Unsellable Houses - General Discussion

[Orcinus orca]

I watch the initial set up, fast forward, and then the end.  So much easier to tolerate.

[CalicoKitty]

The twins have become unwatchable with all their antics. They have really ramped up lately. The main reason I cannot watch any more is the way they stage the finished houses.  The finished product is so crammed with stuff and it always looks like a thrift store.  You can't even see the rooms, let alone any details.  That would not entice me to buy.  Just too much stuff to look past.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I've wondered if they get rid of the tons of extra TV staging, and patch the holes?   Adding all of that stuff is supposed to attract buyers, but I'm wondering if it repels them instead?    

I suspect most of their buyers are going for the location, and hoping that the fixes to the roof, and other permanent features of the house mean a buyer will only have to do cosmetic fixes.  It's all about location. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[pwdrpuff]

On 9/13/2023 at 9:07 AM, 65mickey said:

Was house #2 the one that was isted for $550,000 and sold for $580,000 the one that Leslie said she could see it for a first time Homeowner? It amight have been on another episode. But it was an equally expensive home. I almost chocked when she said that. What first time homeowner can afford the down payment on a $580.000 house let alone the monthly payments including taxes and insurance? I've seen doctors on house hunters looking for a first home and they balk at paying over $400,000. I know the salaries on the west coast are higher than other parts of the country but I'm still shaking my head at this. 

Homes in the Seattle area are extremely expensive. I’ve seen tear downs and fixer uppers listed on Zillow for 700-800K.

Edited September 24, 2023 by pwdrpuff

[65mickey]

They addressed that the market was softening and it was taking longer to sell houses. I think only one this season sold for over asking price and one sold under asking rice and sat on the market for 13 weeks. Another sold for asking price. The price of homes in this area cannot continue to rise because eventually they will be out of the price range for the average homeowner. The bubble will burst and they will be in for a world of hurt.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder if remote work from home is souring the Seattle market?   If I could live in a cheaper area, I certainly would opt for than instead of paying so much for housing, and the traffic issues.   

[pasdetrois]

The Washington Post had an article describing this phenomenon. There are 100% remote workers who live in affordable communities, but there's increasing pressure for them to work onsite in another city, such as a corporate HQ. If it's part-time, they have to pay their own airfare and hotel bills for a weekly commute. So they lose either way.

[Mollywolly555]

I ff to end. They're not as funny as they think they are. 

  Cd they use any more fake plants???

Their rooms are looking the same in am the houses. 

 

[Orcinus orca]

23 minutes ago, Mollywolly555 said:

Their rooms are looking the same in am the houses. 

In all fairness, ALL rooms in ALL of the houses on ALL of these flipping shows look the same.  Same colors, same designs.  The only difference is staging.

And in 10 years they will all look dated because of that and be deemed "gut jobs" by the next generation of buyers.

[humbleopinion]

Another episode where they take turns giving each other insincere compliments.

The blond compensates for not losing weight by wearing bigger and bigger hats so she looks smaller optically.

The brown haired one is winning....excuse me, TWINNING because she dropped a few lbs. She loves to lord it over her the blond who was always smaller.

Another redo stuffed to the gills of doodads from their warehouse.

The contractor who has to remove all that wall tile can curse Lamb&Co.

That playhouse was too small for the winner.

 

 

 

 

[chessiegal]

I haven't watched this is awhile. When I tuned in recently, I almost didn't recognize the dark-haired sister because she seemed to have gained a lot of weight. 🤷‍♂️

[65mickey]

The sister with the dark hair looks to me like she has lost a good bit of weight especially in her face.  I think both sisters have lost weight.

Watched tonight's show. They invested $150,000 in renovating a house and hope to get it back. But after the renovation they can't list it because the septic system is not up to code and to tie into the city sewer line it will cost them another $80,000 and they have no time line from the city.  To be continued next week. 

This show has jumped the shark.

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by 65mickey

[Pine]

I really enjoy this show.  I live quite nearby, and that is a huge factor.

I do not like this new season.  Why? Why? Why do we have to watch old episodes for never before seen scenes?    I would almost think there is an ending to the show about to happen.   If they cannot find enough homes that they are doing their renovate and sell, then just show us renovations, not this old stuff. 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm wondering if potential clients refuse to delay putting their places on the market, or delay for filming, so they aren't signing up for the show?   Or potential sellers would rather get a house on the market, sell, and have it over with, instead of gambling on a remodel paying off, since the market has slowed down. 

