All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?

[Mu Shu]

I just need to know if every house really needs a round/oval/octagonal clock with Roman numerals.

[chessiegal]

I just need to know if every house really needs a round/oval/octagonal clock with Roman numerals.

Why yes, yes it does, and if you go their web site, they'd be more than happy to sell you one. ;-)

 

https://shop.magnoliahomes.net/collections/decorate/products/black-wall-clock

Edited November 18, 2015 by chessiegal

[FoundTime]

I just discovered this show today (while engaged in some activity avoidance) and wound up watching three in a row, taking a "break" to do what I was supposed to be doing, then watching another episode. I found it completely refreshing, maybe because I had been watching multiple episodes of Love It or List It in previous days, and this is like the antithesis of that: It's like on Love It or List It they instruct the homeowners to be as negative as possible, and on this show they instruct them to be as positive as possible. (It also turns House Hunters on its head a bit too: "Pick your favorite dump of a house!") I also enjoyed Chip and Jo as people and as a couple, and family life on the farm (especially the multiple shots of kitties!) -- they seem like nice folks and their clients do too.

As a Houstonian, I did have to wrap my head around the fact that a show based in Waco (!?) found its way to HGTV, though ;-)

[aguabella]

I just need to know if every house really needs a round/oval/octagonal clock with Roman numerals.

 

And if you don't care to pay the outrageous Magnolia website prices plus shipping, you could try sponsor Home Goods.  Loved it when Chip/Jo walked in there and those clocks were prominently placed up front!

 

Anyone else think that Jo's jewelry looks like something her kids made at Joanne Fabric's craft class?  Good thing they haven't filmed the kids producing it - it'd probably reduce sales.

 

 

Welcome, FoundTime!  Yes, I appreciate the positivity on FU, That said, I'm not interested in the Chip comedy hour, personal / family shots (prefer more details of the home renos) and the endless promotion, including Home Goods, Wayfair and the endless stream of local vendors, e.g. Clint, the sign guy, etc.  Besides that, I love it!   Hahaha ... 

 

 

P.S. Anyone agree that we'll probably see less of the cute Waco antique shops but much more Home Goods and Wayfair during Season 3?

Edited November 18, 2015 by aguabella

[Henri205]

The use of 'guys' was on steroids this past episode  to the point of it being a candidate for a drinking game.

 

Noticed Chip has had some dental work too, his teeth were whiter and the miscolored one was gone.

He's also sporting a Rolex, even though it's the 'cheap' one. I enjoy this show and like Chip and Joanna. Good for them that they're doing well.

[Wings]

French country decor does not even exist in rural France.  :>)

[NYGirl]

New season tonight.  I am so amazed that the couple got a beautiful large old house for $50,000.  I just don't see why they use the all in budget for renovations.

 

The house was listed at $140,000 and their all in was $275,000.  So what if they got it for that price?  Would it be the same reno?

[Saylii]

New season tonight. I am so amazed that the couple got a beautiful large old house for $50,000. I just don't see why they use the all in budget for renovations.

The house was listed at $140,000 and their all in was $275,000. So what if they got it for that price? Would it be the same reno?

The homeowners approach Chip & Jo with already purchased houses. I would assume that Chip & Jo told them it would cost 225k for the renovation, which is why the all-in budget was reflected at 275k. If they bought that house at 140k, the all-in budget would have just been reflected at 365k.

[ByaNose]

The house looked great. I always love Joanna's aesthetic & staging. I would have preferred that the front door was front and center instead of the big window. I don't have to live there so I doubt the homeowners care what I think. LOL!!! I wasn't totally in love with the big doors in the pantry. It was too castle like for me. Everything else was great and the blue backsplash was something different than the white subway tile with the dark grout which I can't stand. Now, can Chip & Joanna come to the Philadelphia area already. I need their help. LOL!!

[larapu2000]

Why did Joanna not use the sliding door for the pantry if she wanted something with "character?"  Also, I get the exposed hardware with barn doors, but sliding doors do not have the same aesthetic appeal.  Cover it up, please.  We can imagine that the mechanics work perfectly.

