Realtor and contractor Rico León has risen to HGTV star status with his incredible construction and restoration know-how. As a mentor on Battle on the Mountain and a celebrity guest on House Hunters, he's shown his design prowess and understanding of the market. It's in his role as the host of Rico to the Rescue, however, where his renovation chops really shine. For those that don't know, Rico to the Rescue follows Rico as he helps Denver homeowners salvage abandoned renovations. He's a wiz at making the best of the worst, and the following before-and-afters of his best projects prove it.

Season 2, episode one: Homeowners and teachers Brock and Zhanna Bloom were overwhelmed by how cramped their home felt after the birth of their second child, so they planned to add a study, a second upstairs bedroom and a second lower-level living space. They hired a contractor who gave them a timeframe of three to four months and a bid of $153,000. By the 6-month mark, the Blooms had already invested more than $110,000 with no end in sight. Once their contractor stopped showing up, Rico stepped in.

When tackling the Blooms' downstairs addition, Rico wanted to create a chic space to benefit the kids and the family as a whole. He went with an indoor-outdoor approach. Situated a few stairs down from the main level, the space features an expansive glass wall with sliding doors and a custom-stained glass window. Rico mounted a television on one wall and installed floor-to-ceiling cabinetry on the other. The focal point of the room: a blue chaise-inspired. Zhanna's first response was that she was "obsessed." In total, the Blooms spent about $55,000 to get the additional living space of their dreams.

Season 2, episode nine: Homeowner and Denver fire department captain, Jon, was in a unique situation when a renovation nightmare took place. Following a divorce, he bought a chunk of land and set out to follow in his dad's footsteps and build a house of his own. Rather than paying for a contractor, he enlisted the help of a good friend and fellow fire service member. Jon planned to focus on the primary suite, but it quickly snowballed into working on the entire house — leaving no room complete. When his friend walked out on the job, Jon didn't know how to move forward in his quest to build his dream home, and he'd already spent $105,000 of his original $150,000 budget. Thankfully, Rico stepped in.