HGTV Bitch Thread

[chonies]

We have stainless appliances, too--all same brand and probably purchased at the same time. Not gonna lie, it definitely made an impression, although all I wanted was a gas line to the house. The stove is also a fancy model that has the giant flame in the middle and "quick boil" settings. However, the joke was on us because the dishwasher has a thermostat problem and is at present unusable and the refrigerator has some internal hose drama so <first world problem meme> we can't get water or ice out of the refrigerator door</fwpm>.

That brings me to another point: what's the difference between entitled and picky? I had a list of eff-no-way things, and I like my house but it's not my dream house. Is it that the things that sold us on the house are modest and drama free? Like, updated thermal windows and a gas line? Most of my requirements were also soft, like "no bad vibes" [it was an issue, believe me] or "no carpet" or "open floor plans are not ideal." If I had had a bigger budget, I probably would have added a few other things.

[batmom]

but could you imagine how many times you would slip on the ladder in the middle of the night?

We turned down a house because the master en suite was up a few stairs (still within the bedroom. It was weird.) I am a midnight pee-er, sometimes multiple times. Plus I'm clumsy. No stairs for me.

[Deleted]

Jan 21, 2014 11:37:18 GMT -4 chonies said:

We have stainless appliances, too--all same brand and probably purchased at the same time. Not gonna lie, it definitely made an impression, although all I wanted was a gas line to the house. The stove is also a fancy model that has the giant flame in the middle and "quick boil" settings. However, the joke was on us because the dishwasher has a thermostat problem and is at present unusable and the refrigerator has some internal hose drama so <first world problem meme> we can't get water or ice out of the refrigerator door</fwpm>.

That brings me to another point: what's the difference between entitled and picky? I had a list of eff-no-way things, and I like my house but it's not my dream house. Is it that the things that sold us on the house are modest and drama free? Like, updated thermal windows and a gas line? Most of my requirements were also soft, like "no bad vibes" [it was an issue, believe me] or "no carpet" or "open floor plans are not ideal." If I had had a bigger budget, I probably would have added a few other things.

I think if you can back it up with the dough, then you are picky but not entitled. It is the couples who have no idea how much things cost and want high end finishes in a starter home who are entitled. I wonder how much Pinterest has contributed to that.

[chonies]

Pinterest, definitely, but also other things--when I grew up I had to share a bedroom, but now college dorms are increasingly built suite-style because sharing living spaces is becoming an alien venture for several factors.

I'm reluctant to use the word "entitled" because it's on my list of overused words and phrases but I would describe a lot of the n00b house buyers as more deluded than entitled, although that brings the convo back into "is it scripted or edited so they say this?" Property Virgins shows the same phenomenon, but a lot of it is for people who didn't know they had to get pre-approved, or how to figure monthly payments or whatever. It's like going to the DMV--some younger person buys a new car and then practically faints because he didn't know that registration taxes and fees would be in the four digits. Anyway, most of them clue up really fast, but of course it's two different shows, so...anyway.

Anyway, I love Nicole Curtis's show, because I have the same fantasy of buying a derelict vintage house and fixing it. In the current series, I like the way she's cannibalizing the attic for planks but I wonder what's, um, going to happen to the attic floor.

[jmart]

Friends of a friend applied for HHI and were chosen, but they had to bail because the husband's job fell through. I was disappointed to hear the background process of the show </naive>. Apparently most couples already have the house/apartment they want bought and then the agent just takes them around to a few others in the area. My friend said her friend isn't that great of an actress, so she can only imagine how that would have turned out on TV.

[LurkerNan]

Some of those House Hunter International shows I watch purely for the WTF of it all. Like that one weird Eastern European house with the only bathroom located outside and downstairs from the front door. Or strange farmhouses that folks buy as a vacation home, that have no bathrooms at all... There are some serious WTF homes in other parts of the world, but I'm fascinated by what folks think is perfectly normal.

[bitca]

Every time I see this thread, I think, "@mulva's HGTV isn't a bitch, is she?!" Side eye, self. Side eye.