 

The exterior turned out beautifully.  What a lovely gem of a home!  (And what a fucking STEAL at $50k!!)

[GaT]

I don't know why I expected the show to be any different this season, they did the same old thing where Chip (lose the mustache) and/or Joanna find something they didn't know about that needs to be fixed & will cost more money so they call the client, who of course, says go ahead & fix it. 

 

The house looked nice when they were done, but it was the same thing Joanna always does. I do think those people got seriously lucky getting that house for $50,000, & I wonder how much input they actually have on how the house would end up looking. One of the things that always prevents us from doing remodeling is the whole aggravation of deciding what you want, finding the contractors, etc, so if Chip & Joanna just come in & make the decisions, & get everything, just paying the bills is a bargain IMO.

[Mauison]

I enjoyed the season premiere although if one were to play a drinking game based on every time Chip or Jo said "shiplap", you would've been drunk before half the show was over!

 

I know others don't enjoy the family life portion of the show but I don't mind seeing the kiddos, the farm, etc.  The renovations basically follow the same formula on every show - open floorplan, kitchen cabinets to the ceiling, take out any carpet and replace with hardwood, wood project by Clint, extra $ needed from the homeowner to fix an unforseen probem, Jo has to work late the night before the reveal, the homeowners love the house.  So seeing something else outside the reno is nice.

Edited December 3, 2015 by Mauison

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I LOVED this renovation.  What a beautiful and unique home, and what a transformation.  What I love about Fixer Upper is that they normally do a great job on the exterior as well as the interior.  Kitchen was to die for.  Loved that island, the windows, the big arched doors, etc.  Also loved the main stairway in that home.

 

To get that home for $50,000 ... I wonder exactly how that happened.  Normally in that situation you would think, OK, it's been on the market for 2 years so we can really put in a lowball offer.  But to me that would have been $90,000 or $100,000.  Good for them.  I know nothing about that town, but I am going to assume that their newly renovated home is one of the nicest around.

 

I don't mind Chip and the kids, but at this point, I do skip through a lot of that, just to save time. I can get through this show in 20 - 30 minutes.

[aguabella]

Don't normally watch commercials but caught the beginning of 1 the other day.  Chip and Jo dressed up for the holidays, IIRC and Jo said something like (?) "come into our bed".  Uh, say, what??  Their previous commercial was overly lovey-dovey, too. 

 

They continued this theme in S3's first episode the other day.  (BTW, I had no issue with the anniversary party except I would have cut the rose selection and other prep scene(s) to include more reno info.  I'm glad Jo didn't notice all the film equipment outside the barn as they walked up to the party, haha.)  Too much lovey-dovey for me and I'm not interested in Chip's dream about a potential 5th child.

 

Combine all that with the canned bathroom humor and same old antique store routine and I'm thinking about removing this one from the dvr.  Sorry, Chip/Jo - I'd rather see more of the antiques than hear about a stinky, hunting costume.

 

Anyone else believe that nice, clean bench was a plant at the antique store?  Probably have to do that to expedite filming.  Can't expect the local stores to carry the perfect item each time you're ready to film.

Edited December 3, 2015 by aguabella

[aguabella]

I don't know why I expected the show to be any different this season, they did the same old thing where Chip (lose the mustache) and/or Joanna find something they didn't know about that needs to be fixed & will cost more money so they call the client, who of course, says go ahead & fix it. 

 

The house looked nice when they were done, but it was the same thing Joanna always does. I do think those people got seriously lucky getting that house for $50,000, & I wonder how much input they actually have on how the house would end up looking. One of the things that always prevents us from doing remodeling is the whole aggravation of deciding what you want, finding the contractors, etc, so if Chip & Joanna just come in & make the decisions, & get everything, just paying the bills is a bargain IMO.

 

I quickly reviewed the Hillsboro listings and they had several around that $$$ range, although they were smaller.  One of the decoy homes appeared to be in a very nice area.  Their place, ??? - I didn't see much of the neighborhood.  During the intro, the wife said they live on the outskirts of town.  And, they didn't mention having much, if any land.  So, given the above, 50K could be an appropriate starting point for negotiations and the seller was probably motivated after 2 years!  BTW, if I was their agent / broker, I definitely wouldn't mention that the home would be featured on HGTV - don't you all agree?

