When Renovation Island debuted in 2019, viewers loved watching how Bryan and Sarah Baeumler transformed a dilapidated 50-year-old hotel into a luxury resort. The project turned the run-down Emerald Palms hotel into the Caerula Mar Club.
The couple hails from Oakville in Ontario, Canada. Already stars on Canadian TV after a number of DIY shows, their hotel venture saw them shift their home base to the location of the hotel, the San Andros Island in the Bahamas.
Part of what made the series so popular with viewers was the fact that the Baeumlers moved their whole family to the island too.
Of course, there are questions about how authentic the HGTS shows are. Recently, questions were asked about other shows on the channel, with viewers wondering if Jonathan and Drew Scott actually complete any of the renovations on Property Brothers.
Of course, there has been speculation about how real the Baeumler family's stay on the island was, but viewers enjoyed watching the adventures of the young family, real or not.
Ahead of the move, Bryan told The Toronto Sun : “We’re taking the whole herd on the boat over to the island, and we’ll spend the next year or so there. It’s a big project, and obviously a huge change in venue — we’ll be the fish out of water for the first time, but it’s going to be a great experience for the kids.”
And it was.
"This is the biggest change our family has faced and the largest project we've ever taken on," said Bryan, who added that the Baeumlers were risking "absolutely everything."
Is The Family Living On The Island For The New Season?
After a delay in opening due to the covid19 pandemic, the Caerula Mar Club resort is finally open, but there are still things to do. And that means another season of the popular show.
New episodes of the hit show are already airing on HGTV Canada and should hit the U.S. in the summer of 2022.
But is the family still living on the island? Apparently not.
In an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press, Bryan said: “It’s a really transformative season for our family as we’re spending more time traveling back and forth to the island, settling the kids in South Florida, and continuing to manage and expand our businesses.”
The renovator spoke about how he had completed his pilot’s license and bought a small airplane. It seems he and Sarah will be traveling between the two locations, with the kids joining them every now and again.
Do They Miss Life On The Island?
Despite the adventure, life on a remote island was pretty hard on the Baeumlers in some ways. Used to the pace in Ontario, they had to adjust to a much slower pace of South Andros.
They also had to adjust to the limited shopping choices offered. Smaller stocks impacted on the pace of their renovations, as materials had to be flown or shipped in, slowing the process considerably.
In addition, the family had to adapt to very different living arrangements. Having swapped the spacious "forever home" they built for the family, Bryan and Sarah had to settle their children into a 550-square-foot villa during the renovations.
The building saw daily challenges, like leaking roofs, rusted metal, and termite infestations. And although Hurricane Dorian didn’t affect the resort, it impacted people who were working on their project. But they pushed on and finally completed the resort.
The project has certainly been worthwhile for the Baeumlers: With a net worth of $20 million, Bryan is near the top of the list when it comes to the earnings of the HGTV stars.
Not Everyone Stayed On The Island During Filming
The couple originally started off home-schooling their three youngest kids, Lincoln, Josephine, and Charlotte. As things got busier at the resort, though, they had less time available for lessons and enrolled them at a local Bahamian school.
A bigger challenge arose when it was decided that teenager Quintyn should have a normal high school experience, and he was sent off to boarding school. Fortunately, as the school was only a 20-minute flight from the island, they were able to visit their son regularly while still continuing to work on the resort.
Despite all the challenges, the family enjoyed the nature that the island has to offer.
In Sarah’s words,“ I look back to a lot of the chaos of living there with our kids, but those are some of the best memories we have. Our kids had a really good time. They learned a lot watching Bryan build the home, and I think they’ve taken on a new respect for the house because they watched Daddy build every single wall."
The Baeumlers' Home Base Is Now In Florida
In the quest to get back to a sense of normal life for their family, Bryan and Sarah have opted for a home in Florida, from where they can travel back and forth easily to the Caerula Mar Club.
But of course, they never take the easy route. The new season seems the couple embarking on home improvements to the Florida house. And there’s the inevitable maintenance at the resort, which consists of 18 hotel rooms, 22 oceanfront villas, a full-service restaurant, clubhouse, spa, in-ground pool, and bar.
There’s Another Series In The Pipeline
News is that viewers will also be able to see Bryan in another series soon. In Renovation Resort, Bryan will be joined by the host of Vаcаtion House Rules аnd Income Property, Scott McGillivrаy.
The series sees the two ‘frenenemies’ working together to fix up a lаkeside resort. The series sees a different approach, though. Scott аnd Bryаn will be hiring four teams, who each renovate a waterfront cаbin. The winning teаm will end the seаson with a life-changing prize.
It seems the Baeumlers will never stop renovating. And viewers love it.