 

[Pine]

7 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm wondering if potential clients refuse to delay putting their places on the market, or delay for filming, so they aren't signing up for the show?   Or potential sellers would rather get a house on the market, sell, and have it over with, instead of gambling on a remodel paying off, since the market has slowed down. 

 

We did that, the wrong way, but it turned out to our advantage.  As we were looking in the 500K range locally, we did a bathroom remodel and our agent said finsh the house before we sell.  Well the hunt took 2 years, and it was 2008, the prices were falling, my husband got some huge promotions, and we were looking for 750K, which was shortly before was an 800K to 1M home.   We got into a very nice 850K home for 650K, but because we had to finish our old house, we got 200K less than anticipated, and we totally remodeled it.   Somehow, it all worked out, and our home is now up to 1.6K even in this low market.  So....I say if you owe on the house, and cannot take a gamble, SELL NOW!  Who knows what the market or rates are going to be in the next year.   I drive by our old house a lot, and the new owners have trashed it, so sad.  :(

I would sign up for their show in a second, but, I don't want to sell my house at the end.  :)

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Pine
forgot something to add

[sadtvjunkie]

On the one unsellable house with septic problems: I am SO tired of hearing them say "it's a family home". That home has more concrete around it then a commercial building. I would never buy it. They didn't even fill in the bomb shelter. That's an accidental death waiting to happen that they know about.

The high school is looming over it and rental homes (which is what I call townhomes in our community) are in front of it. There would be NO WAY I would buy a septic home in an urban(now) environment. They should have walked away. So stupid.

The woman that lived there waited too long. Should have sold as soon as she knew that were building a school in her backyard.

[65mickey]

Another week another home sale with zero profit after they finished spending $150,000 on the house. It looks like their business model is tanking. I guess they are renovating pet projects to keep the show going. I liked this show when it was about spending $50,000 or less and doing a reasonable amount of work to help people sell homes. They have that the market is soft but they keep pouring a ton of money into no so great houses. 

[pwdrpuff]

Talk about striking out. Multiple sellers this season would have saved time and money if they didn’t opt for the renovation and just sold As-Is. Terrible. I’m curious if they took some of the loss for that septic issue or got their whole $150 investment back. If they they didn’t share in the loss, then they really screwed that nice old lady. 

On 10/9/2023 at 5:07 PM, 65mickey said:

Another week another home sale with zero profit after they finished spending $150,000 on the house. It looks like their business model is tanking. I guess they are renovating pet projects to keep the show going. I liked this show when it was about spending $50,000 or less and doing a reasonable amount of work to help people sell homes. They have that the market is soft but they keep pouring a ton of money into no so great houses. 

They glossed over the loss. Just stated zero profit. It was a $70k loss and I doubt the septic issue would have been found without a special inspection. Regular inspectors would have never known. They only figured it out by digging it up. Probably a sewage inspection would not have uncovered it either.  Beware of opening up old homes. You have to disclose after it’s discovered.

[pwdrpuff]

The curtains in that ballroom were laughably too short. 🤦🏻‍♀️

The decor seemed sparse and pretty cheap looking. Even the bar was boring. It needed a emerald or deeper green.

But I did like the bathroom and bridal suite. The makeup counter was not big enough. The curtains again so short! It just screams, can’t afford custom curtains. Lol

Edited October 11, 2023 by pwdrpuff

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 10/11/2023 at 2:22 PM, pwdrpuff said:

Talk about striking out. Multiple sellers this season would have saved time and money if they didn’t opt for the renovation and just sold As-Is. Terrible. I’m curious if they took some of the loss for that septic issue or got their whole $150 investment back. If they they didn’t share in the loss, then they really screwed that nice old lady. 

They glossed over the loss. Just stated zero profit. It was a $70k loss and I doubt the septic issue would have been found without a special inspection. Regular inspectors would have never known. They only figured it out by digging it up. Probably a sewage inspection would not have uncovered it either.  Beware of opening up old homes. You have to disclose after it’s discovered.

I bet a septic company would have discovered the issues.  When I was selling my home with a septic system, I had to have the tank serviced, and checked by a licensed septic company. A total mess like the tank on that home would never have been able to pump it and certainly wouldn't pass examination.   That's what happens when you jump into a renovation without doing any inspections.  

To me it's obvious that the filming is not in order.  Both sisters look so different through the episode, Lindsay (the dark haired one because I probably got the sisters confused) was much thinner in some scenes, and looked very different a scene later.   I'm guessing a lot of recreated scenes are happening.   

