10 Grand in Your Hand

Newlyweds Joe and Daniele Cangiolosi recently purchased their first home and need help taking their 1950s kitchen into the future. Working with outdated appliances and little room to move, John will help this couple reconfigure the existing layout by moving a window and closing up an exterior door in order to accommodate extra cabinetry. They'll also lay their own floor and create a breakfast nook out of an existing wall to open up the room. By doing the work themselves, these homeowners will be able to save over ten grand off their contractor's $35,000 bid. And while Joe is confident he can do the work, Daniele is not so sure he'll let her help. These two will have to work together to save big on this labor of love.

Allen and Debbie Goldstein have a big house and an even bigger family: three kids, a dog and in-laws all under one roof. They're paying their contractor big bucks to build an extensive addition to the home, but when these homeowners discover the extra square footage means they'll need to upgrade their boiler and HVAC system, they need John's help to save some serious cash. Their contractor will build the shell and they'll do the rest -- adding siding, installing doors, framing and laying a deck and installing a whole lot of tile. If Allen and Debbie can do the work, they'll put over $10,000 in their pocket, gain tons of extra living space and get the "gateway to the backyard" they've always wanted. But with Allen's handyman skills lacking, this addition might need an intervention.

John and Rachel Eddey are first-time homeowners who are in over their heads. Their two-family home is stuck in the '70s, and they are in desperate need of major savings to bring it up-to-date. With host John DeSilvia's help, this couple is starting with the back unit, including a kitchen face-lift, a gut bathroom renovation and some major patchwork on the walls and ceiling. They need to keep it on the cheap so they can rent out the space and use the extra cash to work on the rest of the house- even going as far as fabricating their own laminate countertops. These homeowners are taking a week of work to get the job done- but with a hundred-year-old home and limited DIY skills, this rental renovation might seem like an eternity. With some hard work and hidden surprises, John and Rachel are on their way to saving ten grand- and might like the results so much they'll never want to leave.

Terrence and Holly Doran are undergoing a kitchen renovation that includes a new mudroom. With the demands of three young children, they need to knock ten grand off their contractor's bid and will start by framing, insulating and Sheetrocking their new mudroom. With John's help, these homeowners will close up a door, install a window and warm up their savings by installing radiant floor heating throughout the space. And with Terrence's busy schedule, Holly will have to do most of the work on her own. Will she find out it takes two to save, or will she keep the ten grand only in her hand?

Anthony and Monica Farella have plenty of space but too many walls. So they're combining their boxed-in kitchen, dining room and den into one great room. But with contractor bids coming in twenty grand over budget, these homeowners will have to do the work themselves in order to entertain in their new open space. With John's help, they'll start by demolishing the walls, extending the roof and adding a coffered ceiling, and they'll continue their savings by installing a cultured stone fireplace, tile floor and new doors and windows. But with little DIY skills and a deadline of Monica's birthday, will they be done in time to raise the roof?

Steve and Kim Wildt are renovating their second home. But with the first one still on the market, they need some quick savings in order to move in. With help from John, they'll start by demolishing the tiny kitchen and covering an unused stairway and extra door to make room for more cabinets. Then they'll get to work insulating and sheetrocking. From cabinets to floors to the biggest bay window install "10 Grand" has ever seen, these DIY enthusiasts will pull all the favors from family and friends in order to save big. Will all their hustle be worth the results? Or will this kitchen and living room reno prove to be a big pain in the glass?

Jon and Peggy Stalhut lost their kitchen three years ago in an unfortunate grease fire but are now ready to put in some elbow grease to create the culinary space of their dreams. But with their contractor's bid $15,000 over budget, they're going to have to do it themselves. With John's help, the Stalhuts will be doing everything from framing to sheetrock to installing new windows, floors and cabinets in order to afford the higher-end products they've been waiting for. Will putting in the work save them over ten grand and be worth the years they spent cooking over a hot plate?

Will and Loraine Bedoya have been living with an outdated kitchen for years. They've decided to kill two rooms with one hammer by tackling their kitchen and dining room at the same time, but these homeowners need some major savings to finally get the job done. With John's help, they'll install two types of floors, design a whole new kitchen and replace doors and windows all around. But with Will's changing schedule as an EMT and two growing children who need three meals a day, this kitchen/dining room combo might prove to be double trouble.

Doug and Heather Sheehan have been living with a tiny kitchen for over three years. Unable to change the original footprint, they'll gain storage space by extending their cabinets to the ceiling and reconfiguring the layout, but they'll need some help from John to save ten grand. These environmentally-friendly homeowners will do the work themselves, using green products to reinsulate, sheetrock, tile, hang new cabinets and install some cool LED lighting. Despite the size of the space, these novice DIYers will save big if they can fight through claustrophobia and gain some extra room for their pots and pans.

Paul and Gina Gneco recently moved from the West Coast to New Jersey. They love their large home, but their master suite is straight from the '70s -- tiles for miles and an oversized Jacuzzi tub -- which is why they've turned to John for help. They need to save space and money by reconfiguring the room and framing, sheetrocking and tiling themselves. Top it all off with a new window and a double vanity, and these new East Coasters should be seeing some savings quite clearly.

Alvin and Kelly Makino have been living with two small children and an unusable backyard for over a year. The entire back of the house is covered in a dilapidated party deck that is sagging and stacked with splinters. After some back-breaking demo with help from John, these homeowners will continue their savings by framing and building a smaller deck, laying a paver patio and finally seeing some actual green with fresh sod. With the landscaping bids coming in over $20,000, they'll have plenty of ways to save- but they're going to have to sweat it out. After moving stones, lumber and a whole lot of brick, Alvin and Kelly will be more than happy to relax in their new outdoor space, hopefully with some money in hand to spend on a much-needed vacation.

Toni and Donna Salvatore already saved ten grand on their dormer addition in Season Two. But these homeowners are trying their hand at another round of savings with a kitchen extension to accommodate their five-year-old twins. Their contractor will build the shell, and these homeowners will get some helpful tips from John to insulate, sheetrock, lay flooring, install windows and doors and hang their brand-new cabinets. But when Toni's gung-ho attitude leads to some close safety calls on the job, will this couple use their savings for a new deck or another hospital bill?

Ken and Toni Silverman love their home...from the front. The back, however, is a different story: broken pavers by their in-ground pool, plenty of yard space with nothing to fill it and a deck that needs a little help staying dry. They'll have to put in the work and get a little help from John in order to transform their boring backyard into a tropical getaway, complete with a new patio, retaining wall, deck system and their very own beach! To save ten grand, they'll have to move a lot of dirt and even bring in their teenage son to lend a hand. Will the Silvermans achieve their dream oasis, or will this transformation turn out to be just another mirage?