Sweat Equity - Season 8

Homeowners Erin and Toby bought the ugliest house in the best neighborhood. Licensed contractor Amy Matthews jumps in to renovate the exterior and pump up the lake views-and builds some serious equity in the process. Sweat Equity Boost - $40,000.

Licensed contractor Amy Matthews tackles a Bavarian-style house and helps homeowners transform a bathroom and bedroom into a luxurious master suite. Sweat Equity Boost - $40,000.

Identical twin homeowners Josh and John want to renovate their chopped-up basement. Licensed contractor Amy Matthews leads the charge to tear down walls and install a state-of-the-art man cave for the bros-all with a budget of $25k.

John and Sarah Young dreamed of living in the same treelined neighborhood where John grew up. But the 1930s Tudor they could afford was in desperate need of help. They've updated most of the main floor, but there's still the tiny (and ugly) 1960s kitchen left to tackle. The plan is to tear down the wall between the kitchen and the adjacent dining room and create a killer kitchen with white Shaker-style cabinets, a center island, Silestone countertops, subway tile and all new appliances. Best of all, they're carving out a little space for a powder room, which they're hoping will be both convenient and a good investment. They've got $35,000 to spend and are hoping for a 100 percent return.

Nick & Jessica have a 1920's craftsman bungalow that has been meticulously kept up over the years - except for the dated kitchen. The only advantage it has currently is that it is quite large, but they need more storage and counter space and some major changes to the layout. They've had their kitchen remodel on hold for a couple years, but once their faucet stopped working they figured it was time to bite the bullet and make a major overhaul. Sweat Equity boost - $35,000

Lisa and Mic O'Brien bought their 1930s home for one reason--it's located in one of the top school districts in the state. After renovating nearly every inch of the house, the hodgepodge basement stands out like a sore thumb with its crumbling walls, asbestos tile and drafty fireplace. They use the space every day for exercising and as a playroom for their son. Amy is going to help this couple turn the space into a home gym that's on par with the rest of the house. A rubber floor that looks like slate, custom cabinets, new windows, recessed lights, fresh walls, a mix of marble subway tile for the fireplace surround and gas fireplace insert, two TVs and some new exercise equipment will turn the space into a dreamy home gym that will make these homeowners rush to their workouts. Sweat Equity Boost: $19,000

Merhawit and Nabil Ghebre looked at almost 100 houses before they found "the one." They bought for the quiet suburban neighborhood, mature trees and curb appeal, but the 1979 decor throughout needs to go. The kitchen is on the chopping block for this renovation. But Merhawt likes traditional and Nabil likes contemporary style, so Amy and the crew will find some middle ground and redo the entire space on a $17,000 budget. With a Brazilian Tigerwood floor, clean-lined cabinets, granite countertops and new appliances, this renovation will need every penny. Sweat Equity Boost: $30,000

As a real estate developer himself, Ryan Deible knew a good deal when he spotted his 1980's built suburban home located adjacent to a wildlife preserve. He started a number of projects in the house, but has yet to fully complete them, and he has an additional list of items to repair and replace. He's set aside 5 grand to knock out his list including repairing the cedar shake roof, patching & sealing the driveway and garage floor, painting the exterior trim, and replacing the last remnants of the 80's that are lingering inside his home. Sweat Equity boost: $15,000

New homeowners Griffin & Trinara Sonstegard just bought the ugly duckling home in a beautiful neighborhood. They have fifteen thousand dollars and a big plan to transform their home's bland and worn-down exterior with outdoor rooms and boosted curb appeal - but they only have three weeks to make it all happen. With the help of licensed contractor Amy Matthews, their home will make a startling transformation. Sweat Equity Boost - $35,000.

Living just steps from a lake was the dream for Jeff and Heather Johnson when they relocated from California to the Midwest. And now they want to renovate their basement and add the perfect entertaining kitchen so they can get the most out of their lake experience and have an all-inclusive living space for their frequent out-of-town guests to stay.

When buying their first home, newlyweds Ryan and Erin Carter knew they wanted to live in their hometown. Ryan is a professional hockey player and spends half of the year away from home, so low maintenance was key. However, they never imagined that their unfinished backyard would be such an issue. Their house sits at the bottom of a steep hill. Ryan and Erin want to fix the landscape and the privacy issue. Plus they need to address a questionably dangerous egress window that seems to be just waiting for someone to fall into it. Ryan is handy and because it's the off-season he has time to spare, and plenty of friends willing to help. We know that a good landscape job can return 100-150 percent and if the Carters keep their project in check they're hoping to achieve that. With dreams of enlarging the backyard with a retaining wall, a patio, deck, fire pit other cool design elements, and the need to go low maintenance, will they go too far?

When Mindy married Jeff and had to move into his house, she cried because it was so ugly. The 1950s split sits between two identical homes. Jeff says guests sometimes go to the wrong house because they all look the same. Inside, the house is solid but could use updates throughout. Outside, the lack of curb appeal makes them cringe when they pull up to their home. We're bringing in a designer who works on high-end homes to give Jeff and Mindy a plan to make their house look like a million bucks, but on a budget of just 24 grand.

Drew and Jen Tarara bought their early-1990s suburban house because of the large rooms and finished basement. As roomy as the house is, the place is missing a mudroom, so the plan is to close off the entryway from the front door and tear down the wall from the laundry room to the hallway to open the space up and expand it out. Since the mudroom has become the workhorse of the American home, these homeowners are hoping that future buyers will see the benefit, too, and the hard work will pay off now - and later.