Edited October 13, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[sadtvjunkie]

In my area of Central Florida if you are mortgaging your home and it has septic there is a separate inspection. My brother just went through this. I told him to walk away from any home with septic in an urban area. He was so desperate for a home he overpaid and got stuck doing A LOT of renovation fixes that should have been done before the sale. Now people can't give away there homes here. They are sitting on MLS for MONTHS, when the same homes would have sold in less than a week 8 months ago.

I'm a buyer beware type. I will pay to have ALL the inspections before I sink a huge amount of my $$$ into something.

[bilgistic]

My parents live on a dead-end street in the house in which I grew up. The neighborhood was annexed into the city maybe 30 years ago. The city came a couple years ago and put in a sewer line in the neighborhood, but it was going to be something like $10,000 to connect to the house--it definitely wasn't the "$50K to $85K" on the show. My parents refused, and therefore, the two houses on the road after them didn't get sewer access either.🥴

[pwdrpuff]

I’ve never dealt with Septic situation, so I didn’t know there are specific inspectors for septics. Yeah a buyer would have figured out the issue most likely. That said, the owner made the wrong choice going with the expensive renovation. They should have sold it as-is. No updates. This renovation only served the purpose of tv entertainment. It didn’t help them sell their home quickly and at a higher price point than what they put into it. ROI fail. Paint is a very high ROI. Stage and do that, that’s it.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, there are specific companies that service and certify septic systems.   My local company that service my septic at my previous house was called Royal Flush, not kidding about that name.    

I'm actually watching the rerun of the two episodes with the failed reno.   The bomb shelter should have been collapsed and filled in.  The septic system issue should have been researched before agreeing to remodel and market the house.  I find it hard to believe that a little research with the city records whouldn't have shown the septic wasn't big enough for the house size.   

The owner should have sold to a developer, as is, and not tried for the bonanza that was promised.  I think the city should have cancelled the certificate of occupancy for that house, it didn't have a sanitary system.  

The money the sisters put into the house didn't help the selling price at all, so I guess they lost a lot on the reno since the sale price was virtually the before price too.  

I hate that they put the bed in front of the window, it often happens on reno and staging shows, but I hate it.  

The venue remodel was awful.   How can you have a successful venue with only 20 events a year?     I wonder if they found a way to make the venue accessible?   Apparently the venue has a lot of steps.    I didn't find the remodel of the venue that much of an improvement over what it used to be.  I didn't like the black painted ceiling and the big lights.  

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

I turned the new episode on in time for the reveal.   I am underwhelmed with the kitchen finishes.  I dislike the splotchy counter tops they picked, and nothing seems coordinated.    They're still staging with way too many items, and putting too much on the walls, for the poor buyer to have to patch and paint later.     No dining area?  That's not an improvement. 

At least they got multiple offers on this house, and some over asking.  

I've noticed that they're not really updating, they just use the trendy stuff that builders use now.   

Edited October 29, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[sadie]

Who wants a house with no eating area? I get they wanted to enlarge the kitchen but to have no room for a table is baffling. How they sold this so fast must be about the neighborhood because this house was super unimpressive.

[bilgistic]

I don't have a problem with not having a dedicated dining area, but my boyfriend and I are slobs that eat on the couch while watching TV. This house was supposedly designed for a family, which needs a dining table.

I hated the "ombré" brown tile in the main shower. I also hated the brick-look tile in the kitchen. It just looked cheap to me. I didn't like the countertops either.

I did like the iron/steel railing put in place of the pony wall. I begrudgingly admit the fireplace looked better after being painted. I usually hate when anything wood is painted. I agree there's way too much stuff crammed into the houses when they stage.

I'm over green kitchens.

[chessiegal]

22 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I don't have a problem with not having a dedicated dining area, but my boyfriend and I are slobs that eat on the couch while watching TV.

Hey! You can eat on the couch without being a slob. We do it every night! ☺️

[blondiek237]

10 hours ago, sadie said:

Who wants a house with no eating area? I get they wanted to enlarge the kitchen but to have no room for a table is baffling. How they sold this so fast must be about the neighborhood because this house was super unimpressive.

We just did our kitchen and while there is room for a table, we use the area as a sitting area and eat at the island 

[pwdrpuff]

Am I the only one that thinks their design aesthetic is super dated and cheap looking? It’s like they are stuck with shopping at Home Goods. They would do better sticking with the classics, not throw every past trend in the same house. I can believe they spent 175k on the remodel. Other than shopping at discount home stores to stage, what else did they do that would cost that much?

[65mickey]

On 10/23/2023 at 9:53 AM, sadie said:

Who wants a house with no eating area? I get they wanted to enlarge the kitchen but to have no room for a table is baffling. How they sold this so fast must be about the neighborhood because this house was super unimpressive.

