Carmen and Mike of HGTV’s ‘Inside Out’ Renovation Tips | Inside Out

If you’re as much a fan of outdoor renovations as you are inside, then you’re in for a treat with HGTV’s latest home show, Inside Out. Hosted by Carmine Sabatella and Mike Pyle, the show follows the process of indoor and outdoor renovations within a competition-based storyline. The gist? Carmine, a real estate agent and interior designer, and Mike, a landscape designer, conjure up unique design plans to pitch their client. Whoever wins over the client, wins the bigger chunk of the budget.

Of course, we had questions about how this process plays into the actual update of each home. And, knowing that we’re not alone, we chatted with Carmine and Mike for answers to four burning questions that are likely to pop up in your mind as well. Check out what they had to say.

According to Mike and Carmine, it’s not so much about the space within the home that can be renovated with the least amount of money, but rather the rooms that sell the house and make it instantly enjoyable. So, while the exterior might offer the initial curb appeal, Carmine believes that the kitchen and main bedroom and bathroom are what sell the home.

“The main bedroom and bathroom and kitchen typically take up most of the budget but at the end of the day it’s well worth it,” he shares.

If you’ve ever renovated your house, you might be wincing at the idea of tackling multiple projects—both indoors and outdoors—at once. But, when it comes to home renovators Mike and Carmine, it’s all in a day’s work.

“I’m a fan of tackling the inside and outside all at once,” Mike says. “You will typically save on costs and time.”

That said, Mike points out that if your goal is to follow suit, “You definitely need a contractor that is versed in prioritizing trades in order so that things are done in order and you’re not damaging previous work.”

For example, he says that you shouldn’t install plant material or grass if the house still needs to be painted or stuccoed. “This will result in damaged and or painted plants and grass,” he warns.

While Inside Out is a competition-based home design show, it’s a home renovation show at its core. As such, Carmine says that renovation plans are always planned together from the start. “It’s a cohesive design that is fluid from the front, through the exterior of the home, and [to the] rear yard,” he explains.

All this is to say, while each designer hones in on their own projects, they’re also very aware of what the other is doing in order to present a beautiful home to the client.

“At the end of the day we pride ourselves on a consistent product inside and out to give the home the most value,” Mike says.

Since Inside Out is a competition between Mike and Carmine, one design is going to lose based on the client’s discretion. When this happens, the designer not only loses the larger chunk of the budget, but they also go back into planning to ensure that the end result is a winning design in the homeowner’s eye.

“If our design isn’t chosen we always have a backup plan in mind and are up to the challenge of making it the best product possible,” Carmine says. “This is one of my favorite parts of the show because it really forces us to be creative with a limited budget.

Inside Out premieres on Monday, April 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.