The Untold Truth Of Bryan And Sarah Baeumler From Renovation Island
"Renovation Island" returned to HGTV for Season 4 in March 2022. This season of the show — which initially premiered in June 2020 and was an instant hit for the Home and Garden network — follows Bryan and Sarah Baeumler as they live in an RV while renovating a property in Florida.
In the debut season of "Renovation Island," viewers watched as the Baeumlers transformed an old, dilapidated hotel into a luxury resort, a process that was made more difficult due to the devastation from Hurricane Dorian, which hit the Bahamas in 2019. Bryan explained to the Toronto Sun how the resort was in the "right state of disrepair and at the right price." Before the renovations, the family had spent time getting to know their new home on the island. Sarah explained, "There's such a rhythm to this island and so much personality that ... more than anything I just started to feel more grounded."
While the Baeumlers were able to get their resort, which they named Caerula Mar after the cerulean blue sea, up and running, they hit a setback during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bryan later revealed to the Toronto Sun, "The hotel was full, there was energy in the air, then COVID hit." Sarah added, "The place may have been closed but the work does not stop." Of course, the work didn't stop, as we saw in Season 3. But let's get to know the couple behind the renovation show.
Bryan and Sarah have renovated tough projects before
"Renovation Island's" Bryan and Sarah Baeumler have a lot of experience when it comes to redeveloping property and being on TV. The couple had previously starred on DIY's "House of Bryan," where viewers watched as the family tore down their bungalow to create their dream home. Bryan also starred on "Leave It to Bryan," where he helped homeowners renovate their houses, as well as "Disaster DIY," where he assisted others who messed up while doing their own home renovations.
Bryan is a licensed contractor and says he learned his skills from his father, who worked as an airplane engineer. At age 14, Bryan started his own handyman business. He later got his degree in political science before founding Baeumler Quality Construction.
As for Sarah, she works for the company as a project manager and has appeared as an interior designer on some of Bryan's shows. For this particular Bahamas project, Sarah was in charge of designing the resort. She had 18 hotel rooms and 22 villas, as well as a restaurant, bar, spa, and clubhouse to design for Caerula Mar. Bryan explained, per The List, "This is the biggest change our family has faced and the largest project we've ever taken on." Yet it's clear these types of renovations are something they can handle, and at the end of the day, they appreciate the opportunity. As Sarah told People, "Most people work 51 weeks a year so they can spend one week in paradise. We're here every day!"
The Baeumlers sent their kids to a Bahamian school
Along with the resort renovation project, the Baeumlers have four children, Quintyn, Charlotte, Lincoln, and Josephine, whom they began raising on the remote island. With that of course came the task of providing them education, something at one point Bryan and Sarah did themselves for their three youngest children, according to House Beautiful. However, as shown on "Renovation Island," once construction picked up on the resort and the couple's schedules became busier, they decided it was better to enroll Lincoln, Josephine, and Charlotte into a local Bahamian school.
As for their eldest, Quintyn, Sarah and Bryan wanted him to have a more normal teenage experience. That's why they decided to send him away from the island to a boarding school. While the family didn't get to see the teen daily like they were used to, Sarah explained on the show that Quintyn was only a 20-minute plane ride away from South Andros, so they were still able to visit each other often.
The Baeumlers' home base may now be in Florida, but when the kids weren't in school, it appears they enjoyed the nature that the island has to offer, as Sarah posted photos on her Instagram of Quintyn taking care of horses, Jojo on chicken coop duty, and Lincoln feeding ducks. It also seems that the children inspired the decision to open a resort. Bryan explained to People, "We really wanted to create a place where our family would want to spend time." And it appears that mission was accomplished.
The family made a big decision in a matter of minutes
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler didn't appear to mull over the decision to buy and renovate a Bahamas resort for too long. While many would agonize over whether to uproot their family and move to another country or not, the Baeumlers apparently decided in only a matter of minutes. Sarah revealed to People how they first became familiar with the Bahamas. "We have a property in the Florida Keys where we keep our boat, and we have made quite a few trips over the Bahamas," she said. She explained why Andros in particular, adding, "Every trip Bryan is always scouring the charts for new places to explore. Andros (known as the Sleeping Giant) always caught our attention because it's by far the largest, yet least developed Island in the Bahamas."
Sarah also dished how the couple came across the resort. "During our trip we were shown the old 'Emerald Palms' hotel," she explained. "I think it took about 5 minutes of touring the hotel until we all looked at each other and said, 'Let's do this!'" Sarah also told the Toronto Sun, "Bryan looked at me and I could tell by the look in his eyes that this was something he wanted to do."
Outside of the actual building, the environment made it clear they were in the right place to start designing. "Mother Nature is doing all the talking," Sarah gushed. "The color of the ocean is absolutely exquisite. ... There's no competing with those shades."
Island life was an adjustment for the Baeumlers
While the Baeumlers are clearly living in paradise, whether in Florida or in the Bahamas, island life had "been an adjustment" for the family, who originally lived in Canada. Sarah explained some of the challenges about the latter location to People. "Stores are small and don't always carry the variety we're used to back home," she said, adding, "If we're out of milk, we can't always run to the store to get more, sometimes we need to wait a week until the next ship arrives, so we drink water or juice." But the mom of four did dish how these changes were actually good for the family: "It actually reduces stress because you start to realize that you don't need everything instantly available at your fingertips to survive and be happy."
