Parents' Guide to

Holmes on Homes

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Contractor rebuilds what went wrong; won't interest kids.

TV HGTV Reality TV 2003
Holmes on Homes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Mike Uryniak
Mike Uryniak Adult
August 14, 2022
age 10+

Consummate professional and best inspector in Canada

Giving it to the owners straight and calling out shoddy work by contractors, and he gets the job done right. Mike Holmes Sr has been a home inspector and contractor for decades and he works with his kids, an electrician named Frank Cozzolino, other inspectors, contractors and has a staff. He lives by the mantra make it right. He has demolished, repairs and renovated improperly installed ductwork, electrical work, roofs, load bearing walls, structural issues, water and safety hazards, asbestos, mold, you name it, he's done it and made it right. He does swear a wee bit and there is a bit of rock music. Nothing wrong with Rock music. This isn't the 1950s. There is a lot of harder music nowadays, so I don't worry about it. Now the sweating, it is due to the shoddy work of others that makes Mike Holmes mad. He isn't religious at all, and though I am, I don't feel like pushing my beliefs. This isn't an ethical or theological fight, this is a tv show, and a very good one at that. I rated it 10 up, as kids need to be surrounded by people who are flawed, but are excellent at what they do, so they may be educated on what to do and not to do.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
N8dogg
N8dogg Adult
February 13, 2022
age 13+

Shock and Awe turned me off

This episode just upset me for so many reasons. I love this show. I have used it in my daily life as I hope to be as good of a contractor as what I see. This episode just pissed me off on the story and person involved. The motor cycle girl was definitely a keeper.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When you hire a contractor or builder who messes up, Canadian contractor Mike Holmes is the guy you want fixing it. In each episode of HOLMES ON HOMES, Holmes comes in and fixes the damage that other folks left behind -- often finding even more wrong than he originally thought.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (6):
Kids say: Not yet rated

What makes Holmes entertaining to watch is that he's very opinionated and has no patience with shoddy workmanship. In fact, half the fun of the show is watching Holmes all but lose it when he discovers that a given problem is worse than he originally thought. For example, in an episode in which a builder messed up a flat roof so that water ran into the rest of the house, Holmes found that the exterior wall was installed so that it looked insulated but was actually only insulated at the top, where the building inspector would see it. He didn't quite break down and swear, but you know he wanted to.

The show's only downside is that it requires viewers to decipher the language of home construction. Unless you're already a contractor, when Holmes is talking about a specific task, it can be a little tricky to figure out what he's talking about.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the show is edited. How long do you think the featured construction jobs actually took to complete? Why would producers want to speed up viewers' sense of the time involved? Do any errors or mistakes get introduced as a result?

  • Also, what's the appeal of shows about home construction/decoration/sales? Why are there so many shows like this on the air?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: March 22, 2003
  • Cast: Mike Holmes
  • Network: HGTV
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: TV-G
  • Last updated: September 20, 2019

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