Show Notes
Most home improvement shows make renovation look easy, fast, and cheap. Kayleen McCabe spent years helping create that illusion — and then walked away from it. She's a contractor, TV host, and trades advocate who's here to show homeowners the truth: what you can actually do yourself, what you should never touch, and why the pretty stuff always has to wait. Here's what we discuss with Kayleen: • Maintenance first, pretty second — why foundation, plumbing, and electrical come before the kitchen you've been dreaming about • The permits rule: anything that requires one requires a professional, full stop • How to figure out your DIY limit — and why knowing when to stop isn't weakness • Why you should double your budget on every first renovation before you start • The Google rule: if you're searching whether a wall is load-bearing, you already have your answer • What most homeowners get wrong about toilets — and the $50 fix that most people ignore until they can't • Why the trades shortage is a homeowner problem too, and what's actually changing • What it feels like to love your house — and how to get there Connect: https://www.angi.com/own-it-with-angie-hicks-podcast/ Ready to find the right contractor before your next project? Visit https://www.angi.com/ to connect with top-rated pros in your area.
More from Own It with Angie Hicks
The dream home used to be about impressing your neighbors. Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt say that's over. The HGTV builders and designers behind hundreds of homes across Florida are seeing something different now — homeowners who want a space that works for the life they're actually living, not the one they're performing. In this episode, Angie sits down with Brian and Mika to talk about what home design looks like in 2026, how to build for multiple generations under one roof, and the budget line item that always runs out of money first. Here's what we discuss with Brian and Mika: How the definition of a dream home has completely changed — and what it means for how you build or renovate Why the formal dining room is disappearing and what's replacing it How to design for three generations under one roof without losing privacy What to build now so you don't have to retrofit later — wider doorways, main-floor bedrooms, and more Why landscaping always runs out of money last — and why it should come first The biggest budget mistake homeowners make before a renovation even starts What Brian and Mika learned building their own home that they couldn't have learned any other way
Financial independence got left out of the conversation for women — and Farnoosh Torabi has spent her career putting it back in. In this episode, Angie sits down with the personal finance journalist, author, and host of So Money to talk about money, homeownership, and what it actually means to be a co-pilot in your own financial life — not a passenger. Here's what we discuss with Farnoosh: • Why financial independence got left out of the conversation for women — and what that costs them • What to do if your partner handles the finances and you've let it stay that way • The three financial checkpoints to hit before you buy a home • Why your primary residence isn't really an investment — and what that means for how you think about it • The "dying with zero" concept and why more families are rethinking generational wealth • What owning it actually means — not just your house, but your whole financial life --------- Ready to find the right contractor before your next project? Connect: https://www.angi.com/own-it-with-angie-hicks-podcast/ Visit https://www.angi.com/ to connect with top-rated pros in your area.
After a hundred houses and nine seasons of Good Bones, Mina Starsiak Hawk has one rule: assume the worst and budget accordingly. In this episode — the first Own It in-studio interview — Angie sits down with Mina to talk about what renovation really costs, why the inspection is the most underrated tool a buyer has, and the truth about contractors, bids, and lowest bids. Here's what we discuss with Mina: Why your renovation budget is wrong before you even start What a home inspection is really for — and why you should never skip it There's always a reason the lowest bid is the lowest bid What "good bones" actually means — and what to look for instead New construction vs. old homes: which one actually costs more to maintain Why no one is ever going to care about your home as much as you do
Your kitchen gets the budget. Your bathroom gets the Pinterest board. And your yard — the first thing anyone sees when they pull up to your house — gets whatever's left over. Landscape designer, contractor, and TV host Sara Bendrick says that's exactly backwards. In this episode, Angie and Sara break down what a yard renovation actually costs, why so much of that money disappears underground, and the one thing every homeowner should do before a single plant goes in the ground. Here's what we discuss with Sara: • Why homeowners keep running out of money before they ever get to the yard — and how to fix that from day one • What "half your budget you'll never see" actually means, and why that's not wasted money • The difference between hardscape and softscape — and why the order you do them matters • How to phase a landscape renovation so the budget works for your real life • When to DIY and what to leave alone — and how to have that conversation with your contractor • What outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and hot tubs actually cost versus what people think • The ROI case for your outdoor space — and why realtors will back it up • Why you should live in your yard before you ever redesign it --------- Connect: https://www.angi.com/own-it-with-angie-hicks-podcast/ Ready to find the right contractor before your next project? Visit https://www.angi.com/ to connect with top-rated pros in your area.
Not everyone should buy a house. Kelly Edwards — TV host, designer, and real estate agent — will tell you that to your face, even if it costs her the commission. In this episode, Angie and Kelly cover what first-time buyers actually need to know before they make an offer, how to renovate without blowing your budget on the wrong things first, and the design principles that hold up across every price point. Here's what we discuss with Kelly: • Why you're not just buying a house — you're marrying the neighborhood • The questions to ask yourself before you decide to buy at all • What the full team looks like when you're buying for the first time — and why the inspector matters most • How to figure out your renovation non-negotiables and what can wait • Why labor costs more than materials — and what that means for your budget • The design move most people overlook that makes any house feel bigger • The most common mistake homeowners make thinking about today instead of five years from now • What luxury homes get right about outdoor space — and how to steal it --------- Connect: https://www.angi.com/own-it-with-angie-hicks-podcast/ Ready to find the right contractor before your next project? Visit https://www.angi.com/ to connect with top-rated pros in your area.