As a first-season HGTV star, Charlie Kawas may be new to TV, but after nearly 30 years of construction work, he’s got the experience and attitude to handle just about anything—whether that’s a challenging renovation or his journey with testicular cancer.
The 44-year-old New York native is the host of “Botched Homes,” the new series that tackles some of the most disastrous renovation projects in South Florida.
“Some of these homes have poor design, unfinished work, are unsafe, or simply don’t function for the family,” Kawas tells Realtor.com®. “So the fact that I could come in and help these families and give them the right space that they always wanted … it touches my heart.”
Although he’s been in the field since he was just 15, Kawas says the work “really does feel different” on “Botched Homes.”
“It has nothing to do with television as much as I’m restoring the bad experience they had,” he explains. “These homeowners are scarred and they’re jaded.”
“I walk in the door, and we listen to what they want, what their asks are, what their needs are, and what the budget is,” he continues. “The fact that we could help them and give them a safe, functional house for their families to live in and feel proud of is just so powerful. It’s such a powerful feeling to be able to do that.”
Kawas is proud of the show’s feel-good nature, even admitting that he watches some of the episodes “over and over and over again” to revel in the wholesome vibes.
“If you’re feeling down one day, just tune in to a reveal of one of the episodes, and you’ll see the smiles that we put on these families’ faces,” he says.
There’s one touching story Kawas particularly loves to revisit.
On the Sept. 3 episode of the series, Kawas and his team salvaged an unfinished renovation for Miss Hazel, a homeowner whose property has been infested with rats as she navigates personal health issues.
He explains that an exterminator who “shouldn’t have been doing the work he was doing” failed in an attempt to renovate Miss Hazel’s home, but that the “Botched Homes” team was able to “come in and give her what she wanted.”
“That one’s a tearjerker,” says Kawas. “This is a woman that’s hooked up to oxygen 24/7. It’s not an easy life she lives. So by living in the disaster she was in, it makes it even worse. The fact that we gave her that is just huge.”
While a rat infestation is certainly on the extreme end of the show’s cautionary tales, it’s proof of Kawas’ firm belief that homeowners must shop around before they hire the first professional they find.
Kawas recommends homeowners get a handful of referrals before making any big decisions, adding that it’s important to hear success stories and see past work. From there, “it can’t hurt” to get some estimates.
“You never want to go with the cheapest quote, because you get what you pay for, right?” Kawas says.
“People nowadays, they don’t have bags and bags of cash underneath their mattress that they can pay the top guy, and that’s understandable,” he continues. “But you still want to be cautious on who you hire, because that’s a huge part in some of these renovations that we get involved in. It’s because the last guy wasn’t qualified enough.”
Even as an experienced contractor himself, Kawas follows his own advice.
When relocating from New York to Florida, he met with three separate pool experts before making a hire to transform the pool in his new home.
“I’m not a pool guy. I don’t do pools. In New York, I didn’t have a pool! Concrete! That’s all we had,” he says. “Each guy has a different idea, different advice, and a different price.”
Kawas’ words of wisdom extend beyond his professional life. Months into filming “Botched Homes,” and while juggling five separate renovations, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. On Sept. 23, he confirmed he was in remission.
“Being in remission now and being on the other side is huge. I’m very happy to be here. I’m thankful to have the ability to share my story,” he says.
Kawas understands that not everyone who has undergone cancer treatment is willing to talk about it, but he saw an opportunity to leverage his platform across social media and TV to uplift others.
The Oct. 14 episode of “Botched Homes” is the first time this season in which viewers see Kawas undergo chemotherapy, finding a way to balance his treatment while delegating work for the renovations.
“I want to inspire people, and I want to show them, ‘Listen, you can get through this. Just keep plugging away. Keep positive, keep your head up. And that’s it. You’re going to get through it,’” he says.
Being open about his journey has allowed Kawas to connect with “many, many, many people” who have received similar diagnoses. The experienced contractor even teased that he’s “sure” he can do more in the future to help others.
“It’s almost like this secret hidden family that’s out there,” he says. “When you hear that someone has cancer or had cancer, you know what they went through as someone who went through it already. It’s like, you have a warm spot in your heart to just give them love and strength and whatever you could give.”
Being candid hasn’t just given others a chance to be seen—it’s also given Kawas the opportunity to reflect on the experience himself.
“Ive been through it, and I’ve met a lot of people during this journey, and it’s a tough, tough place to be in,” he admits. “But the fact that I could turn on the TV and see this and go back to it … it’s a happy place.
“It’s awesome,” Kawas continues. “It was what it was. We got through it. My family was there, my crew was there, and the production team were there. The medical staff helped, everybody was there and on board, and we got through it, and we got to the other side.”
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