Homebuilders Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt are back for Season 4 of HGTV’s “100 Day Dream Home,” building entire houses from the ground up in a mere three months.

And this season, the Florida-based real estate experts are taking on bigger projects, including the renovation of a 12-room boutique hotel on the beach.

Curious about how they get it all done, we had a chat with Brian and Mika about the unique challenges that come with building and renovating on a tight schedule, as well as a tight budget. Here’s what they say has changed in the homebuilding business that homebuyers might be surprised to know.

You entirely renovated a 75-year-old beachfront hotel in just 100 days. What was the hardest part of this project?

Brian: The hotel was probably the biggest undertaking we’ve accepted. The viewers get to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of renovating a very old hotel. But I think the biggest challenge was the hotel owners—they were taking reservations at exactly Day 100.

So we did the reveal and the next day, the hotel guests started checking in. So we had the combination of the stress of that, plus a hurricane that was going on in the Gulf of Mexico during construction. The project was a beast, but it turned out beautiful.

Mika: It’s the first time viewers get to see us display some very funky, eclectic color palettes. It’s a commercial space, so I think we got more freedom to say, “You know what, this is different than residential,” and we can kind of get a little bit more creative.

How is renovating different from building from scratch?

Brian: Renovation is where Mika and I started. We actually flipped a house way back in the day; there were so many unexpected variables. Afterward, we decided new construction was going to be our game. So we’re kind of going back full circle to where we started.

What home feature do your clients ask for the most these days?

Mika: A lot of our homeowners this season are doing fireplaces. In Florida, it’s kind of a rare thing. We personally don’t have a fireplace, but I do think it creates this focal point in the great room.

A lot of people like open concept. But you want to still differentiate each zone of the house and what it’s utilized for. So I would say at least more than 50% of the houses that we are building now have fireplaces.

Brian: It’s so funny, because no one ever asked for fireplaces in the first couple of seasons. Now everybody wants one, and I think it’s because the technology with the LED fireplaces has gotten so good, where it actually looks realistic. It kind of sets the tone and the mood in the house.

Are there any features you think homeowners should skip when buying a house?

Mika: A lot of times people will have what they call a guest room. But you’re paying for every square foot in the house, and a guest room might get used maybe four or five days out of the year.

So I think it’s better to make flex spaces that can double up as your guest room, and then maybe when you’re not using it as a guest room, it can convert into a home office.

The prices of new construction have gotten higher. You really have to make sure that you are getting usable space in your house and not spending money on a room that you’re not going to use.

Given homes are more expensive than ever, what does that mean for your new builds?

Mika: Sometimes we’ll get inquiries from people who watch the show and they say, “Hey, I love this house and floor plan from Season 2.” And maybe we did that house in Season 2 with around $450,000. But now, that same house might cost you $800,000.

People are not realizing that we filmed that years ago, so the price points on all of the projects are higher now. The market has definitely been pretty hot here in the Tampa Bay area. And with people still staying home more, I think home has more value than it has the previous years.

Brian: However, we get a ton of people transferring into Florida who are used to higher price points like California and New York, Washington state. When they see the prices we have here, it’s still lower than where they came from.

So it may be high for a Floridian who has lived here their whole life, but for the new customers from out of state, it’s kind of on par.

You always do special projects to surprise your clients. Do you have a favorite special project from the last seasons?

Mika: Without giving it away, they’re all features that are really going to match the personalities of our homeowners even more than it has in previous seasons.

So when you see the special projects, it’s like, “Oh, my gosh, that makes sense.” They’re things that are going to make our clients’ lives feel much better and add value to their homes.

Brian: We’ve got some really good ones this season, and it’s so funny because during the last three reveals, I told Mika, “I think this is my favorite special project we’ve ever done,” but then I find myself saying that every single reveal.

New episodes of “100 Day Dream Home” air on HGTV and Discovery+ on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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