 

That crawl space / foundation problem would have been called by their home inspector, i.e. not an unforeseen issue.  And, $2 - 3,000 would be covered by their contingency fund.  (Contractors typically set aside at least 10% of the total budget to cover these unforeseen items.  On an older home, I'd probably carry at least a 15% contingency.)  In the real world, I seriously doubt they'd call the homeowner for authorization.  But whatever, it's reality television and they're doing their obligatory once per episode, canned phone call - blah, blah, blah. 

 

My understanding of the reality TV renovation process is that the homeowners are involved every step of the way, resolving every major decision behind the scenes, including the selection of finishes, e.g. flooring, fixtures, tile, etc.  Seriously, how many homeowners would hand over a large chunk of $$$ and cede total control of their home renovation?

 

One example in this episode (for me, anyway) was Jo's "selection" of the blue backsplash and blue accents throughout the home.  Blue's considered a risky color b/c people either love it or hate it and it's easy to select the wrong shade.  It's not often used in staging.  A backsplash's permanent.  Jo did mention the wife's love of blue, acknowledging her involvement.  To enhance the surprise factor of the reveal, they do, however, keep the homeowners away from the home during the reno - or in some shows, e.g. IP, the later stages of the reno.  So, that's real!

 

You're correct, however, that having a professional managing your renovation can make the process much simpler for the homeowner.  Jo and Chip have their team and contacts with all the local experts.  They can efficiently handle the issues that always come up and ultimately complete projects in a reasonable amount of time.  So, although the homeowners are involved during the process, having Magnolia's expertise would expedite matters and make life easier.  Granted, you'll pay for the privilege of using a designer / architect / project manager but it'd be worth it, don't you think? 

 

One thing's important, however - homeowners need to work well with a prospective project manager.  And, although designers s/b able to do different styles, it's usually best to find someone who's more in line with your own aesthetic.  It's human nature - they have a tendency to lean towards their own preferred style.  (Didn't we sorta see this when Jo did the mid-century home?  She still managed to get her own taste in there!)  

 

So, hey, be careful to find the right people but go for it, GaT!  Good luck!

Edited December 3, 2015 by aguabella

[GaT]

So, hey, be careful to find the right people but go for it, GaT!  Good luck!

We actually solved the problem by moving LOL

[Saylii]

Doing some research, the home was sold by an estate and the buying and selling agent had the same last name and worked for the same firm. I would bet $$$ that their agent knew they were looking for a home to renovate/flip and could point them in the direction of that home.

Edited December 3, 2015 by Saylii

[aguabella]

Doing some research, the home was sold by an estate and the buying and selling agent had the same last name and worked for the same firm. I would bet $$$ that their agent knew they were looking for a home to renovate/flip and could point them in the direction of that home.

What I find interesting is that the homeowner's still own their old home and are still claiming it as their homestead property.

 

Yep, the estate sale possibility definitely crossed my mind when I saw the episode.  I also wondered if it was a related party sale.  It's a small town and I had the feeling they were connected and knew people around town.

 

WRT their homestead, perhaps they just haven't gotten around to updating it.  If they plan to flip this latest home - good luck!  Looks like they're at the top of the price range around there.  No offense to Chip but I believe they're underwater at this point.

 

Thanks for doing the research, Saylii.  Can you provide the link?  (PM's fine - I prefer to avoid publishing home addresses.)  Are you from the Hillsboro area, by an chance?  I'm interested in the area so would like to check it out a little further.  

[Saylii]

Yep, the estate sale possibility definitely crossed my mind when I saw the episode.  I also wondered if it was a related party sale.  It's a small town and I had the feeling they were connected and knew people around town.

 

WRT their homestead, perhaps they just haven't gotten around to updating it.  If they plan to flip this latest home - good luck!  Looks like they're at the top of the price range around there.  No offense to Chip but I believe they're underwater at this point.

