Income Property - Episode Guide

Roz, a television personality, and Katherine, a photographer, need a retreat from the limelight. To help them afford a country cottage, they need to transform the dated space into an upscale rental retreat. Scott McGillivray presents two options for the property: a cosmetic update vs. a major overhaul.

Leah and Stew are ready to grow up and move out of Leah’s mom’s house.  They want to renovate the main floor of their house to bring in extra cash to cover their first mortgage.  Scott McGillivray presents two options: a two-bedroom vs. three-bedroom.

Jen and Paul need to build a basement apartment to repay the $82,000 debt incurred by the renovation of their disaster home. But there’s a catch: Jen will only go through another renovation, if her old high school friend, Scott McGillivray, is the contractor.

Kathy, a high school teacher, is ready to move out of her parents’ house for the first time. With her sister in tow, she needs to build an income property to ease her into homeownership expenses. Scott McGillivray presents two options for the side-split: a one-bedroom vs. a two-bedroom.

New parents, Leanne and Richard, want to start a college fund for their baby boy. Leanne’s sister, Michelle, teams up with the couple to invest in real estate. Scott McGillivray presents two options for their unfinished basement: a one-bedroom vs. a one-bedroom plus den.

Jeff and Lee plan to fund their retirement with multiple income properties - and they’re even willing to live in their basement to save extra money. Scott McGillivray presents two options for their unfinished basement: a one-bedroom vs. a two-bedroom.

Nellie and Joe have two teenaged kids to put through college. To make some extra cash, they just bought their first income property. Scott McGillivray presents two options for their unfinished basement: a two-bedroom build vs. a three-bedroom build.

Vic needs to pay for his mother’s pricey retirement residence by converting her old apartment into a money-making income property that would make her proud. Scott McGillivray presents two options for his main floor: a one-bedroom revamp vs. a two-bedroom rebuild.

Paul and Angela are a fun-loving couple who want to buy a commercial building to run their doggie boutique. To save up enough money, they want to reno their single-family rental home into two units. Scott McGillivray present two options for their upper floors: a basic two-bedroom vs. a souped-up two-bedroom with rooftop deck.

Sheri and Dan need extra cash to pay for the extracurricular activities of their three young sons.  They want to provide the boys with the very best - and that starts with hockey.

Asad, a stage hypnotist, needs to rent out his condo while he’s away performing so he can make extra money to develop a broadway show.

Ashley and Tyler, a young urban couple, need to renovate their uninhabitable rental property because they have big dreams of supplementing their retirement with real estate.

Sisters, Kelly and Nancy, need to renovate their mom’s basement into an apartment to get rid of the mold - and help mom afford the mortgage.

Helene is an actress who needs to make money from her home because acting gigs can be unpredictable and infrequent.

Kim, a police officer and veterinarian, wants to build an apartment in her basement where she can live while renting out her main floor.  She’ll use the extra money to pay down her mortgage so she can retire in 10 years and volunteer in Mexico.

Anne and Jody bought a cottage duplex for their young family.  To afford the mortgage, they need to renovate and rent one half of it.  Scott McGillivray presents two options: a cosmetic upgrade vs. a cosmetic upgrade with higher-end finishes.

Kat and Andrew need to rent their main floor to fund fertility treatments.  They want children as quickly as possible so Kat can have preventive surgeries to reduce her risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

Michael and Kristine need rental income for financial security while they both work for the same solar energy startup.

Foster parents, Rob and Heidi, need to renovate their basement into an apartment to safely ease their foster sons into adulthood.

Alexis and Craig need to find and renovate a house with a basement apartment so that they can afford to become homeowners for the first time. They want to get rid of their matching college-like apartments, and live together for the first time - while both making their very first foray into homeownership. They long for a chunk of real estate to call their own, but just can’t afford it without a rental apartment to supplement their monthly expenses. 

Cheryl and Amreed desperately want to start their lives together, but the only way that they can afford to lay down roots with their own property is to buy one with a rental apartment. They’ll use the apartment to supplement their mortgage and monthly household bills, while repaying Cheryl’s student loans, and finally living under one roof. 

Cory and Julie need to find and renovate a home with basement apartment so that they can successfully invest in real estate - on their third try. They need Scott to not only crunch the numbers for them during the house hunt, but also to reel them in during the renovation of the home that they opt to purchase.

Jamie needs to find a home with an income suite that he can renovate and rent in order to supplement his irregular salary enough to keep producing documentary films. Jamie has never purchased real estate before. After witnessing his mother’s successes with commercial real estate, Jamie is keenly interested in pursuing the same kind of property with Scott’s help and wisdom.
 

