The Property Brothers Reveal One Key Upgrade Home Buyers May Forget

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Drew and Jonathan Scott have fixed up plenty of old, damaged homes in their day. But their latest project on “Property Brothers: Forever Home” hasn’t been roughed up by time—but rather by two young boys playing ball in the house.

In the “Home Run Reno” episode, the Scott brothers meet an athletic family that needs an updated home base where it can gather after the boys’ baseball games. The homeowners, Sarah and Todd, are willing to spend $140,000 on renovating their Las Vegas home. While they want their house to be beautiful, they also want it to be durable. The brothers know they need to replace the scuffed floors and furniture, then replace everything with strong materials that will last.

Read on to find out how the brothers pull off this renovation, which might inspire a few upgrades around your own abode, too.

Show off high ceilings with a well-placed accent wall

The Scott brothers know that some color can make this 22-foot ceiling pop.

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When Drew and Jonathan first walk into this house, they’re impressed by the beautiful 22-foot ceiling in the living room. However, Sarah and Todd’s blank yellowish walls do nothing to accentuate this great feature.

Drew and Jonathan come up with an idea to install gray shiplap on one wall, which will not only bring attention to the tall ceiling, but will also add color and texture to the room.

Now, this living room looks grand and glamorous.

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“The defining feature in this living room is this gigantic wall,” Jonathan says, “so dressing it up with shiplap and installing it at different angles will give Sarah and Todd an actual focal point and this entire main floor some personality.”

Brick veneer is easier to install than real bricks

This brick fireplace looks classic and homey.

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Todd tells Drew and Jonathan that he loves the look of brick fireplaces because they remind him of growing up on the East Coast.

The brothers want to give Todd his classic East Coast vibe, but since ripping out the existing fireplace and building it back up with brick would be expensive and time-consuming, Drew and Jonathan decide to use brick veneer instead.

“The brick fireplace surround is another cool addition to this wall,” Jonathan says, “and using a brick veneer, which is actually made of real brick, installs like a tile, so it saves us a lot of time and money without sacrificing the look.”

Avoid a kitchen that’s too dark (or too light)

Drew and Jonathan know this kitchen could do with a little style update.

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When the Scott brothers first see Todd and Sarah’s kitchen, they note that the cabinet color is a bit outdated. So Todd and Sarah pick out new gray cabinetry, and the brothers are thrilled.

“Most people still like to do their all-white cabinets, but I love that they chose a little bit of gray,” Jonathan tells Drew. “I mean, they want to modernize the look of the home, but they still want that little touch of farmhouse.”

The gray cabinets look great in this space.

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The gray cabinets look great in the home, complementing the gray accent wall perfectly. Plus, when paired with sleek quartz counters and a modern new light fixture, the whole kitchen looks fabulous!

Use empty space under the stairs for smart storage

This space under the stairs was wasted before.

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With two boys and lots of sports equipment, this family of four has a hard time finding storage in the house. So Jonathan investigates the space under the stairs. There, he finds nothing but empty space, perfect for that little bit of extra sports storage this family needs.

“This new storage area is going to be so handy,” Jonathan says. “Sarah and Todd will finally have a place to keep all the sports stuff.”

Now the homeowners can slide their stuff into this hidden space.

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Families with young kids should stick to sturdy flooring

These floors were dated, so Drew and Jonathan suggest replacing it with new, durable flooring.

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Sarah and Todd don’t want to have scuffed-up floors anymore, so they tell Drew and Jonathan that they want new floors that will stand up to not only two active boys, but the boys’ teammates as well.

When Drew takes these two on a house tour, hoping they’ll get some style inspiration, they start by examining the floors.

“This is an engineered hardwood, but in reality, for you guys, I don’t think this would be the best choice because we know that the boys are tough on floors,” Drew says.

This tile flooring looks like wood, but it’s a more durable tile.

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The couple agree that while the engineered hardwood, and traditional hardwood, look great, they’ll need something stronger.

“We want something that looks like hardwood but acts like tile,” Todd tells Drew.

So Jonathan and Drew pick a floor upgrade that many home buyers might easily overlook: plank-style porcelain. This is a perfect choice because it’s strong, but it still looks like wood and gives the home a traditional look.

With fabulous floors like these, it’s clear that the brothers have succeeded in creating a home that looks great—and will continue to look great for years and years. They also manage to stay under budget, at just $125,000, making this project a clear home run!

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