 

Thanks for doing the research, Saylii.  Can you provide the link?  (PM's fine - I prefer to avoid publishing home addresses.)  Are you from the Hillsboro area, by an chance?  I'm interested in the area so would like to check it out a little further.  

Since aquabella caught my edit, it does look like their previous house sold in October, just not everything is updated yet and it may have been done off the books because I'm having a hard time finding information about it.  So I would guess they are living in the new place.  

 

They definitely have to be underwater.  Even the fancier places surrounding them are topping out at $170-$180.  They do have a lot more sq ft then most of the homes around them, so they'd get a slight bump from that.  But there's no way that house sells for nearly $300k.

[Dobson]

So, am I right in assuming that everything in the houses are staged? The families don't actually get to keep all that furniture, correct? I'm just wondering if some of there budget is supposed to go towards furniture/housewares, or does Jo stage everything for the reveal and then it all gets carted away.  Does anyone know? Thanks.

[limecoke]

That 50K home in Hillsboro?  I absolutely loved it.  I'm the person who second-guesses every design choice I make so I'd be more than happy to tell Jo my favorite colors and design style and let her run with it.  For the most part I like what she does and it'd be easy to change the small things that didn't suit me.   This show is beginning to convince me it's time to move to the Waco area, buy some old house just go for it.

[Pickles]

I think the homes are staged and the furnishings can be purchased, but are not included with the house.

[stinkogingko]

That 50K home in Hillsboro? I absolutely loved it. I'm the person who second-guesses every design choice I make so I'd be more than happy to tell Jo my favorite colors and design style and let her run with it. For the most part I like what she does and it'd be easy to change the small things that didn't suit me. This show is beginning to convince me it's time to move to the Waco area, buy some old house just go for it.

Me too. I don't always like her design choices but they really are good at sprucing up the exteriors and maximizing the interiors. I think one was my favorite so far. The exterior was really stunning.

Edited December 5, 2015 by stinkogingko

[ParadoxLost]

So, am I right in assuming that everything in the houses are staged? The families don't actually get to keep all that furniture, correct? I'm just wondering if some of there budget is supposed to go towards furniture/housewares, or does Jo stage everything for the reveal and then it all gets carted away.  Does anyone know? Thanks.

 

That's what I was thinking and what I came in to ask.  The stuff is never included in the budget and it seems like they do nothing to incorporate any of the new home owners things.  It makes me think its all staged and leaves when the production team does.

[chessiegal]

From what I understand, they stage and the owners have theoption to buy. I think someone from Waco posted up thread they had knowledge of it. Considering the stuff comes from her shop, the staging is an advertisement for her shop. I'd be interested to know how much of her stuff people buy.

[Bossa Nova]

I see Ballard's catalogue in much of Jo's decor choices and her overall decor aesthetic:

 

 

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/

[MoreCoffeePlease]

According to my DVR and the Fixer Upper page on the HGTV website, the Hillsboro episode was Season 3, episode 2.  When was episode 1 on? (or was it?)  My DVR didn't catch it?  And when will episode 3 air? 

[Saylii]

According to my DVR and the Fixer Upper page on the HGTV website, the Hillsboro episode was Season 3, episode 2. When was episode 1 on? (or was it?) My DVR didn't catch it? And when will episode 3 air?

They are airing them out of order. The first episode was 3.2, the second episode was 3.5.

[aguabella]

They are airing them out of order. The first episode was 3.2, the second episode was 3.5.

 

This happens for pretty much all HGTV programs.  I use the DVR episode numbers b/c they appear to be final and have seen them used elsewhere.  But, if you want to make sure you've seen all the episodes, you kinda' need the episode titles, unfortunately! 

[aguabella]

We actually solved the problem by moving LOL

 

Sometimes that's just the best way.  Let someone else deal with the renovation headaches.  Congratulations, GaT!

[aguabella]

New season tonight.  I am so amazed that the couple got a beautiful large old house for $50,000.  I just don't see why they use the all in budget for renovations.

 

The house was listed at $140,000 and their all in was $275,000.  So what if they got it for that price?  Would it be the same reno?