Lysa was downsized from her job, so she needs to sell her current home to find and renovate a house with income suite to help supplement her income until her new business can sustain itself. She believes the opportunity to work with Scott will not only alleviate her financial stresses, but will finally provide her with the freedom to follow her dreams and become personally-fulfilled.
 

Miranda and Fab need to find and renovate a dedicated investment property so that they can fulfill their mutual dream of retiring at 55 years old. They’re smart enough to know that “Freedom 55” won’t happen unless they can figure out a way to supplement their incomes enough to stop working, which is why they have their minds set on real estate. They need Scott’s help to find and renovate their first of many income properties so that they can quickly “take over the suburbs as land baron and baroness.”

Nicole and Michelle need to find and renovate a dedicated income property in order to repay Michelle’s student debt, while making a joint investment to secure both of their financial futures like their late mother would have wanted.

Robert and Stephanie need to find and renovate a house with a basement apartment so that they can make up for the time and money lost during the two years that Rob was unable to work as he awaited his immigration papers. They literally cannot afford to fall further behind, so they need to make sure that they get this project right on the first try.
 

Sherief and Christine need to find a house with an income suite so that they can afford to move their four children under 7 years of age into a bigger home. Christine won’t be able to return to the workforce for another four years, and Sherief already works “all day long”. They need Scott’s help to find a large home with a basement apartment that they can rent to supplement all of the additional costs that come with a larger home.

Yoni and Shannon need to find a home with an income suite so that they can afford their dream lives in the city. They’re ready to sell both their condo and their failed income property in order to afford the down payment on their dream home. They want to buy into a “forever home” neighborhood, so they know they’ll need a basement apartment in order to afford it.
 

Joseph needs to “downsize” to a fixer-upper property with income suite that he can rent out to lower his monthly mortgage payments, while reducing his debt load from years of paramedic training, and trying to carry a mortgage on a single-income. He needs Scott’s help to find and renovate a property for one “last shot at independence” before he has to move in with his parents at 40 years old.

Sarah and Jim need to find an investment property to help put their five daughters through college. They’re both anxious to bite the bullet, so they need Scott to reel them in to make sure their first investment is a smart one.

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Erin needs to find a house with basement apartment so that she can afford to ditch her condo and get into the expensive housing market. She refuses to put her dreams of homeownership on hold any longer, and anxiously wants Scott to be her wingman to find “the one” perfect home. 

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Jen and Brock are urbanites that live by the motto, “go big or go home”.  With the purchase of a property, they will become first-time homeowners, first-time landlords, and first-time renovators all at the same time. They need Scott to show them how to make the most of their limited funds, to invest in a house, while building a great rental apartment in the city’s hottest neighbourhood.

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Marissa and Bryan need to find a house with income suite so that they can afford to carry their own mortgage and move out of mom’s house.  Without Scott’s help, these two won’t be able to strategically find a way into the pricey housing market – or even worse – will start their married lives together rooming next to mom.

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Sarah and Matt need to find a house with basement apartment, so that Sarah’s mom can live with them after the death of her husband.  These three need Scott to show them how to balance three opinions, when you only have one house to buy.

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Michael and Karen need to find an urban house with basement apartment so that they can afford to move into the city and reduce Karen’s 2-hour commute to work.  Without Scott’s help, they know that they’ll be stuck in the ‘burbs – or even worse – Karen will miss out on precious family time with their baby boy.

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Allan and Nasreen need to find a home with an income suite to supplement Nasreen’s income as she leaves the workforce and starts her own reiki healing business.  This property will be both Allan and Nasreen’s first foray into homeownership, so they’re relying on Scott to help them find and renovate the perfect property, which will play triple duty as their home, a source of income, and a space to grow their business. 

Karen and Nick need to find a house with income suite so that they can afford their dream lives in the city. They have big dreams, and need Scott’s help to seize clever real estate and renovation opportunities in order to afford their ideal lives.

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Sidra needs to find an investment property so that she can honour the hard work and sacrifice of her parents, while also fulfilling her secret desire to become a contractor.  Without Scott’s help, Sidra fears she won’t become a successful real estate investor, or even worse, won’t be able to show her parents that all of their hard work and sacrifice paid off.

Mary and Bridge dream of comfortably retiring to the great outdoors, without having to worry about money. They need to find a family home with basement apartment potential to fund their retirement dreams. Scott shows them how to make a wise investment in the country, while maintaining the balance between their dream home and a hot rental property.

Stephanie and Elyse are a cop and paramedic thinking ahead. They have big dreams of securing their financial future together, and have chosen real estate as their investment of choice. Scott shows them how to find a dedicated income property to best invest in their future - STAT.

