Mike Holmes has not only been successful in his lifelong effort to become one of TV's
most popular and trusted home renovation experts, but also when it comes to his family. We're
here to let you in on the truth about his three children — Mike Jr., Sherry, and Amanda.
While Mike Holmes and his family are well-known these days thanks to their reality star status,
that wasn't always the case. Celebrity Net Worth estimates Holmes' net worth at $30 million,
so even if his kids don't have quite as much money, it's almost certain that they're financially
set and will likely inherit quite a bit from their dad one day.
It's a far cry from the way they were raised, however. Per The Cinemaholic, Holmes was only
19 years old when he married the mother of his children, Alexandra Lorex. The couple
welcomed their first child, Amanda, just two years later. While Holmes ran his own successful
construction business as a young dad, an economic recession in the '90s put the family in difficult
financial straits, forcing Holmes to file for bankruptcy. Mike Holmes Jr. told "The
Marc and Mandy Show: Celebrity Access" that he and his siblings, quote, "grew up very
poor."
Holmes eventually was able to rebuild his company and branch out into television, amassing
the fortune he and his family enjoy today.
Part of the appeal of shows like "Holmes Family Effect" and "Holmes Family Rescue" is that
they are a family effort — it's even in the name! Mike Holmes Jr. is following in
his dad's footsteps in more ways than just his name, though, as he also has a successful
career in construction. The younger Mike told the Times Colonist that he got his start in
the family business at the tender age of 14, but he didn't immediately set out to make
a career of it. As he told the outlet, he was just looking to make some money at a summer
job.
Life had different plans for Mike, however, and that summer job working for his father
turned into much more. He said:
"I fell in love with it."
Per his bio on the Make It Right website, his specialty is working with wood. He said
on "The Marc and Mandy Show" that he, quote, "love[s] chopping wood," calling it "great
exercise" and "therapeutic."
Like her brother, Sherry Holmes didn't think she would go into the family business. No
one was more surprised by her career in construction than Sherry herself. While she obviously grew
up exposed to the construction industry, it was something she saw as a hobby rather than
a career. As she explained to Storeys,
"My parents split when I was really young. So, when we went to visit my dad, every other
weekend, he would do building projects with us. He built me my first Barbie house. We
built a treehouse. So, when I thought of working in skilled trades, it was something I would
do passionately or just on a weekend. Not as a career."
It wasn't until Sherry appeared on "Holmes In New Orleans" to help with rebuilding efforts
following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that she started to think that construction
was actually a good fit for her. Drawn to the project because she wanted to help, Sherry
worked with a team that rebuilt a house in the city. She said of the project:
"And by the time we left, all the other contractors tried to poach me from Mike's company."
The experience proved to be life-changing for Sherry. She told the Times Colonist:
"It was phenomenal. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
"Holmes Makes It Right" was the reality TV contractor's fifth series, which was on the
air from 2012 to 2013. The Holmes kids only made brief appearances on that series, but
the words "make it right" still hold a special significance for Mike Holmes Jr., as it does
for the whole family. While the slogan "Make It Right" is a registered trademark, as well
as the name of Holmes' website, it's more importantly a guarantee of his commitment
to his work.
"And my goal, really, for the next generation is to build better and be proud of what they
do."
To Mike Jr., the words extend far beyond construction. "Make It Right" isn't just a professional
philosophy, it's a personal one. As he explained to Kobo, his attitude is:
"Everything you do in life, you do it right."
Mike explained that his dad brought up his kids to adhere to this value and that it carries
over in all aspects of his life. He said:
"If I'm cooking dinner, I'm going to do it right. I put the effort into my marriage to
get it right. It just means putting your heart into everything you do."
While it might be hard to believe of a TV star, Sherry Holmes isn't comfortable speaking
in front of a crowd. In fact, she hates it. She admitted to Storeys:
"I'm terrified of public speaking. I’m still super nervous. Super shy. But all of this
has taught me not to be as afraid."
According to Holmes, being a celebrity has forced her to step out of her shell a little
bit as her stardom — as well as her work with organizations such as Habitat For Humanity
GTA — has forced her to give speeches and interact with fans. She told Storeys that,
shyness aside, she does genuinely enjoy getting to meet people who want to pick her brain
about contracting. She explained:
"It's just so cool to see people who actually care. And to see the impact I'm making."
Many stereotypes about skilled trades exist, including that they're for men and that they're
"dirty." USA Today noted that these jobs often carry a stigma, with people assuming that,
since they don't require a college degree, they're somehow less prestigious.
The Holmes kids are smashing those stereotypes, though. Sherry is crushing the construction
business, proving women can do anything, and Mike Jr. is attacking the idea that contractors
are less educated and can't be intellectual types. In fact, the reality star is something
of a bookworm, telling Kobo he's into some pretty surprising reads, including the popular
romance series "Outlander." Other favorites include "Dark Matter" and "The Broken Earth,"
as well as Stephen King's books.