 

This is a great point, NYGirl.  Chip's phraseology, i.e. the "all-in budget" bothers me from a RE investment standpoint.  (See more below, if you're interested.)

[aguabella]

The homeowners approach Chip & Jo with already purchased houses. I would assume that Chip & Jo told them it would cost 225k for the renovation, which is why the all-in budget was reflected at 275k. If they bought that house at 140k, the all-in budget would have just been reflected at 365k.

 

 

Since aquabella caught my edit, it does look like their previous house sold in October, just not everything is updated yet and it may have been done off the books because I'm having a hard time finding information about it.  So I would guess they are living in the new place.  

 

They definitely have to be underwater.  Even the fancier places surrounding them are topping out at $170-$180.  They do have a lot more sq ft then most of the homes around them, so they'd get a slight bump from that.  But there's no way that house sells for nearly $300k.

 

I'm sure you're correct, Saylii, that Chip would simply jack up the "all-in budget" to 365K, if they'd purchased it at $140K.  Even at 50K, it's troubling, to me, from a RE standpoint.

 

On a 3,500 sf  home, $90K of renovation works out to more than $25 / sf.  That's a ton of cost to recover!  Chip quoted a value of $85 / sf for a $297K total.  I did a little research and determined that he's just using the Hillsboro average - meaning, he's only considering the city, not taking an extra look at their neighborhood.

 

Taking the research a bit further, however, the avg home in Hillsboro is only approx. 1,765 sf, for a total avg value of about $150K.  So, even at $170 - 180K (thanks, Saylii), they're higher than the city average.  And, using Chip's $297K value, they're 100% above avg - yikes!

 

Agreed, they'll get a value bump for the added sf.  Here's the thing, however - Chip assigns it the full value of $85 / sf, even though added sf adds value at a declining rate.  So, given the above, would they have a snowball's chance of scoring $297K out of that home?  No way!  Any time over the next decade?  Doubt it.

 

Yes, U.S. homeowners, on average, have recently held homes for a longer period of time.  But, to me, it's unrealistic to assume that these FU participants all bought "forever" homes.  Things change and life happens.  People move.

 

I was happy that they'd dropped the value estimates last night and didn't use the "forever home" standard line.  (Who believes the numbers didn't work out favorably so it wasn't mentioned?  Me, that's for sure, lol!)  Guess it didn't fit with the second home storyline.  They'd used them so many times in a row, however - I'm sure we'll hear it again. 

 

Hope I'm not too far out in the RE weeds for everyone.  Hey, I didn't get into the Magnolia conflict of interest, either.  Bottom line, I'm surprised the production company / network is sanctioning their arrangement.  They've carefully separated the functions on every other reno program.

 

So, they continue to use that language.  Plus, they're trotting Chip out there as  a RE expert.  (Yes, we all know it's not real, but for most people, those $$$ represent their life savings.)  Chip and Jo may have done well, investing for their own account but it's different when you represent others and have far less control.  How will these folks feel if/when someone must sell?  Hey, move to Waco but forget about leaving!

 

Was thinking / hoping / believing that they'd tighten things up in S3.  Nope, nothing changed.  Why mess with success, right?

Edited December 10, 2015 by aguabella

[CN42]

  Hey, move to Waco but forget about leaving!

 

 

 

"You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!"

[Mu Shu]

I'm always confused about "You guyses all in budget". A 50k home may be a deal, but unless you plan to stay forever, didn't they over improve? Just because you dump a ton of money into a house doesn't mean you'll recoup it.

What do they plan to do with those damn silos ? Wouldn't the cost of rehabbing them far outweigh getting some non decrepit commercial space and hanging a Roman numeral clock? The numbers never add up to me.

[aguabella]

I'm always confused about "You guyses all in budget". A 50k home may be a deal, but unless you plan to stay forever, didn't they over improve? Just because you dump a ton of money into a house doesn't mean you'll recoup it.

What do they plan to do with those damn silos ? Wouldn't the cost of rehabbing them far outweigh getting some non decrepit commercial space and hanging a Roman numeral clock? The numbers never add up to me.