Andrew and Chris are life-long buddies each living in the suburbs of the big city. They have big dreams of using a portfolio of shared income properties to retire at age 55. Scott shares his first-hand advice with these rookie investors. He helps build the foundation for the boys’ business, so that it maintains financial success – and most importantly – their friendship.

Kuo Bao and Megan are a twenty-something couple living and loving life in the big city. This ambitious couple is determined to grow a portfolio of investment properties together, in order to support their aging parents throughout retirement. With a lofty goal of supporting themselves and two sets of parents, Scott shows them how to find the right house to achieve their financial goals.

Alison and Deirdre are sisters whose only thing in common is their DNA. They’re best friends, confidantes, and partners in crime, but most of all – nothing alike. Alison wants to buy her very own income property, but Deirdre thinks it’ll be a hassle, and discourages the whole thing. Scott helps Alison approach her purchase as a investor versus emotional homeowner. It’s about practicality and functionality, and of course - some sibling rivalry.

Jeff and Kirsti are newlyweds living the big-city life: paying too-high rent for a small apartment in the sky, and relentlessly working 9 to 5. They want to become the couple that’s ahead of the pack, choosing work based on passion versus financial need. Scott shows this ambitious couple how to balance an investment property with a home - large enough to accommodate their expanding family.

Karen and Kevin are a twenty-something suburban couple totally in love, totally committed – and totally not on the same page. Kevin wants a real estate empire, and Karen wants nothing to do with it. Where Kevin sees opportunity, cash-flow, and excitement, Karen sees hardship, debt, and drama. Scott settles this couple’s differences, by showing them how to make a smart, wise, and most of all safe, investment.

Marli & Toby are serial renters ready to become serious investors. They’ve borrowed a pretty penny from Marli’s parents over the years, and know that it’s time to start repaying the debt. Scott helps them decide between single-family homes with income potential, and an existing duplex.

At 34 years old, Sarah and Milo have big dreams of saying sayonara to their jobs by the time they’re 45. Scott shows them the difference between what makes a house a good home, and what makes a house a good investment. It’s a race against time for these two, who know that without Scott’s help, their current rut will remain their permanent routine.

In this one-hour special, Scott McGillivray counts down the top ten Income Property transformations. With each reno, we highlight the smart renovations that helped add incredible value to the property. The six figure value added to our number one reno will blow you away.

Andrew’s taken apart a duplex to turn it back into his own single family home – and he wants this to make him money. Mending this drawn-out mess means Andrew’s got to lose the tools and gain some roommates.

Jerry and Amee just bought a house and are about to get married so why not tackle a renovation too? Adding an income suite to their basement will help fast track their family plans so they can have it all.

Marko and Jackie are an urban couple who want to take control of their financial future. Jackie already owns an income property, so Marko is desperate to get into the game. Scott shows Marko how to best invest in real estate to ensure the maximum return on his first investment property.

David & Peter want to update & rent their main floor suite in anticipation of getting enough rent to cover their entire mortgage.

Laura and George need to make improvements to the exterior and common spaces of their income property so that they can manage its maintenance on an ongoing basis, eventually raise the rents and reap their rewards, as this house becomes their retirement fund down the road.

Reena and Kulvir need to update and rent their basement apartment so they can save to add a second story addition to their tiny home in order to make space for the family they’re planning!

Naomi and Scot need to renovate the second floor apartment of their 5 unit apartment building so they can increase the rent which will help them to pay their huge mortgage, family loans and the high costs of running this building  - sticking to their plans for the property will help maintain their friendly status as partners!

Susan is running this house on a single income, she needs to turn her finished basement into an apartment to bring in a second income, which will help to pay the bills and provide financial security for her family’s future.

Rosalina and Arun are burnt out and need to finish their never-ending basement renovation so they can concentrate on finishing their own living space for their growing family.

Monica and Raphael need to upgrade their income property so they can pay the mortgage and costs of this triplex and eventually supplement their retirement income with this investment.

Angie and Jung need to solve the basement apartment’s mysterious water problems so it can be renovated and rented and they can pay their mortgage and start their family.

Carmen and Vanessa need to create an apartment in their basement so that they can afford the monthly mortgage payments while they find jobs and get established in their new careers.

Jasmine needs help to move this renovation forward so she can get the rental suite occupied, as it is the foundation of the financial plan that will pay for her son’s university education.

Rachael and Steve are carrying big mortgage payments.  They were counting on a basement apartment to supplement their income and future day care expenses but they have no time to renovate.   As Scott starts the reno, he discovers a much needed repair that could be life-saving. 

