A $110,000 Investment Turned This Basic Bungalow Into a Family’s Dream Home

When Hilary and David toured Catherine and Tyler’s home, they knew they’d have their work cut out for them. The couple’s $320,000 home was dated and cramped, but Tyler was attached to the two-acres property that boasted an awesome swimming pool and detached garage. Catherine, meanwhile, dreamed of an open-concept kitchen and living space; more storage in their master; and a neighbourhood where her son could socialize. Would Hilary be able to convince Catherine to see her home in a new light? Or would David convince Tyler to leave the home he loved for greener pastures? Read on to see how this outdated bungalow was totally transformed, and whether Catherine and Tyler would decide to love it or list it. Watch the full length episode of Love It or List It online.

Hilary knew immediately that the family’s kitchen would need to be the focus of the reno. She had big plans for the $110,000 renovation, which included opening up the kitchen, ditching the tacky blue counter top, creating a gorgeous island, adding extra storage and reworking the laundry room and mud room for greater flow.

Related: 10 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Hilary Farr

Despite a slight change of plans in Hilary’s kitchen reno when Tyler insisted the living room fireplace remain (thereby squashing Hilary’s plans for a pantry), Hilary’s post-reno kitchen was totally unrecognizable, and Catherine and Tyler were nearly speechless as they toured the new space. Catherine could not believe the space allowed for such a large island, and she was thrilled with all of the additional storage space Hilary was able to create for the young family. Will this be enough for them to love it?

Catherine and Tyler loved Hilary’s new layout for their home, which included a beautiful dining area off the kitchen. Hilary replaced the existing windows with beautiful French doors which offered more flow to the family’s back porch and swimming pool. (With a two-acre property in the woods, every opportunity to enjoy the view should be utilized!)

Before Hilary got her hands on the family’s living room, it was brown and bland. No wonder Catherine was desperate to get out!

Hilary wasn’t thrilled about keeping the fireplace (which initially stuck out like a sore thumb) but she managed to rejig the furniture layout to make the fireplace a beautiful anchor in the room. And don’t those wood beams take on a whole new life with Hilary’s beautiful decor scheme?

Related: How to Decorate Your Living Room Based on Your Zodiac Sign

…is a strong pantry and mudroom. That’s how the saying goes, right? Hilary knew that to make the home functional for a young family that liked to entertain, she’d need to give them a smart mudroom, pantry and laundry room. Despite a tight budget (that grew tighter as Hilary encountered foundation issues with the home) she was able to carve out space for the triple threat of family homes.

When Catherine walked into her newly designed master bedroom she exclaimed, “It’s an actual bedroom!” Hilary had definitely infused more character into the space, and gave it a fresh, tranquil style, plus an extra closet that Catherine had desperately wanted.

By re-orientating the basement stairs, Hilary freed up space to extend the bathroom and make room for a larger shower and a bigger vanity. The master bathroom had been a serious issue for Catherine, but after seeing Hilary’s transformation, she was blown away. It definitely went a long way in Catherine’s stance on whether to love the house or list the house.

Tyler and Catherine had a big walk-out basement that guests used to enter the house from the pool (and subsequently track water all throughout the house!). Catherine was hoping for a fresh design in the basement, and an extra bathroom would be the icing on the cake. Was Hilary able to make it happen? And would it be enough to convince Catherine and Tyler to stay? Click on to find out!

Tyler and Catherine were speechless when they saw the renovated basement, save for the words, “We love it!” Hilary even managed to squeeze in a two-piece bathroom under the stairs (a clever use of typically empty space). So when it came to staying in their old home, which post-reno was valued at $450,000, or moving to the dream home David had shown them, priced at $419,000, which did they choose? Tyler and Catherine decided to…love it! And who can blame them? Their redesigned home had everything they’d hoped for and more.