 

If you're interested, Mu Shu, I believe I posted a decent, initial analysis of the extent of their overimprovement, above.  And, that's before considering any updates to the 2nd floor living quarters.  IIRC, Chip and Jo only touched about 1/2 the home.  Hopefully it's mostly cosmetic but they'll end up sinking more bucks (!!!) into the property when all is said and done.

 

Definitely agree with you about the silos.  IIRC, I linked some articles upthread discussing tax benefits or other city incentives Magnolia received.  Would have to tour Waco myself to get a feel for it but it's hard for me to believe that the silo project is the end-all and be-all for a Waco redevelopment.  Can anyone tell us more about the Waco downtown?  Have other projects sprung up in that area since Chip and Jo began their project?

Edited December 12, 2015 by aguabella

[aguabella]

"You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!"

 

Love it, CN42!  "Welcome to the Hotel California!"

 

Speaking of lodging, has anyone who's seriously thinking of moving to Waco, have you considered checking it out?  Possibly staying at Chip/Jo's new B&B?

 

If you do, please give us the details of your tour.  Personally, I'm not that familiar with how Waco's set up.  For example, does the downtown revolve around Baylor?  Or, is Baylor on the outskirts?

 

Have a good weekend, everyone!

 

Edited December 12, 2015 by aguabella

[IDJ49]

I am not seriously thinking of moving to Waco but I was there last month for business. Baylor is definitely what the downtown part of the city revolves around. The Silos are about 5 minutes away from the school. I went a week after it opened and the place was packed. By the way the store is next to the actual silos not in them. I'm not sure what they are planning for the actual silos if anything at all.

[GaT]

I think they did a really nice job on the house this week. I also think they paid attention to what people were posting last season because it looks like Joanna has changed her decorating style a bit. It still has that countryish feel, but we're aren't seeing the same exact thing every week, & it looks a little more sophisticated. And speaking of changes, did I somehow miss it, or did they actually skip the big-crisis-that-they-have-to-call-the-buyers-about? That is definitely a good change.

 

When they showed the third house, I kept waiting for The Brady Bunch to appear, has the house been on the market since the 70s? LOL

[kimberussell]

And speaking of changes, did I somehow miss it, or did they actually skip the big-crisis-that-they-have-to-call-the-buyers-about? That is definitely a good change.

 

I think the vaulted ceiling suggestion was going to be the money-grab call and the call went poorly, so it didn't make the cut. I don't think the couple was mean on the phone, but there was probably no good way to script a "nope, too much money" call and not make anyone look bad. Because Chip and Jo went from "let's vault these ceilings!" right to Jo's "since money is a factor we didn't go with vaulted ceilings" talking head. 

 

I discovered this show a few months ago (bought a house of our own this summer and now all I do for fun now is watch HGTV because we have to rebuild our savings!) and am really enjoying season 3 more than season 2. 

[GaT]

I think the vaulted ceiling suggestion was going to be the money-grab call and the call went poorly, so it didn't make the cut. I don't think the couple was mean on the phone, but there was probably no good way to script a "nope, too much money" call and not make anyone look bad. Because Chip and Jo went from "let's vault these ceilings!" right to Jo's "since money is a factor we didn't go with vaulted ceilings" talking head. 

Yeah, you're probably right. Damn, I was hoping it was gone.

[MissT]

And speaking of changes, did I somehow miss it, or did they actually skip the big-crisis-that-they-have-to-call-the-buyers-about? That is definitely a good change.

I think the big crisis was moving the fireplace in the living room.

[GaT]

But they didn't have to call the buyer & ask for money.

[aguabella]

I am not seriously thinking of moving to Waco but I was there last month for business. Baylor is definitely what the downtown part of the city revolves around. The Silos are about 5 minutes away from the school. I went a week after it opened and the place was packed. By the way the store is next to the actual silos not in them. I'm not sure what they are planning for the actual silos if anything at all.

 

Thanks for the info, IDJ49.  Interesting to hear b/c many uni towns have 1 area revolving around the school but a separate, unique downtown.  I had a feeling Waco was essentially all Baylor, all the time!

