Alec Caldwell
Diarrhea from the mouth of Mike Holmes!
Mike Holmes' first business card read "The F*** Up Fixer." Too bad he can't fix some of the stupid things he has told the public in his newspaper columns.
By Alec Caldwell
Has Mike Holmes’ self-serving ego once again become a thorn in the side of many professional qualified home renovation contractors, as he brands them again in the eyes of homeowners?
Holmes’ latest buffoonery comment was made two weeks ago in the National Post, when he told the public that “no good contractor needs more than a ten per cent deposit when starting a job.”
What makes Mike Holmes a guru on the subject of deposits and payment schedules? As a TV star first and foremost, he’s removed from the daily life of real contractors. When he was one, way back when, he went broke.
But fear-mongering among homeowners is what Holmes does best. I thought it was up to the homeowner and their contractor to decide a reasonable deposit based on the actual work to be done. Yes, ten per cent is sometimes fair. We all know this. Ten per cent is far too low other times. We all know this, too.
It’s been widely reported that Mike Holmes’ first business card, when he was 19, read: “The F-up Fixer.” Right from the start, then, Mike Holmes knew the market he was after: People who had been ripped off by contractors. This is called target marketing and, as a business owner, it’s genius. Unfortunately, and clearly, Mike Holmes is not a genius at other aspects of our business – including payment schedules. Nor in some of the other branches of his business that he has closed down in recent years.
Holmes’ slogan is of course, “Make it Right.” He’s got that phrase trademarked. But he hasn’t always done things right all. He’s done many things flagrantly wrong. For example, he has talked about how at the age of 12, under his father’s supervision, he finished his uncle’s basement completing the electrical work and plumbing. I don’t think I can think of a worse example of construction work being done wrong – an unlicensed minor doing plumbing and electrical. No matter who was “supervising.”
Why would a person boast about their past indiscretions, especially as he spouts to homeowners they deserve better? This means a fully qualified trades person and not someone working illegally with electricity, no matter their age at the time.
Maybe Holmes should take all of his money and his ongoing royalties and retire down south. It’s not going to happen right now. Maybe, then, he could tackle a new project strictly focusing on unlicensed, cash, fly-by-night contractors – instead of making so MANY legal, licensed contractors look bad. (For example, his famous comment that 70 per cent of all contractors are “bad” and 10 per cent “ugly. We don’t need to go back to that one. He never retracted it.)
It would be really nice if Mike Holmes wouldn stop making these blanket “percentage” statements to the public with zero research behind his statements.
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The MoL would do well to sit in their offices and watch re-runs of Mike’s shows, and some of Brian Bauemler’s too, where right on-camera there are numerous safety violations, especially at height. These shows impact the public’s perception of the contracting industry in many ways. The corporations who sponsor and support the outrageous incomes earned by these TV carpenters should revaluate what exactly they are condoning.
Mike is not reality, like I have stated before(you can lead donkey’s to water) which is working for Mike. He choose to bad mouth the hardworking legit contractor, and sized them up with the fly by night, don’t know what the f ck to do and take your money pieces of shit!
We all should take a look back at Mike’s first years of making it right and we can all have a laugh. He now has skilled people around him to teach and show him how it is done right!! However this did take a TON of money and a huge team with MONEY!!! A true tradesmen laughs when watching his shows it’s like a free night out at” Just for Laughs” Comedy Club .
I haven’t figured it out yet why he isn’t a Master Electrician yet, as he has been doing it from 12 years of age? Mike should put a team together and they can train the rest of us! LOL
It may be constructive (pardon the pun) to have a real discussion about percentages and terms that real contractors can contribute some actual experience on. An article for another day. Like -What is your preferred method, is it contract rate or cost plus, is it cost plus with full discloser or perhaps the clients pay all the invoices to the trades and just pays you a percentage and or project management fee.
It may be constructive (pardon the pun) to have a real discussion about percentages and terms that real contractors can contribute some actual experience on. An article for another day. Like -What is your preferred method, is it contract rate or cost plus, is it cost plus with full discloser or perhaps the clients pay all the invoices to the trades and just pays you a percentage and or project management fee?
“But fear-mongering among homeowners is what Holmes does best. ” Now I understand why he supports the Conservatives!
thank you for speaking up about this.
I don’t know if Mike or his hired Contractors are making it always right, but I can tell for sure he is pretty screwing around when it comes to proper tile setting. The same applies to his comments regarding tile installations. Both, the tile work and the tile related work I have seen so far, as well as his comments he has given in his shows are often not right. – Just saying.
Holmes thrives on sensationalism and spinning a story to benefit him.
The best thing we could do is ignore him.
His 15 minutes will be up some day soon.
James Registered home inspector
Thank you for your opinion and for the article. Our Company is 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 and has been for decades. It’s fair and all in writing and client’s have accepted this as a fair means of payment. Often what happens is TV creates a larger than life persona and individuals get caught up in what is good for TV and what is reality. For those of us in the Trades we get it, Clients don’t they see a whole renovation in 30 minutes. Balmers show is often more realistic but still falls short. Jim Caruk’s was the most real which is why it’s not on. Not enough sensationalism. Jacked up reality shows are here to stay like them or not they sell.
You know if you bad mouth Mike Holmes more than three times in one posting Shell Busey pops up to defend him.
It took us a long time to learn how to program that in Java Script
Should have hired Mike Holmes to program it.
1/3, 1/3, 1/3. I know some contractors asking 60% and up, wich is rediculous. But 10% doesnt work always..