The island has made their work a little more difficult, however, with logistics being an issue. Bryan described how they have only had a few small planes and ships to bring their materials, "which means we need to plan weeks ahead for what items we need on-site." He added, "If we're missing something, it's either not coming for a few weeks, or we need to charter an airplane at a great expense to get it here."
Yet, they do appear to enjoy the overall lifestyle. Bryan told the Toronto Sun, "Things that will get you ramped up here in Canada — waiting five minutes for a coffee or waiting for someone to finish pumping gas — those aren't concerns at the forefront of people who live on a tiny island."
The show has taken a toll on Bryan and Sarah's marriage
Taking on the project of renovating an entire resort had appeared to take a toll on Bryan and Sarah Baeumler's marriage. The stressful project created some tension between the two, and according to Heavy, their bickering was even shown on "Renovation Island." The couple also was seen discussing how difficult the project was on their relationship.
Yet, Bryan and Sarah still seem solid. The mother of four even gushed about her husband on an Instagram post for his birthday in April 2021. "To my outrageously funny, handsome, charming husband – I can't imagine spending a lifetime with anyone but you," she wrote. "Through all of these chapters of our lives, at the end of every day, it's you I want to hold."
The couple has been together for many chapters of their lives. According to Streets of Toronto, Sarah and Bryan met all the way back in high school but didn't date until 10 years later. Sarah revealed, "In 2001, we were both copied on an email from a mutual friend, which was the catalyst for us to begin talking again." They later tied the knot in 2004, before eventually becoming the reality TV duo they are today. Yet the mother of four pointed out that they always put each other first, even over renovating the resort. She explained, "We love what we do, and we work hard so we can enjoy time with our family."
A Renovation Island spin-off is in the works
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler's HGTV hit is so successful that it resulted in a spin-off. The new show, "Renovation Resort," has not yet premiered, as of this writing, but the concept already seems quite interesting. According to a casting call posted for the HGTV Canada show, pairs of home renovation experts will compete in remodeling a home for a cash prize. It looks like fans can expect a lot of banter among cast members because the casting call also makes it clear that "Renovation Resort" is looking for experts with big personalities. A description of the show shared with ET Canada revealed there will be a total of four duos and each pair will be assigned a waterfront cabin to completely revamp. The team with the best cabin will be crowned the winners.
Bryan's soon-to-be co-star, fellow HGTV celebrity Scott McGillivray, took to Instagram to share that their new show had begun its casting process in January 2022. Production company Corus Studios also released a statement about the show, which is set to debut sometime in 2023. "The recent success of both 'Scott's Vacation House Rules' and 'Island of Bryan' have catapulted triumphantly into over 100 territories worldwide, and feel we have a winning concept with 'Renovation Resort' that will continue to intrigue audiences and buyers internationally," senior vice president Lisa Godfrey said in the statement (via ET Canada).
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler bond through their common interests
The love between Bryan and Sarah Baeumler is apparent. This is no surprise considering they met in high school and have been building their relationship ever since. Sarah spoke about her and Bryan's love story in an interview for Streets of Toronto. As previously mentioned, the mother of four explained that although the pair knew each other as teens, they didn't begin dating until adulthood.
It seems that Bryan aimed to impress Sarah from the beginning, because she spoke fondly of their first date. "Bryan had planned an evening out on the town for us," Sarah said of the initial outing. "First we went and saw The Lion King theatre production, which was fantastic. Afterwards, we went for a lovely sushi dinner. He definitely pulled out all the stops, and it was a very exciting first date."
The couple's relationship might also be strengthened by their shared interests. Obviously, these two are passionate about home renovation, but what else do they have in common? Well, Sarah also revealed in the Streets of Toronto interview that she and Bryan are both certified scuba divers, so it may be safe to say they share a love for the ocean. She even posted a photo to Twitter that documented one of the family's diving adventures back in the summer of 2018.
They are already teaching their kids how to manage money
The Baeumlers experienced many ups and downs throughout their journey to making their property, Caerula Mar Club, profitable. Sarah and Bryan Baeumler opened up about some of these hardships in an interview with The Wrap. "In our financials, we had planned that the first year, generally, you're not gonna run at a profit, so we've had protections in place and we talked to our staff there," Bryan said of devising a plan to combat the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented. This trial and error is likely part of why the couple now knows enough about money to pass their knowledge on to their four children.
In fact, it seems that financial literacy is very important to the family, because the couple explained exactly how they educate their kids about money in an interview for RBC Royal Bank. "Quintyn wanted to buy a skim board — which would have used up all his income," Bryan said of their eldest son. "Instead, we sat down and watched a simple video about compound interest, in which he saw how much money he could earn if he invested that cash instead of spending it all."
It appears that Sarah wants their little ones to grow into financially responsible adults, as well, as she shared: "Giving your kids some measure of responsibility can teach them the concept of working for money. And when they work for cash — or for something they want — there is more weight and significance attached to the item purchased."