Chris and Haelee lost a great tenant when a flood forced them to gut the basement apartment in their home.  They need to re-construct the apartment and rent it out in order to get back on track with their long-term plans, which include, renting the whole house out and buying the home of their dreams.

Kat and Al bought the house they were renting in.  Due to a mould issue in the basement apartment it’s been gutted and is waiting to be refurbished.  They need to finish the basement asap so they can rent it out and have their house pay for itself, as planned.

Melanie & Pavan discovered problems with the basement apartment while Pavan’s sister was living there. When she left over a year ago, they planned to soundproof and upgrade the out-dated unit. However, neither one of them is handy nor do they know where to start.  They need help getting this project started and getting it finished.

Dale and Erin need help updating their basement apartment so they can pay off down debt and take the next step to finally  ‘make it official’ – with a ring, a wedding and a family.

Nancy needs to reconfigure the basement apartment in her bungalow in order to create a separate, self-contained apartment, which she can rent out to alleviate the burden of her monthly expenses as sole provider for her family.

Barb and Jamie started renovating three years ago, doing all of the work themselves.  Since then, Jamie has been trying to complete the construction after hours and entirely on his own. They need to finish renovating the main floor apartment so that they can rent it and begin to recoup their over-budget renovation and three years of lost rental income.

Claire and Ryan need to renovate their Granny flat in order to make it a legal apartment that they can rent to a non-family member.  This rental income is critical make their monthly housing expenses.

Sabrina and Daryl need to reconfigure and update the lower apartment in their triplex -the bathroom is outside of the apartment in the corridor! They desperately need to resolve the privacy issue before they can attract the tenant they want and earn the income they need to keep on track with their financial and personal goals.

Martha and Darryl want to start a family but they’ve had much difficulty doing so. They urgently need to finish their upper unit apartment in order to rent it out and settle in downstairs so that they can reduce the emotional and financial stresses of starting a family.

Lisa has been waffling over creating an income suite for the last five years and has lost potentially $50,000 in income.  If she doesn’t stop procrastinating and install an income suite in her basement, she risks both her own future as well as her mothers.

Divorced dad Kerry needs Scott’s help to finish the basement apartment so that he can collect rental income to give his children the life they deserve.

Tracey fell in love with her home the first day she saw it.  In the ensuing months, she has done more destruction than construction and has lost the passion she once felt for her home.  Tracey needs to complete the renovations in the upper unit and get it rented in order to finance the renovations for her own apartment and fall in love with her house again.

Andrea and Luke have a five-year financial plan based on the second floor apartment being consistently rented.  Without the income generated from this apartment their goal of starting a family in a single-family home will be jeopardized.

During 18 months of unemployment, Crystal came to depend on her improvised, second floor apartment to avoid defaulting on her mortgage while racking up major debts to keep the house running.  The tenant is now gone and the debts accumulated will take years to pay off without a consistent income from the half story apartment.

Antoinette and Mike need a safe income suite tout de suite because Antoinette is expecting and they need the extra income.

Laura & Peter need to convert the existing professional office space in the basement into a stunning apartment suitable for their cool neighbourhood in order to take control of their spiralling debt and mortgage payments.  Without the apartment Laura and Peter will have to face the fact they cannot afford the house and will have to sell.

Bonnie & Merv have credit card debt in addition to a big mortgage. Bonnie & Merv need Scott’s help to complete their basement income suite so that they can get out of debt and down the aisle before the end of the year.

Henri and Lori need to renovate their outdated income suite FAST so that they can maintain the income they’ve relied on to help offset their heavy business taxes.  Without Scott’s help, they will suffer from significant monthly shortfalls imminently.

Jeremy and Angie need to renovate their dilapidated basement apartment with Income Property help because they desperately need the income.  If they don’t rent it out they will forgo the dream of Angie staying to raise their young son.

Income Property is back for a second season with a new set of first time homeowners and their shared goal: to add an income suite in their home to help out with the mortgage payments and increase the value of their home sweet home.

Victoria and Evan are young, smart and ambitious.  2 years ago, the pair started a business together with offices in 2 separate cities. But when the lines between work and home became blurry, Victoria and Evan decided to buy a property to get a greater return on their investment. The building has an apartment they can rent out to help pay the bills but it needs a lot of work - Scott will help them figure it out.

Marsha and Ellwood married 4 years ago bringing two kids each to their blended home and a future with three college educations  to consider... They also bought a new house with a separate apartment that needs a good reno before it can be rented out. Could this apartment be a new home for their eldest daughter  AND  a long-term solution to their financial challenges?  Scott is going to show them how to do it.

