Rookie Renovators Ready for Their TV Spotlight

When newlyweds Mark and Diana Sanicki of Clifton decided to buy a home in Bergen County, they knew the fixer-upper they found in Ramsey would need a lot of work. Little did they realize that their efforts to renovate their first home would land them a television show.

"It's going to be really exciting," said Mark Sanicki, who owns an ice cream shop in Clifton.

The couple will be featured on the DIY Network's upcoming "Renovation Rookies" series, which will follow the Sanickis' efforts to transform their dream home themselves, with just guidance offered by their contractor. Five episodes, debuting in November, will chronicle the Sanickis' attempts to gut and rebuild a house on Spruce Street in Ramsey that they found with their real estate agent, Allison Witkowski, a Wyckoff resident and Wyckoff Patch contributor.

"They're the most adorable couple," she said. It's the story of the "All-American couple trying to buy their first home."

Indeed, DIY Network producers were intrigued by the Sanickis' efforts and believe many viewers will be able to identify with the couple's goals.

"We were attracted to their very relatable story," said Andy Singer, the network's vice president of programming. "The Sanickis are a young, hard-working couple living the American dream. Not only did they save money to buy their first home, they have to juggle many responsibilities between a family-run business, the renovation on their house and living with family," Singer said.

Witkowski, who has worked in real estate for only four years after a career in sales, spent months with the Sanickis looking at homes and counseled them to buy in Bergen County, due to strong home values, quality schools and safe neighborhoods. Mark Sanicki said it was tough to find something to buy, especially since they wanted a home in a "really nice neighborhood."

They found what they were looking for in Ramsey and just "fell in love with the town," Sanicki said. But the Spruce Street property was owned by its original resident and had seen better days.

"On the outside it looked fine; inside was bad," said Witkowski, who will appear on the show. "The house looked vacant," Sanicki said. Still, he and his wife thought it would be a good investment to buy the home, initially listed for $425,000, and spend the money to update the property.

Of course, when the ink was dry on the closing, the Sanickis looked around and realized "this is a pretty big project.

"Going in, maybe our eyes were a little bigger than our heads," Sanicki said with a laugh. "We had to basically do everything."

On a lark, the couple, who are currently residing with Diana Sanicki's parents, started sending inquiries to reality shows specializing in home repairs, although they were fully prepared to do the work themselves. Their submission attracted the interest of the DIY network, which proposed the upcoming series. 

While the Sanickis will receive a "nominal fee," according to Singer, for allowing crews to film their work, the renovation is being completed by the couple themselves, with little outside help.

"They're not allowed to tell us anything," Sanicki said, in reference to the network. "It's pretty realistic."

While their contractor, Frank Martini, offers technical guidance, Mark and Diana are cutting, hammering and painting their way to their dream home.

"It shows the average person that they can do it," said Mark Sanicki, who had no background prior to the show in any of the trades. "I'm learning," he said.

That learning comes at a cost—sleep. The Sanickis work full-time and mainly work and film at night. They are currently taking a break from filming but will resume soon, with November as a target date for completion.

The network is along for the ride, regardless of how the project turns out.

"The general goal is for them to have a livable, renovated home at the end of filming," Singer said. "We hope the audience empathizes with them and routes for them to get into the home they have worked so hard on."

The Sanickis are so focused on getting the project complete, they haven't yet thought much about what likely awaits them at the end of the journey: recognition.

"I guess it comes with the territory" of being on TV, Mark Sanicki said. "It's going to be really exciting and really cool" to see the public's reaction after the show airs.

"Renovation Rookies" likely will be an ongoing series, Singer said, although nothing is confirmed outside of the episodes featuring the Sanickis.

The show is tentatively scheduled to debut at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 4 on the DIY network.