Mike Holmes in an episode of Holmes Makes It Right
THE HOLMES GROUP

From house to Holmes

Fans have grown to adore contractor Mike Holmes, the television fixture who has become the face of quality craftsmanship. Now a grandparent who shares the screen with his children, Holmes remains committed to educating and protecting homeowners.

by Dan Jones

Contractor turned reality-TV superstar Mike Holmes has been educating audiences on home improvement for more than two decades.

As a successful and respected contractor, Holmes embraced strong ethics before the bright lights embraced him. Even after starring in 14 TV series and forming a business empire, the 59-year-old says he’s as hungry as ever to help others.

“It’s always been about educating the viewers so they can make better decisions about renovating right, buying right and building right,” Holmes tells the Connection in a phone interview while filming in Vaughan, Ontario.

Mike Holmes (centre) with his son, Michael (left), and Vic Maia of Shed Village on the set of Holmes Family Rescue in 2021.
THE HOLMES GROUP

Building his career

Holmes’ late father, who was a technical engineer for General Motors and a plumber by trade, spent his spare time fixing up the family’s Toronto home. The younger Holmes quickly showed an aptitude in home repair himself, rewiring the house when he was just 6 years old. He later renovated his uncle’s basement, fixing the panelling, stairs and dropped ceiling. Holmes was hired to run a renovation company at age 19 and started his own company a couple of years later.

In 2001, a 38-year-old Holmes was hired to build a custom home for a TV executive who produced a home-repair show and other lifestyle programs. During a break, Holmes explained to him how exhausted he was from repairing botched jobs by so-called professionals. The executive was compelled to ask Holmes to do a pilot for a possible show. Three months later, they made it a reality.

In his television appearances, Holmes can be seen with his crew of tradesmen entering damaged homes, knocking out weak construction and replacing it with high-grade work. He sometimes discovers other serious problems along the way, including hazardous wiring, asbestos and mould. His personality shines through as he comforts homeowners and bemoans flimsy fixes and poorly planned properties.

“I am who I am,” Holmes says. “There’s no script. I’m just myself.”

Holmes on Homes ran for seven seasons, gaining rank as one of the most popular Canadian TV shows in the past quarter century. The Holmes Group empire gradually formed, with multiple shows (14 different series that have been seen on multiple channels in more than 100 countries, according to Holmes), branded merchandise and a variety of services offered. You can even buy a Mike Holmes–approved home built to his high standards: Holmes Approved Homes.

Through ups and downs in the economy and housing market, Holmes’ knowledge continues to be in demand. At the heart of his success, he says, is a profound desire to improve the lives of others, one home at a time. “I got tired of seeing homeowners getting taken advantage of,” he adds.

Why inspections matter

Whether your home is old or new, for sale or off the market, getting an inspection can be useful, Holmes says. Getting a home inspection before beginning a large-scale renovation can help to determine the condition of the home prior to starting. Those with a trained eye and special equipment can help pinpoint red flags and prioritize your renovation and repair list, Holmes adds.

And just because a house is new does not mean that everything is in perfect condition, he adds. It’s always a good idea to catch problems early. An inspection every two to three years gets you ahead of the game by having every aspect of your home, including systems, components and structures, checked for potential problems.

Fortunately, Holmes has come to the rescue countless times for those who’ve had bad luck with fixes.

In the first season of Holmes Family Rescue, a homeowner presented Holmes and his crew with a quandary: a leak around the house that four prior contractors had been unable to pinpoint. The Holmes staff used thermal imaging cameras to find the source and offer a solution.

During filming in 2022, Holmes worked with a homeowner who was taken for $500,000 before Holmes and his crew came in and repaired the damage.

“My team of home inspectors are highly trained, certified professionals who are very experienced in the home inspection industry,” Holmes says. “They provide a thorough visual examination and assessment to ensure your current or future home is built right. Every inspection goes beyond the industry standard and uses premium equipment and specialized training so that what the inspector sees, you see.”

Giving back

The Holmes Foundation and the Make It Right Charity, which Holmes founded in 2006, continue to support students entering or enrolled in a residential construction program at a Canadian college or university through scholarships and bursaries. To date, he’s sponsored 150 scholarships and bursaries, totaling $225,000.

Holmes, along with his adult children Michael and Sherry, is an ambassador with Skills Canada, which helps youths find careers in trades and technologies.

Holmes is also an active proponent of sustainability, looking for ways to make homes more efficient. “We as an industry need to pay more attention to building smarter,” he says.

Family affair

Now a grandparent, Holmes works alongside Michael and Sherry on a daily basis. They grew up in front of TV audiences, featured in shows like Holmes—The Next Generation, Holmes and Holmes, Holmes Family Effect and now Holmes Family Rescue.

“I always wanted to teach my kids to get into trades,” the Halton Hills, Ontario, resident says. “I thought my son might turn into the best Xbox and Nintendo player. He had no interest [in work as a contractor]. When he was 15 and off school, I said, ‘Why don’t you come to work with me?’ He worked with me all summer. First on broom. And he came back the next summer. ... Before you knew it, Sherry came in to help with a project in the Lower Ninth [Ward in New Orleans]. She said, ‘I’m in.’ ”

Michael and Sherry have since developed a following of their own, with Sherry serving as a role model to women in construction. “Sherry now represents women in trades,” Holmes says. “She didn’t see it coming, but I did. [She and Michael] are naturals.”

The second season of Holmes Family Rescue is set to air this year. “I get to teach them a thing or two, and they’ve taught me so much about technology, plus we laugh a lot and we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Holmes says of Michael and Sherry. “It’s a lot of fun. I’m a lucky guy to do what I love every day and share it with them.”

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Costco Connection: A variety of Mike Holmes-branded workwear is available at Costco.ca. (Search “Holmes Workwear.”)