And who pays $790,000 for house with no eating area?? I have to assume it's people who do not think they will someday want to host a family holiday meal, or a birthday party. People will be told to grab a plate, sit on the floor or stand up and juggle their plate and drink. I've lived in apartments and houses and never once did I live anywhere without room for a table and chairs. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by 65mickey

[Mannahatta]

On 10/24/2023 at 8:41 AM, pwdrpuff said:

Am I the only one that thinks their design aesthetic is super dated and cheap looking? It’s like they are stuck with shopping at Home Goods. They would do better sticking with the classics....

I think the same could be said for their clothing choices.

[Grizzly]

I just saw the septic episode. If that truly is French country, I am not a fan of that style. Didn't like the red front door. I did like how the German schmear turned out but not the wallpaper over the mantel. That blue/lavender was not my favorite in the kitchen but I did like it over the ledge. If Bonnie bought that house when her kids were young, why does she still have a mortgage and why wasn't the septic taken care of at her closing?

[CalicoKitty]

I am watching the second episode of the septic house.  Are they really listing this house for $900,000 and then telling prospective buyers that they will have to take out an $80,000 loan to have the sewer system connected?  I realize that this is a special type of loan, and I don't know the interest on it, but how many people are willing to buy an older home with no sewer?  This is crazy.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The house actually sold for very little over the 'unsellable" price, $780,000 price, so the $150k they spent on renovations was a big fail.   Supposedly the 'unsellable' price was $750k, so they really lost money on the reno, and with the commissions the homeowner had to pay. 

 

You can't convince me that the homeowner didn't have an idea about the septic issues.   There is no way the plumbing in that house worked when she lived there.    

Unfortunately, the banquet room didn't look better after the remodel, at least to me.  It wasn't a cohesive theme.    

Edited October 29, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Shermie]

The septic house (what a lovely nickname) was ugly before and after. I don’t think it was worth investing in, although I guess they didn’t know the septic issue beforehand. 

Did they redo the exterior? Because it was fun. The bright red doors with the red brick on the house didn’t go together at all. And then blue siding or something? Just no.

The inside was a mess, with a gazillion incomplete projects and half-assed effort. I think a match might have been the best choice for that house. 

As for their banquet room, I would have preferred the furniture in a creamy white rather than black. It just kind of disappeared, although maybe that was what they wanted. I did like the walls and ceiling painted as they did it, although would a glossier black look better than the matte on the ceiling? And that little raised furniture shelf all around the room seemed like a big accessibility issue. Aren’t there rules for accessibility in public buildings?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm not a fan of the staging and changes in the new home tonight "Peach Freak, Grandma Chic"   The wallpaper backing on the living room shelves is awful.    The entire place looks like it was furnished with random stuff, and nothing coordinated.  I'm still amazed at how much they get for a 1 bathroom house.  Staging a super tiny bedroom as an office isn't fooling anyone. 

I don't like the breakfast shelf, it's too narrow for two people, and since it's right over the floor heating vent, you better not drop anything.    

This house sold for $780k, with a $30k investment.  They still didn't make much money on this one.  

What were the sisters thinking, cramming all of those people in their van?   No seat belts, and people crammed in like sardines.  

 

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[RowdyCam]

Shallow but what were they wearing at the reveal? Dark-haired twin: dark midriff tank under light mock turtleneck and Maude-style long vest. Lighter-haired twin: dressed for a rock concert, denim jacket, print mini dress, patterned black pantyhose that fought with the pattern on her dress

Edited October 30, 2023 by RowdyCam

[CrazyInAlabama]

At least on tonight's house, some kind of former doggy day care I guess, from the little I saw, they made a big profit to split, almost $200k.    I wonder if it was ever on the market before they remodeled?    And why does the crew start demoing a house, before you walk through and say what you're remodeling?  

[kirklandia]

I just can't, with all these shenanigans.  Coffee hijinks.  Stray dog chasing hilarity.   Doggiegate, as the sisters awkwardly and unnecessarily clamber over homeowners' giant barrier.  And that's just in the first few minutes. Plenty more to come.

I started watching because the locations are nearby and familiar.  

But - as we are being given less content (which is more and more unconvincing) and more filler (making the twins look less and less professional) - my FF finger is about worn out.