[aguabella]

The phone calls would be prearranged by producers so I doubt they shot one but received a "no" answer.  They're usually only a couple of thousand but they were talking tens of thousands for that vaulting.  Also, like all the other so-called "unforeseen" situations, they'd have known about that situation long before that particular time.  The f/p move was prearranged well in advance b/c it was discussed during the reenacted (phony) house hunt.

 

They included so many extraneous scenes in last night's episode that I assumed the phony call was just cut for time.  They had a trip to the cattle auction, birthing new calves and a long silo scene besides the normal family at the farm and Chip goofing around scenes.  That was my guess.  The call did appear in the first 2 episodes of the season, BTW.

 

 

Another difference was the choice of three options during the design plan scene.  Jo asked if they wanted to do all of them.  That was new and probably much more realistic b/c I'm sure the participants are completely involved in the design plan and finish selections.  Nobody turns over basically 100% of the design decisions on their $$$ job to 1 individual - doesn't matter how much you love that designer's taste.

 

And, it was obvious that Magnolia did more work on the home than revealed and/or typical.  They aired the den but skipped the sunroom.  The couple also mentioned a pool so it would have been nice to see the backyard and remainder of the home / lot.

 

 

Going back to our previous discussion of their "all-in" budget, one thing that may save them is the bank's construction lending process.  They haven't mentioned financing at all.  If any of these people obtained a construction loan, no bank will lend more than warranted under their chosen loan-to-value ratio.  But, we do know for certain that HGTV requires all participants to make a specified cash payment upfront to Magnolia Construction to begin the job. 

 

So, it's still possible they require these folks to be cash buyers.  Working with cash buyers makes a construction company's life significantly simpler.  I doubt the producers care to experience delays caused by the bank's inspectors.  (On these sorts of jobs, the bank would be inspecting periodically to verify % of completion going forward, prior to each and every draw, i.e. funding request.)  The bank wouldn't lend more than appropriate under their estimated, prospective appraisal.

 

 

WRT last night's episode, that was a nice job.  Those people selected quality, high-end finishes, including tons of custom cabinetry.  The bathroom was too over the top for me, however.  My preference would have been to retain some of that master bedroom's space instead of turning its den/sitting area into a hallway, if they wanted that large of a m bath.  (Felt claustrophobic to me.)  B/c they don't air the entire floor plan, I don't know what was behind the existing master bathroom.  If it was a closet or small b/r, why not back into that in order to enlarge the m bath instead of reducing the size of the existing bedroom? 

 

In a 4,000sf home, they couldn't find more space to enlarge the master?  Plus, given the home's size and the quality of finishes, wouldn't you want a larger master?  Considering the RE ramifications, that seems like an error.  An eventual buyer would expect a major master given the quality of the home's update.  With 4 bathrooms total, if 1 backed onto that bath, they could have possibly combined those 2 and retained the mbr's den space.  (It'd probably make sense, RE value-wise, to turn the home into a 4/3 with a major m bath instead of 4/4.)  They set up a den / music room for the guy elsewhere so they had options.  Anyway, we'll never know!

 

When they walked in and the woman immediately started talking about the f/p, I assumed they'd already purchased that place.  Their updated, double-sided f/p was beautiful - I would have enjoyed seeing that sunroom during the reveal.  And more of the house / floor plan instead of all the extraneous scenes.  But more reno, less fluff's always my preference.

 

 

ETA:  Anyone know why they had the camera linger on that particular piece of sheet music?  Perhaps the guy required they air that for some reason.

Edited December 16, 2015 by aguabella

[Saylii]

I noticed this was the third week in a row that the house chosen was house number one. They've also started showing enough of the house in the first-minute previews that I've been able to pick out which one they choose during the walk through. I wonder if they are planning a format change for next season and are trying to get a feel for what people think when they know what house the homeowner is choosing.

Is the house that Jojo makes the B&B house #2? I thought it was weird for her to talk about how much she wanted that house and how it would make such a cute B&B.

