Successful Debut Leads to Full Season for Home Restoration in Verde Valley

DIY network will be airing a historic home restoration show that will film in Verde Valley in the upcoming year. About an hour’s drive north of metro-Phoenix, Verde Valley is filled with people drawn there by the historical charm of the homes mixed with their desire to live out a part of the “Old West” life that brought Arizona to life.

“Boomtown Builder” brings modernization into historical homes while keeping the bones and charm of history in tact. The title comes from the historical nickname of many of these towns where there were population explosions surrounding mining, where they “boomed” into existence, and which just as quickly became rundown and deserted when the mine resources were all gone.

The show is hosted by resident of Jerome, Tim McClellan, who is best known for his winning stint on the 2015 show “Ellen’s Design Challenge” the brainchild of Ellen DeGeneres. Though he won, he was part of a controversy when the judges then decided that his winning furniture was too much like an existing design. He remained firm however that he did not maliciously copy anything, and DeGeneres has stated that she believes he didn’t do it with any kind of mal-intent, and he has gone on to “Boomtown Builder” and DIY network.


McClellan did not come out of nowhere to get these television opportunities. He is the co-founder of a very specialized company that creates mobile biodiesel processors called Verde Biofuel, and he owns Western Heritage Furniture. He plans to draw on a lot of that experience in innovation and creation while working on “Boomtown Builder.”

In the pilot episode, McClellan is working on the home of the Sherriff of Jerome from 1912. He redid the kitchen of the old home to be upgraded but fit in with the rest of the house. Since the executives at DIY were impressed with this episode and ordered a season, there are going to be 8 more episodes shot in Verde Valley.

As of yesterday, the show put the word out that they are looking for people with homes aged 60-100 years old in their area who would want to apply for the show. They have made it clear that this is not a full home renovation. McClellan will visit the homes, share his vision of the piece or pieces he wants to work on for the show and they will go from there.