Edited November 8, 2023 by kirklandia

[Mannahatta]

I've gotten to the point where I just proceed to the last 8 minutes or so. In fact, lately I've been toying with the idea of putting them on mute....I think they did a nice job with the bones of this last house. And the tiles were more subtle than usual. Plus the sellers seemed like fun. However, I could do without all the close-ups of the inevitable baskets on the wall, the excessive amounts of pillows on the beds, the fake plants that continually pop up in the unlikeliest of places, the often cheap looking faucets, and the ever-present macrame. But who am I to complain now that I've learned to fully embrace the magic of fast-forwarding!

[pasdetrois]

14 hours ago, Mannahatta said:

I've been toying with the idea of putting them on mute

I recommend it.

I watched the first episode of what I believe is the latest season (the show just appeared on FUBO). The one where there was no profit and the sisters repeatedly talked about a soft market.

I think the designing sister is the worst designer of all the HGTV shows. This latest project looked like she pulled random ideas from Pinterest and threw them up on the walls. The hat rack is an IKEA hack I've seen. That horrid crafty black-with-wood-strips basement ceiling looked like a demented runway. The tan chevron tile next to the black Moroccan tile - pulled from leftover stock somewhere. The neon yellow door - the sister has no concept of color theory.

Add to this their embarrassing flinging of arms - in tandem at one point - and dancing and mugging and "joking" with their new worker...just horrid.

Even FFing through 90% of the episode to get to the reveal doesn't help this wretched show. Why is it still on the air?

Edited November 13, 2023 by pasdetrois

[CalicoKitty]

I wonder how many buyers demand to have all the holes in the walls filled, the inside repainted, and tile changed.  That would have to be in the contract if I bought one of these houses (I'm not--ever).

[kirklandia]

On 11/12/2023 at 10:03 PM, Mannahatta said:

I could do without all the close-ups of the inevitable baskets on the wall, the excessive amounts of pillows on the beds, the fake plants that continually pop up in the unlikeliest of places

That's one of my pet peeves about this type of show - the focus on the furnishings and accessories.   Which are not part of the sale, and just distract the buyers from seeing what they are actually buying. Of course, in this case, they are promoting the sisters' business that sells all that stuff.

I'm guessing that the buyers do get to keep the "original artwork ".

And just when I think the irrelevant filler can't get any more obnoxious, it does.
Home movies! 🙈🙈🙈

Edited November 14, 2023 by kirklandia

[bilgistic]

That "art" was hideous.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tricky Rambler to Simple Farmhouse.   New I guess.    So, butcher block counters, but still an undermount apron sink?   Is that going to cause issues with water and the butcher block?    I still can't believe how much a 1 bathroom house sells for, $650k list. 

 I did laugh when the one homeowner (I guess homeowner, or maybe a phony potential buyer) complimented their usual over-the-top staging. 

I dislike the busy, cement look kitchen floor tile, black and white is too glaring.  The mudroom is huge, and most of it is a waste of space.   $650k list, but one offer for $675k.   I guess it's the market there, and the location. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Kathcart]

Quote

I think the same could be said for their clothing choices

Came here to say the same thing. Especially at the reveals — if they think what they are wearing looks good on them then I seriously question their taste. They look like puffed-up clowns.

I mean, rich puffed-up clowns, so who is laughing all the way to the bank here?

[Gam2]

I nearly always laugh at their “reveal” clothing and hats. Do these women even own mirrors and why in the world are their dresses/skirts so short over their huge legs? If someone loved them, they’d tell these women to find a stylist who knows how to dress them in attractive clothing. And those stupid hats!!!!

[pasdetrois]

Since I raged against their design aesthetic in my last post, I'll add that in two following episodes their design was decent. Less mis-matched color and materials, fewer knick-knacks. (I think episodes 2 and 3 from Season 4). I immediately thought that they had subbed in a different, unseen designer. Then we were back to more ugly design in another episode.

The "potential buyers" are clearly production plants, chosen for their willingness to wander through the houses and praise them. And the sellers sound like robots as they tour the finished houses.

I think the twins are doing their version of boho Seattle fashion. The grunge fashion style began in Seattle.

Also, I just spotted an article that says the former contractor Jeff chose to focus on his own business, which appears to have grown thanks to his appearance on this series. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/news/hgtv-star-clears-up-why-hugely-missed-cast-member-left-hit-tv-show/ar-AA1ki2LD  I'm glad for him.

Edited November 21, 2023 by pasdetrois

[CrazyInAlabama]

"Impossible Expectations".    I can't believe they said how spacious the tiny closet is.   The bathroom without a glass door is now without a shiled for splashing water.    I can't believe the house sole for $1.175 million, and they split a profit after reno of just under $200k.   I can't believe how pricey the Seattle area market is, for cramped looking houses. 

Congrats to the two boys graduating high school.