[racked]

I enjoyed all the extraneous scenes last night - watching Chip and his son at the auction for the baby calves, and all the farm scenes. Mainly because their kids are so adorable, but also because that life is so foreign to me that it's fun to watch. And I like Chip! He charms me, still. 

 

One thing that's always confused me about the show is these houses that are total dumps where they don't show the reno to the rest of the house. In the last episode, what about the other bathrooms? What about the kids rooms? I'm sure they were redone, but we didn't get to see it. Is that just because of time, or were those renovations not part of the budget? The house was stunning, but it is a little less fun to see these half million dollar homes.

I'm always confused about "You guyses all in budget". A 50k home may be a deal, but unless you plan to stay forever, didn't they over improve? Just because you dump a ton of money into a house doesn't mean you'll recoup it

I could be wrong, but I feel like in Season 1, the credits or intro noted that they wanted to find the worst home on the nicest block. So I think some amount of consideration goes into the value of the surrounding homes? Which doesn't mean they don't over improve.

Edited December 17, 2015 by racked

[illini1959]

I haven't seen the most recent episode yet, but my daughter told me the homeowners seemed less than enthusiastic at the reveal.

 

Did anyone else get that impression? I'll watch it tonight and see, but I just wondered what you all thought in the meantime.

[truther]

I haven't seen the most recent episode yet, but my daughter told me the homeowners seemed less than enthusiastic at the reveal.

 

Did anyone else get that impression? I'll watch it tonight and see, but I just wondered what you all thought in the meantime.

Absolutely.  I had the exact same impression.  Now, I only caught about the last 15 minutes so I don't know what other discussions they had, or whether these homeowners were just low-energy people generally, but the reveal was a snoozefest.  Chip and JoJo were clearly trying to bring some excitement to a dead audience.  There was this whole buildup, for example, about these old patent prints that Jo had gotten a graphic artist to make for the musician husband.  It was supposed to be a really big deal.  At the reveal she shows them and the guy's just like "oh, great" and that was that.  

 

I'm not suggesting anything like this actually happened, but if you told me that 5 minutes before the cameras had started rolling the producers had told the homeowners their entire house was contaminated with termites, or that their dog had just died, I'd believe you.   

[aguabella]

I noticed this was the third week in a row that the house chosen was house number one. They've also started showing enough of the house in the first-minute previews that I've been able to pick out which one they choose during the walk through. I wonder if they are planning a format change for next season and are trying to get a feel for what people think when they know what house the homeowner is choosing.

Is the house that Jojo makes the B&B house #2? I thought it was weird for her to talk about how much she wanted that house and how it would make such a cute B&B.

 

Don't know if you're an HGTV fan, Saylii, but the choice of #1 is very common in both the house hunting and reno programs (e.g. HH, HHI, HH - Reno, etc.) - at least in my experience.  My theory is that they film their home first b/c then they can either begin work and/or move in. 

 

They've already closed escrow and are incurring expenses.  They must be extremely anxious to get going.  Plus, they're required to conform to the show's production schedule and may have been delayed. 

 

It's also typical that they show enough of the home during the intro to eliminate any surprise.  And, they're working with one of the regular HGTV production companies. 

 

Given the above, I wouldn't expect any format change in the near future.   They don't typically make changes mid-season.  (They're uttering the same lines as in the first two seasons.  Why mess with success, lol?)  BTW, they often film two seasons at a time.  Seems like a format change would be more likely in a Season 5, if one occurs.  We'll see if they get there, lol!

 

WRT the B&B, I was surprised, too!  She only mentioned that it'd make a great B&B a couple of times, however, IIRC, so it wasn't too bad.  On balance, if I hadn't heard that they'd purchased a B&B, I probably wouldn't have noticed her comments.

[aguabella]

The last couple did seem tired and underwhelmed when reciting the script ("nailed it", blah, blah, blah) and seeing Jo's special touches (e.g. the patent artwork) but I thought they expressed genuine excitement about their new home. 

 

I've heard that 14 hour days on these programs are the norm and they film these scenes multiple times from every angle, reciting the same standard lines so it would definitely tucker me out!