[kateln]

I watch Rehab Addict because I like the host and I love old houses and their architectural details, but I'm "meh" on HGTV in general.

The network, not Mulva's fiance.

[biondetta]

Jan 21, 2014 15:22:03 GMT -4 jmart said:

Friends of a friend applied for HHI and were chosen, but they had to bail because the husband's job fell through. I was disappointed to hear the background process of the show </naive>. Apparently most couples already have the house/apartment they want bought and then the agent just takes them around to a few others in the area. My friend said her friend isn't that great of an actress, so she can only imagine how that would have turned out on TV.

We were approached to take part in the show about a year after we moved. And yeah, as a general rule, I think most people already have their property, so the others are just random homes, sometimes not even on the market, just the home of friends. The emptiest home seems to be the one they always go for and the one where someone is obviously living there is the one they never pick. They do fly you back to your home country (which was the part I was most interested in),but in the end, I have no desire to be on tv, so turned it down.

[Deleted]

Okay, okay... I guess I need to come clean here: I have appeared on HGTV (the network, not my fiance). It WAS all because of HGTV, the lady, though... A few months after I moved in, she was thrilled to noticed on the HGTV website that they were scouting for homeowners in our area. I was like, "Sure, honey, you should totally contact them," thinking, "What are the odds it will actually come to fruition?" Oh, it came to fruition all right! We ended up on the (now defunct) show "My House is Worth What?" I was very nervous and really didn't want to be on TV either, but it actually turned out to be a pretty fun experience.

Everyone that worked with/for the show was super nice. We cleaned like insane women for a week. The morning of, they sent a producer, a camera guy, and a sound guy. Then, there was also a local realtor and contractor on the show with us. We spent the day touring each room and having the realtor tell us some 'up arrows' and 'down arrows' about everything. The realtor had actually visited one evening the previous week to gather data for her "appraisal," which makes sense, but also added some awkwardness to the day... For example, we were shooting the scene in our dining room (I shoot scenes, you know...) and the realtor was going on and on about how much she loved the mouldings, the tin ceiling, etc. HGTV and I were smiling, I am sure. But then the scene ended and the producer was like, 'Actually, realtor, you told us that you do not like A, B, and C about this room, so let's take that one again...' And then we had to redo the scene -- with looks of concern, I guess -- while the realtor listed everything she hated about the room (that she loved only moments before!)!

In the end, she told us the house was worth $30k less than what HGTV had paid for it, and ended with the quip, "But, hey, you have to live somewhere!" Guys, not for nothing, but we live in a really nice house. That sentence makes it sound like we are one step above a cardboard box! Anyway, HGTV was shocked and I was trying to talk her down. Seeing this, the producer said, "I have a gift for you guys!" and presented us with an autographed headshot of Suzanne Wang, former host of House Hunters. Um... Okay! (It cracks me up that she had that little bit of "happy" stashed away for just the right moment.) After filming ended (they shot the scenes in the order they appeared on the show), HGTV asked the realtor why her appraisal was so low. She replied that if we'd had central air, it would have been $15k more -- we do have central air. Well, if we were in X school district, it would have been $15-20k higher -- we are in X school district. The woman did no research, and there was no recourse because the crew was already packing up to leave after a looooong day.

HGTV (the lady) was pretty bitter for awhile, I'm not gonna lie. But she got over it and at least we have the fun memories... Oh! Right! I was also borderline blotto for half of it (the second half). They really encourage you to drink -- as in, they suggest it at least once in every phone call and email leading up to the big day -- so you won't appear stiff and nervous on the show. To that end, over the course of the day, I drank an entire bottle of French champagne a friend had gifted us for watching her cat while she was in Paris. I was feeling no pain -- or nerves! HGTV, on the other hand, who got us into this mess in the first place (!!), got more and more TENSE throughout the day and refused to have a single drop of champers because she wanted to be in total control at all times. Well, I guess it all worked out for the best. In my loosey goosey state, my expressions and gestures were way more animated than usual... which has given HGTV and my bestie lots of material with which to make fun of me for years and years. Yay! We all win.