In a race against time on a project that would ordinarily take four months to achieve, a team of designers, 100 workmen and even the neighbors, have just seven days to completely renovate an entire house — every single room, plus the exterior and landscaping.

In the inaugural special, "Pilot," the Powers family from Santa Clarita, California, became the lucky recipients of a home makeover. They expected new paint and furniture, but on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, walls are moved, floors are replaced and facades are radically reconceived. The result is a decorator's delight… if it can be done in time.

From the moment team leader Ty Pennington, the carpenter from TLC's Trading Spaces, gives a surprise morning wake-up call to Rodney and Kristen Powers and their three children — Brittni, 14, Reid, 11 and six-year-old Olivia — their lives are forever changed. To keep the renovation a complete surprise, the whole family was whisked off to the airport by limousine, on their way to the Bahamas for their first-ever-family vacation, courtesy of the show.

The Powers had tried to make improvements to their fixer-upper home, but when youngest daughter Olivia was diagnosed with a life-threatening form of leukemia, caring for her became a family affair and took time away from working on the house. Now cured, Olivia got through her cancer treatment with the loving support of family and friends, including a special mural in the house her mother painted that reads: "Take one day at a time… live, love & laugh… be strong, be you… breathe."

Along with Ty Pennington, the other members of the design team that worked their creative magic on the Powers' home are Constance Ramos, Preston Sharp, Mikael Moloney, Paul Dimeo and Tracy Hutson. To get the job done, they're going to have to cooperate with each other — a hard thing to do when they don't always even like each other. Tensions flare as tastes are disputed and the deadline approaches … can they get the job done?