Allison and Rob’s income dipped due to a career change and maternity leave.  Luckily, they have an income suite in their basement that can help them maintain their great standard of living.

Evelyn and Armel had an energy audit and now they’re racking up debt in order to make smart improvements to their home. They need the income from an accessory apartment to help out with the costs of renovating for the long-term. 

Julie and Andy intend to renovate the existing income suite in their new home. They just can’t make it happen: they have demanding careers and no renovation experience. Their sweet little income suite needs Scott’s skills and reno savvy. 

Daria and James fell in love, got engaged and bought a house. Two years later they are still not married and they’re spending over 50% of their income on their home. They need an income suite if they ever hope to tie the knot and keep their heads above water.

Expecting their first baby in nine weeks, Shawn and Sarah thought ahead when they bought their first home, purchasing one with an existing basement apartment.  They figured they would need the income to make the mortgage payments in the short-term with a plan to eventually move Shawn’s mother and brother into the basement to assist with the finances in the long-term.  Unfortunately, neither Shawn or Sarah have a clue what it takes to upgrade their suite into a legal apartment that will command top rental income, and they don’t have time to find out.

Sean bought his semi-detached, former boarding house with the intent of converting it into a duplex to help pay the mortgage.  Disaster struck within 48 hours of moving in, when the drain in the basement overflowed and filled the basement apartment with sewage making it impossible to rent.  Instead of fixing the mess, Sean chose to tackle the work in the rest of the house, resulting in a year long basement vacancy.  To add to the pressure, Sean started a new job AND proposed to his girlfriend, Ania.  Not only do Sean and Ania need to fix this rental property to help pay for their mortgage, but they also need it to pay for a big wedding.

Samantha and Andrew were smart enough to buy their first home with a fully functioning basement apartment already built-in.  They were told the previous owner had been renting the basement for $800 a month, which was exciting news to them.  But when closing day arrived they were shocked to see the actual condition of the basement.  Now Samantha is between jobs and they are desperate to take some pressure off of their finances.  Fixing up this existing income suite seems the obvious solution, but it’s going to take a lot of work and some brilliant design ideas.

Heather is a teacher who bought a newly renovated bungalow with a “ready to rent,” two-bedroom basement apartment but a home inspection revealed some minor fixes for which Heather set aside over $20,000. Unfortunately, it turned out that nothing was to code- minor fixes turned into a complete rewiring of the entire house, costing three times more than she had planned for.  Heather needs to finish the basement just to get her money back; she needs the income from a rental suite in order to even consider keeping her house.

Tai and Beatrice have dug themselves into a hole, both literally as well as financially.  They went way over budget when they purchased their dream home, and as soon as they moved in, they took the advice of a relative and began digging a hole in their basement to upgrade the old plumbing system.  Scott suggests some green solutions that will save them money in the short-term and ultimately bring in more money in the long run.

Martin & Isidora have found their dream home, but the basement needs a lot of work.  Closing date has been pushed up by 3 months, and they have already promised their tenant she can move into their basement apartment 15 days after they take possession.  Problem is, it’s going to take all 15 days to get it up to a standard that their renter and her 7-year-old daughter can move into.

Peter purchased an expensive, fully renovated Victorian in a hip downtown neighbourhood last year. Adding a potential rental suite in the basement was his plan and the key to bringing down his substantial mortgage. But with a demanding new job, lots of travel and new interests, Peter hasn’t gotten around to getting that basement ready and rented out. He would like his rental suite to give him security and the freedom to make a career change down the road – to maybe even fly solo. 

Kirk and Stephanie bought their dream house 3 years ago, and have since spent every waking moment improving the condition of each of the three apartments in the building.  Now they are thinking about starting a family and someday would like to be able to take over the whole house.  They intend to keep the basement as an income suite to give them long-term security.  With changes and upgrades made to the basement apartment they know they can charge a higher rent and make the most of that space.

Connie and Sebastian are hands on first-time homeowners.  A little too hands on. As soon as they moved into their new home they were lifting carpets, peeking behind walls and dreaming up plans for every square foot.  This 100-year-old Victorian semi-detached used to be a rooming house.  The bubbly couple got rid of most of the evidence from the previous apartments, but are now left with some holes here, a crack there and the potential for an income property that’s going nowhere.

When Steve was searching for his first home, he knew exactly what he wanted: a triplex that would bring in double the rental income.  For the past four years Steve has successfully rented out two units, but now his mortgage is up for renewal and in this credit crunched economy, it is estimated that tax values will increase on average by 20%.  On top of this, Steve is renting out his basement unit well below the market value.  Steve needs Scott’s help to update his basement suite to help offset his increasing mortgage and be able to charge top dollar for the apartment.