HGTV’s hit TV show “Bargain Block” is everything that design and restoration enthusiasts were hoping for. Premiered in 2021, the show follows Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas as they take it upon themselves to transform and bring new life to Detroit’s housing, one at a time and with environmental consciousness.
While Evan is in charge of the hard work, and Keith is the design-savvy man, their team is wholesomely completed by the real estate expert Shea Hicks-Whitfield. This winning formula has gained a loyal audience, and the premiere of several seasons and shows, including the spin-off “Bargain Block New Orleans” in 2024. It’s the latter that has awakened some questions about the future of the main show, and whether Keith, Evan, and Shea will ever go back to the Motor City.
So why did they move the show from Detroit to New Orleans? Is this change meant to be long-term, or are they expected to return to their routes? What about their other projects, and their personal lives?
What Is “Bargain Block New Orleans”?
After four seasons of renovating houses in Detroit City, it was time for a change. That’s how the cast of “Bargain Block” focused on New Orleans to produce five episodes for the spin-off series “Bargain Block New Orleans”, which premiered on HGTV in October 2025.
The change was slightly shocking for their audience, as the Detroit-based show was only five episodes into its fourth season when the new show took over its usual scheduled spot. Nevertheless, the New Orleans renovations were well received by loyal “Bargain Block” viewers, as it included everything they loved about the original show, including the gorgeous design, the good-natured humor, and the unmatched chemistry between Keith, Evan and Shea.
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Regarding their experience in New Orleans, Keith and Evan admitted to committing several ‘rookie’ mistakes there, starting with the fact that they miscalculated the value of the houses in the Big Easy. That led the couple to ‘overpay’ for some of the houses they worked on, adding to the fact that that they weren’t in full control of many business details, as they had to rely on contractors.
However, it seemed that the New Orleans experience was positive for the crew, and especially for Keith, who told TV Insider that he has a special place in his heart for the city, as he’s from the South and often visited for ‘trade events’ over the years.
Will The Show Return To Detroit?
While “Bargain Block New Orleans” surely raised some questions regarding the future of the show based in Detroit, it’s for sure that the show cast will return to Motor City. However, it’s also worth noting that some things might be different from the show from now on.
For a start, in October 2024, Keith revealed on his Instagram Stories that he and his partner Evan rarely spent time at their Detroit residency. Though they’d moved to the city almost a decade before, and set up their forever home there, their tight schedules and love for traveling usually keep them away from home for most of the year.
This revelation came only a couple of months before it was revealed that “Bargain Block” would be restoring a historical lighthouse located on Beaver Island, Michigan. The place was built in the mid-1800s, and was taken out of service in the 1960s, then becoming a tourist attraction. According to reports, Keith and Evan had been planning the details of this project since 2023, though the production is set to develop in 2025, and premiere sometime that year as a “Bargain Block” fifth season episode.
Now that this plan is set out, it’s unlikely that “Bargain Block” would indefinitely move out of Detroit, but as is usually the case with reality TV, anything could happen.
What Is Shea Doing Now?
Besides the amazing job she does as Evan and Keith’s realtor in “Bargain Block”, Shea Hicks-Whitfield is also quite successful off-camera. Her real estate expertise comes into play in the Detroit area, and just by looking at her number of followers and her Homes Sold By Shea agency, she does quite well. On top of that, Shea is also very good friends with Evan and Keith, with the couple considering themselves ‘uncles’ to her son Beau.
On the personal side, things aren’t always smooth for Shea. Only five days after welcoming their son Beau in late July 2022, the new parents were told that the baby had a rare type of cancer called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
According to Shea, she and her husband noticed that the baby boy was born with a ‘scrape’ on his skin about which they were alarmed. The biopsy revealed the heartbreaking cancer diagnosis, leading them to take their child to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, where he received the appropriate treatment. The good news finally came in early 2024, when Shea and her husband Terry revealed that Beau was cancer-free, much to the joy of everyone who had been following the case.
Keith & Evan’s Plans
Besides admitting to loving their on-the-road lifestyle, and having their Detroit house as mostly a vacation property, in early 2025 Evan and Keith are planning big things for their future.
On the professional side, the pair told TV Insider that they’re planning on keeping their restoration operation ongoing both in Detroit and New Orleans. By the time that interview was done in October 2024, they affirmed that they still had some business to take care of in New Orleans, yet Evan described the thought of focusing on a new city as ‘overwhelming’ and ‘unfathomable’.
On the personal side, things might be a little more relaxed for a long time for the couple. As Keith admitted in some Instagram Stories posted in October 2024, neither he nor Evan are planning on having kids for the time being. This comes as a reaffirmation of Evan’s response to a similar question during a 2023 TV Insider interview, revealing that he wasn’t ‘mentally prepared’ to have kids on his own, even though he wasn’t necessarily close to the possibility.
While kids are out of the question for Keith and Evan, they affirmed to be content with their current lifestyle, which includes taking care of their dog Belle.
All in all, Evan and Keep will keep working hard on their projects, whereever they take them in the future.
