HGTV stars Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas have taken on a new challenge in their spinoff show, Bargain Block: New Orleans, diving headfirst into the vibrant yet demanding real estate market of the Big Easy.
In an October 14 interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, the duo discussed the unique challenges they encountered while spending the winter working on renovation projects in New Orleans and how they adapted their approach to meet the needs of local buyers.
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Bynum explained how their experience in Detroit helped them stay budget-conscious, a skill that translated well to the more expensive New Orleans market.
“In Detroit, we’ve learned to be really careful with our budgets, and that worked nicely in New Orleans, but the affordability is different. The budgets there are about twice the going rate compared to Detroit,”
Bynum shared.
Thomas elaborated on the differences, saying,
“The market in New Orleans is a lot more expensive. To maintain affordability, we stuck with double-occupancy homes, which are like duplexes, where one side is for the owner and the other is a rental. Hopefully, that rental side can help offset the owner’s mortgage. Starter homes in New Orleans are priced around $350,000 to $400,000, while in Detroit, it’s about half that, so we had to get creative to keep things affordable.”
Keith Bynum Showed Off the First House He & Evan Thomas Completed in New Orleans
Fans of Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas were quick to notice the more subdued color palette in this renovation compared to Bynum’s usual bold designs, as he acknowledged in his caption.
One user playfully commented, “Beautiful and such a grown-up style. Keith, did you decorate this, or did you let Evan? LOL.” Thomas chimed in to clarify, “Keith decorates everything.”
Another fan appreciated the shift in style, writing,
“The neutral was a nice change of pace for you… see! You CAN do it!” Thomas responded by pointing out that neutral designs aren’t entirely new for them. “We enjoy doing neutral designs! Our house we redid in season 3 in Detroit is fairly neutral after all. As was the latest Rock the Block house, the Hamptons house from season 2, the Scandi house from season 3, etc. We like a variety 😃,”
he explained.