Tyler Hamilton, one of HGTV’s newest carpenters, is quick to say that he is a singer first and a handyman second.

The 28-year-old was scouted by Tim Alp of HGTV, when Hamilton was among the top 10 finalists in the first season of Canadian Idol. He explained there was an episode where the contestants were followed home to work their day jobs—his was renovating houses—and Alp immediately knew who his new carpenter would be.

Initially, Hamilton wasn’t too interested in the position. “What I really wanted to do was quit the carpentry stuff and sing full time,” Hamilton laments. That said, he does enjoy working on the television show Design-U… and he definitely knows how to build and repair homes. “It’s nice to be able to be paid to do carpentry and be in the entertainment business at the same time.”

After high school, Hamilton worked for a hardwood floor company. Seven years ago, he started renovating and flipping houses. Everything he knows is either self-taught or learned from his father and grandfather who also like to build. He says the houses built in the 1970s have excellent materials and craftsmanship, but just need to be renovated to attract new owners.

Hamilton’s houses run anywhere from $200,000 to $600,000—so far, he hasn’t had any trouble selling his make-overs. He usually puts more than $40,000 worth of renovations into a home… and all of that is for materials, not his labour. It takes him two to four months to turn over a house.

“So I only have to buy a house, renovate it and sell it to make what some people might earn in a year.”

The only problem is falling in love with a house he’s renovating. Hamilton and his wife, Rachel, are currently feeling the strong pull of the house he’s working on now.

“I just have to say to her ‘it wouldn’t be lucrative if you moved into my investment,’” he says with a laugh.

Hamilton uses the money he makes selling houses to chase his dream. Lately, he’s been working in Los Angeles with his new manager… and now he’s off to Nashville. Hamilton should be back in about three months… maybe with that record deal.