10 Tips to Find and Fix Your Perfect House from the Property Brothers

“Back in the day when we were renovating and flipping houses, we wanted it to be the best house on the block so it would sell first. We didn’t realize that there’s a lot of stuff you can do during a renovation that surely makes the house look nicer, but you aren’t going to get any more money for it.”
-Jonathan Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Trying to sell a $500,000 house in a $200,000 neighbourhood? Good luck. If no one else in the neighbourhood has designer 12-inch-wide hand-scraped hardwood flooring, stone counters and professional-grade kitchen appliances, people who are looking to buy in that neighbourhood won't expect to see them in a house and won't be willing to pay a premium for them."

“Get out there and expose yourself to what’s available through real estate. Go to open houses and go to product fairs where you can what's new for homes. It’s amazing that so many clients will tell us what they want, we show them something and they don’t even know it exists. Your home is the most important investment you’ll ever make so put in the effort, go online and look for inspiration and know exactly what you want.”
-Jonathan Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Of course you have to get a good vibe from a house, but you can't let emotions run your life or your house-buying strategy. That's why we, along with most real estate pros, recommend making an offer on a house based solely on facts and contingent on an acceptable home inspection."

 “People love home automation. It used to be this process where you had to rewire and do all this work—you don’t have to anymore. A lot of it is wireless and in fact a lot of the light bulbs themselves have the automation built right inside of them so you can screw them in wherever you want. Link it to your cell phone, link it to your Wi-Fi router remote connect and you’re good to go!"
-Jonathan Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Money- and energy-saving products are always worth the investment, not only for your own bills but for resale too. Yes, buyers do look for, and are attracted to, green and economical heating and cooling systems, energy efficient windows and insulation, and even smart lighting systems. Some of these products qualify for government tax credits and rebates when used in a renovation, so check with manufacturers for this perk. Over time, efficient systems save money on utility bills too."

“One thing that is really, really important is that people need storage. And the bathroom is one of the rooms you need storage the most because you have your toothbrushes, toiletries and whatnot. And people think in a small bathroom, I’ll put in something small because I can’t afford anything else for space—that’s not true."
-Drew Scott

“There are options to either do open shelving or a low profile cabinet above the toilet for extra storage. And medicine cabinets are great. You can get medicine cabinets today that are beautifully framed on the front. You would never know in a million years that it’s a medicine cabinet."
-Jonathan Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Don't sacrifice needed storage space for style. If you take out storage in the form of a medicine cabinet for a mirror, "replace" the lost storage with wall shelving or baskets. At the end of the day, we like to know there's enough room in everyone's bathrooms to store all their products. We can't stand knowing that even one person somewhere in North America might not have enough room for collectibles." 

“Often overlooked, area rugs are a phenomenal ways to add colour and interest, to do something bold and to define a space. It’s like art for the floor and it anchors all of your furniture. Very few people want wall-to-wall carpet anymore. They love having hardwood, and they love having tile or something else... but you can still add that warmth by adding an area rug.”
-Jonathan Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"The distance between an area rug and at least one wall should be 12 and 18 inches so that flooring is visible. In oversized great rooms, you can increase that distance between wall and rug or have it completely free floating in the centre of the room if the space is big enough."

"I love having features that go all the way from the floor up to the ceiling. So if you have the ability to have extra height in the ceilings (sometimes when people are building a home they’re given an option by the builder to add extra height, 10-foot ceilings stuff like that), I think that’s the greatest thing!”
-Jonathan Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Don't let a room get overwhelmed by furnishings of the same scale or "heft." Instead, vary the shape so that your eye moves around the room, stopping to pause for a rest before moving on."

“A big thing that we find people don’t get is that every room should have multiple features—and they don’t have to be expensive. So if a buyer walks in and loves the light fixture, or the lighting, or the flow… anything can be a feature as long as long as it’s something that makes the buyer say ‘wow.'”
-Drew Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Spend a couple hours browsing through magazines and online decorating sites, and you'll start to notice a common theme or 'look' that feels right for you. Don't be afraid to try something new and definitely take notes on what makes you say, "Yes! I love it," and what makes you think to yourself, "No way."

“A lot of people think fall means muted tones so they do taupe everything—boring! Keep it exciting! You can still have muted colours, but add colour to give your design some excitement."
-Drew Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Inspiration boards are great tools for keeping track of ideas, color schemes, fabric swatches, paint chips, samples, materials, and even cards with names and numbers of vendors. After you finish designing your room, keep the board as a reference when you're ready to swap out pieces or add new ones in."

"We get bizarre requests from people. One time a client wanted to put an elevator in just because they thought it was cool. Well, come on! It’s thousands and thousands of dollars that you won't get back.”
-Drew Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"Always consider what will appeal to buyers when doing improvements. A real estate agent who knows your area can help you understand what features add value for your community and will be happy to share knowledge with you in return for a potential future client."

“People get blinded by things like a beautiful kitchen, but then they forget about important things like if they need to be close to transit, or if they need to be in a certain school district. Sometimes parents will forget about the school because they love a beautiful bathroom.”
-Drew Scott

TAKEAWAY TIP from Dream Home

"After years of renovating homes, we've determined the 10 things we know homebuyers want. Keep in mind that every market is different and there can even be multiple markets within a single city. So be sure you talk to a local real estate expert. For the most part though, we have noticed that this is what buyers want. You may find this list helpful in clarifying your own wants and needs. Plus, we just like top 10 lists.

1. Open living plan with clear slight lines
2. Ample kitchen counter space
3. Separate pantry
4. Kitchen island
5. Mega-storage everywhere
6. Master suite with master bath and walk-in closets
7. Deck or patio for outside entertaining
8. Energy efficient fixtures and appliances
9. Two-car (minimum!) garage
10. Low-maintenance landscaping"

Stars of the hit TV show Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott are an unstoppable duo and have become internationally-acclaimed names in real estate and home renovation.

With a knack for entrepreneurship from a very young age (they started their own hanger business at the age of 7), the talented twins have successfully built an empire that ranges from a property investment company, the Scott Living home collection and Scott Brothers Entertainment, their own production company, responsible for spinoff shows such as Brother vs. Brother and Property Brothers at Home.

Over the years, both brothers have gained a huge fan following across the world thanks to their public appearances, interactive social media platforms, and incredibly fun personalities. As a way to give back to loyal fans, the brothers have recently released their very first book Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide To Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House filled with details on how to achieve the home you want, real estate info, design and renovation tips, and answers to their most commonly asked questions.

BCLiving sat down with Drew and Jonathan to chat about their new book and to find out their top 10 real estate and home renovation tips.

Click through above for expert advice from the Property Brothers and for takeaway tips from their new book, Dream Home...