HGTV Bitch Thread

[LAX]

Sept 25, 2016 22:27:27 GMT -4 ElleCee said:

I like Love it or List it watch it quite a bit. I think where the UK version is better is that the family live in the renovated house for a month or so after and they've had a while to adjust to the changes, if they work or not and then when the hosts show up they tell them their decision. Mind you, they only do 6 episodes.

This sounds like a much better way of doing things. I can't bear to watch the Canadian version of LIoLI. The hosts are so terrible at delivering their lines that it's painfully obvious it is scripted and their attempts at witty and/or catty banter is nails-on-chalkboard terrible. I haven't watched enough episodes to see a trend on loves vs. lists.

Anyone ever see one of those surprise reno shows (can't recall the name at the moment) where the wife had them come in and redo the deck and spruce up the backyard? The husband was so upset I seriously had fears for the wife once the cameras were turned off. Among other things they cut a hole in his deck and he was flipping out all over the place.

[Mugsy]

Actually, the love its and list its are pretty much half and half. I've seen a lot of episodes.

We have a mud room too, impossible not to on a farm, but when our four kids were here, the hall closet was jam packed with coats, shoes and boots, bike helmets, skates, ball gloves, backpacks... Keeping stuff in the garage isn't practical for half the year because it's too cold. Now they're grown and gone, and I just completely culled the closet, but it's still full of our coats and boots and shoes. Maybe I have too many coats and boots? Nah.

Re: HGTV shows. The price of the renos on Property Brothers seems ridiculously low. They put in a new kitchen, knock out a wall, new flooring throughout, new bathroom, and the reno will be $18,000. Seems impossible.

[Nysha]

Apr 22, 2007 18:43:21 GMT -4 LAX said:

Anyone ever see one of those surprise reno shows (can't recall the name at the moment) where the wife had them come in and redo the deck and spruce up the backyard? The husband was so upset I seriously had fears for the wife once the cameras were turned off. Among other things they cut a hole in his deck and he was flipping out all over the place.

I remember that show! It was an episode of "While You Were Out" and I think every one was worried about the poor wife; that guy was seriously pissed.

Mar 16, 2005 17:09:40 GMT -4 Mugsy said:

Re: HGTV shows. The price of the renos on Property Brothers seems ridiculously low. They put in a new kitchen, knock out a wall, new flooring throughout, new bathroom, and the reno will be $18,000. Seems impossible.

And Hilary can barely manage to reno a kitchen and bathroom less than $50,000. Although, to be fair, our local paper had a write-up about an interior decorator who redid a kitchen. The end result was beautiful, but it cost $40,000 and took almost 4 months to complete.

[Gigiree]

On any of those shows, when the host is freaking out about an unexpected expense killing the budget, I always want to yell, "Then maybe don't install a $2,000 light fixture, jackwad!" I mean really.

[Mugsy]

A good kitchen reno, average size, total redo from the floor up, will cost at least $40,000. That's with custom cabinets, all new top quality appliances, mid to upper mid on flooring, lights, furniture, etc. Our recent kitchen reno was more than that, the quartz countertop was $7000!

That's why the Property Brothers renos seem artificially low, they do use quality finishes.

[Brookie]

There was a hyooge thread on Facebook about "Fixer Upper" (my current favorite) and how several of the homeowners with remodeled homes are trying to literally cash in on the show's popularity by moving and renting out their places, including the carpenter (Clint) on the show. Chip and Joanna are pissed that these folks are going to be making money off their name. And yeah, their homes are "staged" - if you look closely, you can see the same stuff used in different shows. The homeowners do have the option of buying the furniture. I also read that when they do a home, they fix up EVERY room, even if it's not featured on the show.

I also think (although I'm not positive) that these folks must get a discount or dealer pricing on fixtures, cabinets etc that makes the renovation price so artificially low.

[kateln]

Also, and I'm not sure about this, but I think a lot of these shows were filmed in Canada, so a lot of times I assume the cost/money is in Canadian. Which, depending on the conversion rate may explain some of the difference as well.

My boyfriend and I, who have talked about maybe buying a place together next year, have called this real estate porn.

[Nysha]

Mar 16, 2005 17:09:40 GMT -4 Mugsy said:

That's why the Property Brothers renos seem artificially low, they do use quality finishes.

As Brookie, said, the shows are probably getting a huge discount, especially the Property Brothers since it's so popular and they have so many different shows. It may be that Love It or List It is using the retail value and the Property Brothers are using the discounted value.

Now that I know that the homes on Fixer Upper don't keep their staged items, it makes me wonder about Property Brothers and Love It of List It. When the budget is taking such a big hit b/c they had to put in a beam or fix a creak in the cement, why don't they exchange that $5,000 sofa set for something cheaper?

[Brookie]

Oct 1, 2016 12:56:08 GMT -4 Nysha said:

Mar 16, 2005 17:09:40 GMT -4 Mugsy said:

That's why the Property Brothers renos seem artificially low, they do use quality finishes.

As Brookie, said, the shows are probably getting a huge discount, especially the Property Brothers since it's so popular and they have so many different shows. It may be that Love It or List It is using the retail value and the Property Brothers are using the discounted value.

Now that I know that the homes on Fixer Upper don't keep their staged items, it makes me wonder about Property Brothers and Love It of List It. When the budget is taking such a big hit b/c they had to put in a beam or fix a creak in the cement, why don't they exchange that $5,000 sofa set for something cheaper?

Property Brothers take the homeowners shopping - couches, lighting, other furniture - if that's required, and it's figured into the budget. Fixer Upper will occasionally have their carpenter make a table or shelf specifically for the house being fixed and leave it there. I stopped watching Love It or List It when it was outed as being about 90% fake. I also like "Flip or Flop" because I like watching Tarek fret over everything (and their kids are so cute). They do a good job on flipping, but if you notice, they NEVER include a refrigerator.

[Mugsy]

I can't stand Flip or Flop because the wife's vocal fry makes my ears bleed.

I think on most reno shows, the furniture and decor are staged, not part of the budget. The homeowners can choose to buy what they like, or not. I remember hearing this waaaay back about Divine Design, one of the original reno shows. I always think they put way too much clutter in the rooms anyway, every side table has a stack of books, a statue, a lamp, metal orb thingy. There's no room for your wine!

And since I'm on a bitchin' roll, I also wonder about staging companies hanging all kinds of stuff on the walls. The sellers just paid to have the walls redrywalled and painted, and then the stager fills them with nail and screw holes that will show when they take their stage stuff down. I understand placing some basic furniture, but I think stagers go overboard with setting the dining room table and putting that dumb tray of champagne and candles on the master bed. What a lot of trouble. I mean, hanging clothes in a closet? I know some buyers need help visualizing a room, but surely buyers aren't that dense that they need shirts in a closet to be demonstrated visually.