HGTV stars Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas ventured south for the winter, tackling three double-occupancy home renovations in New Orleans for their five-episode spinoff series, Bargain Block: New Orleans.
Despite conducting extensive research before taking on the challenge, the duo encountered the usual unexpected obstacles that cost them more time and money than planned.
On November 8, Thomas marked the conclusion of their spinoff’s airing with a celebratory Instagram post. In the comment section, Bynum disclosed which of the three houses proved profitable.
When a fan asked, “Did anything sell?” Bynum replied, “Yep! First one was a loss, but we turned it around with the second one. Did good enough to keep the third one.”
Keith Bynum & Evan Thomas Reflect on ‘New Orleans’ Journey
In his Instagram post, Thomas shared photos of the couple’s final New Orleans renovation, captioning it:
“That’s a wrap on Bargain Block: New Orleans! We had a blast with this final house, and the whole experience in NOLA was absolutely incredible. It’s always exciting to work with a slightly larger budget and have the freedom to push the design beyond what we typically do on Bargain Block. I hope you enjoyed the series and the homes.”
The third house, which Bynum and Thomas decided to keep, was the Marie Antoinette Jazz House featured in the series finale.
The first house, which Bynum mentioned resulted in a loss, was the Creole Cottage House with its Astrology-themed rental unit, highlighted in episodes one and two.
The second house, which turned a profit for the couple, was the Traditional New Orleans House with a Mardi Gras-themed rental unit, showcased in episodes three and four.
Bynum and Thomas have spoken about the adjustments they had to make to their business model while adapting to the New Orleans market.
In an October 2024 interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, the duo highlighted that the most significant shift was the cost of the homes themselves.
“I think in Detroit, we’ve become very adept at managing tight budgets, and that skill translated well to New Orleans,” Bynum explained.
“The budgets for what’s considered ‘affordable’ there were about twice the going rate in Detroit.”
Thomas elaborated, “The market in New Orleans is much more expensive. To maintain affordability, we stuck with the double-occupancy model, essentially creating duplexes.
Each home features an owner’s side and a rental side, with the rental income ideally helping to offset the owner’s mortgage.”