Home renovation experts Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas fulfill their dream of restoring Motor City’s iconic American neighborhoods one house at a time in the new series Bargain Block, premiering Wednesday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. With help from their friend—lifetime Detroit resident and real estate expert Shea Hicks-Whitfield—the couple buys as many rundown and abandoned houses as they can on a single block and then renovates them to make them appealing, yet affordable enough for buyers within the community. While working on each of the under-renovation properties, Keith, a designer, and Evan, a builder and carpenter, strip them to the studs to create affordable, stylish, fully furnished starter homes that are ideal for first-time homebuyers. As champions of the mantra, “everyone deserves good design,” the duo infuses each renovation with artful and surprising aesthetics that uplift the rehabbed home and serve as an inspiration for other houses and homeowners on the block.
“I love Detroit because it actually feels like you can make a difference here,” said Keith. “There’s a sense of pride and urgency. We’re all in this together and we’re trying to build the best community that we can. And I love that.”
“In order to keep our costs down, we basically do everything ourselves, even the gross grunt work,” said Evan. “The first renos on a new block are a huge financial risk. Until we build up some comps at top dollar, we need to really be careful with our budget.”
In the season’s first episode, Shea hosts an open house for Keith and Evan’s first overhauled property on the neighborhood block, while the pair starts their next renovation a few doors down. Keith and Evan fully restore a dilapidated two-bedroom property into a stunning home with a modern theme that features warm colors, cozy furnishings and a huge main bedroom. Next, they reno a dark, dated three-bedroom house, giving it a mid-century vibe with colorful art and bold lighting on a shoestring budget.
“Keith and Evan are committed not only to renovating homes but to upgrading entire neighborhoods in the city that I love,” said Shea. “It’s a pleasure to support any effort to make owning a beautiful, custom and affordable home a reality for residents of Detroit.”