven to tens days total over the course of seven to eight weeks.

  8. Make Quick Decisions

    9. Dilly-dalliers need not apply; the Property Brothers are busy and they need to keep your reno moving along.

  9. Have Funding Already Lined Up

    10. No point in casting you if you can't actually purchase a home. They want to know exactly how you're going to finance this major purchase.