Mike has even entertained the idea of writing a book of his own. He said:
"My wife and I have talked about it and we have a few ideas. She's a much better writer
than I am, so I might ask her to ghostwrite it for me."
Not only is learning a trade a viable career option, but it's also one that can be a lot
of fun — Sherry Holmes has a deep appreciation for this hands-on work. Before establishing
her own career in construction, she pursued other trades for size, including hairdressing,
makeup, pottery, welding, and baking, with varying degrees of success. She told Storeys:
"I'm a terrible baker but I've tried."
Though she may not be trading in her hard hat for an apron anytime soon, her skill set
is still pretty impressive for someone whose goal was once to avoid having a career altogether
and earn just enough money to indulge her globetrotting dreams. Then again, trying out
all those different trades is true to type for Sherry. She admitted to the Times Colonist:
"I can't do just one thing because I get bored."
While Mike Holmes Jr. is making a name for himself by following his dad into the construction
business, growing up, it wasn't something he aspired to do. In fact, he was pretty set
against going into construction, saying on "The Marc and Mandy Show" that his real dream
was to be a firefighter.
However, Mike said on the show that he, quote, "wanted to help people", and he's doing just
that as a contractor. He's also using his contracting skills to give back to the community.
In addition to working alongside his dad, Mike Jr. works with a number of organizations,
including Humanity's GTA Young Professionals Build, to spur on, quote, "the next generation
in the skilled trades."
Sherry Holmes serves up some serious girl power working alongside her dad and brother,
but getting to this point of her career hasn't been easy. Sherry has had to endure a lot
of sexism to get where she is today, starting with middle school, when she wanted to take
shop class — and did — but was still required to take half a semester of home economics
because she was a girl.
Sherry said on the Make It Right website that she has often felt she's had to, quote, "work
harder to prove" herself, but that she is also excited to do her part in changing things
for the better.
"As a woman who works in construction, I'm passionate about breaking down the gender
divide in the trades, so that those with the right skills are working in my industry, regardless
of gender."
The good news is that things truly are changing. While construction is still a male-dominated
industry, Sherry said she's seeing more women enter the field. She told Ving:
"A lot more women are joining just because I don't think they had the knowledge [before]
and were aware that it was something that they could, you know, run with and be great
at."
Sherry Holmes may have struggled to find her path in construction, but she's determined
that others don't have to go through the same. She's committed to showing people that it's
a great job that isn't only limited to men. She works with Skills Canada and Skills Ontario,
two organizations that are, quote, "trying to get the next generation into trades," as
she told Storeys.
Sherry doesn't want to see young people just enter construction, but trades in general,
and part of that is leading by example. Sherry has clearly had incredible success working
in a skilled trade, and her path has made her a bonafide celebrity. Still, she's very
aware that people often look down on those in her field, viewing them as, quote, "the
bottom of the barrel." She added:
"People assume we didn't go to school. Don't make money."
It isn't just her love for her profession that makes her want to serve as a mentor for
the next generation of tradespeople, though. She explained that she was inspired by her
dad, whose entire career is based on helping others. This, she said, is why she is, quote,
"just trying to make a difference."
While Sherry and Mike Jr. are well-known to viewers, Mike Holmes has another child that
you don't hear much about. His oldest child, Amanda Holmes, hasn't followed in the reality
show footsteps of her younger siblings. She doesn't even have public social media profiles,
making it difficult for fans of the Holmes family to know what her life is like.
We do, however, get occasional glimpses into Amanda's life, courtesy of her more famous
relatives. In 2017, Holmes posted a photo on Instagram of his daughters kissing him
on the cheek. In the caption, he revealed that his daughter Amanda, quote, "prefers
to work with us behind the scenes" but made it clear that he's, quote, "proud of the woman"
his oldest child has grown into. He also revealed that she's a mom to two kids, Emily and Wyatt.
Mike Holmes is clearly proud of all three of his children. With his younger kids, Mike
Jr. and Sherry, following him into construction, and oldest daughter Amanda also working for
the family business in a less public role, Holmes' construction empire has turned into
a dynasty. How does he feel about his kids following in his footsteps?
He's thrilled, as he told the Times Colonist. He called Sherry quote, "a tiling pro," further
explaining:
"She's better than other guys that have been tiling for years."
Holmes also praised his daughter's creativity, saying that she's constantly experimenting
with her craft as well as, quote, "different ways to make the job easier, better."
It's Mike Jr. who seems to be poised to take over for Holmes one day, though. Holmes applauded
his only son for being, quote, "humble" and having "a good heart." He added:
"I love working with my kids, watching them build on what they know and get better every
day."
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