Vacation House Rules - General Discussion

[Kohola3]

 

17 minutes ago, Twiz44 said:

Just started watching the Carriage House episode.  I was wondering as I watched Scott ferrying to the location, does anyone know where in Canada this house is located?

In Picton, ON.  Here it is on AirBNB.  Not quite the $500 a night that Scott predicted!

Edited August 16, 2020 by Kohola3

[CruiseDiva]

59 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

In Picton, ON.  Here it is on AirBNB.  Not quite the $500 a night that Scott predicted!

Actually Scott predicted $350 a night, but they aren't even listing it that high. It looks to be pretty well booked up. I checked open dates at the end of September and those are $264 a night.

I looked through the photos and the saddle (perfect for selfies!) is gone, as are the green chairs at the dining table, and most of the art has been changed.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is a lot of the art and furniture is staging, and replaced by the homeowners.   That's how the other remodeling shows work, and with the others the home owners can buy pieces they like.    I wondered why they didn't redo the downstairs area as at least a 1 bedroom also.     It's not as if they're using that part for anything, so I wonder if they'll do that in the future.  

 One thing Scott doesn't mention is the added booking, and cleaning fees, and the book agency fee the homeowners will pay.   Plus with taxes, it's probably a lot more, around here the sales tax is 8-9%, and the hotel taxes were up to 11% as of three years ago.   

Also, with the carriage house, the owners will probably supervise, and clean between visits, when others have to charge more to cover those fees.    I bet with a lower cost per day, that there are more bookings.    It could be that they're also charging less to be fully booked.     They certainly seem to be fully booked too.  

 

Their listing also includes some new cleaning protocols, and they have a 72 hour cleaning period between guests.   The carriage crowd or other visitors with horses won't be coming this year, since almost every big show has been limited, or cancelled.     

Edited August 16, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Twiz44]

Thanks for the link and additional info!

I also saw the “Year Round Playground” episode this morning. Much better, but I kept looking at how they squeezed those beds in the bedrooms. The bed hugged three walls. I don’t know how you’d ever make that bed. It also looked like the bedspread was hanging down onto the baseboard heater. Fire hazard?

Edited August 16, 2020 by Twiz44

[absolutelyido]

12 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

Actually Scott predicted $350 a night, but they aren't even listing it that high. It looks to be pretty well booked up. I checked open dates at the end of September and those are $264 a night.

I looked through the photos and the saddle (perfect for selfies!) is gone, as are the green chairs at the dining table, and most of the art has been changed.

They also re-painted the living room and kitchen. The wall by the dining table and all the walls in the kitchen were a teal green and now are white (or possibly gray, hard to tell).

[ByaNose]

16 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

 

In Picton, ON.  Here it is on AirBNB.  Not quite the $500 a night that Scott predicted!

Thanks. That said, why doesn’t show just tell us that? I know they want to appeal to Anywhere, USA but it seems like a missed opportunity. Granted, how things are now it might be possible but the minute Scott was on the ferry I wanted to know where he/it was. 

[Irlandesa]

On 8/5/2020 at 7:56 PM, hurrrz said:

Right. It's part of the wrong calculations that Scott presents in this. You need to factor in damages, you need to factor in consumables, you need to factor in cleaning after every tenant, you need to factor in advertisements/listing fees. His numbers don't do that, and it's unfortunate, I think. 

A lot of owners charge a cleaning fee and service fees on their listings on top of their per night fee.  So while there are definitely additional costs rarely discussed on the show, some of these additional fees will be collected from the renter.

On 8/16/2020 at 9:49 AM, CruiseDiva said:

Actually Scott predicted $350 a night, but they aren't even listing it that high. It looks to be pretty well booked up. I checked open dates at the end of September and those are $264 a night.

What is the cost for Canadians?  I'm in the US and it lists $242 a night for the end of September but if I convert that to Canadian dollars, it becomes $320/night. 

One thing Scott also doesn't mention is the variability in pricing throughout the year.  Maybe someone near a lake and ski resort will be able to maintain a certain price year round but many vacation rentals will be able to charge more during peak months than they can during off peak times.

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

One thing Scott doesn't mention is the added booking, and cleaning fees, and the book agency fee the homeowners will pay.   Plus with taxes, it's probably a lot more, around here the sales tax is 8-9%, and the hotel taxes were up to 11% as of three years ago.   

Aren't hotel taxes paid by the renter?

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, the renter pays the taxes, but that's in addition to the homeowner's or booking price.    Plus, with the vacation rentals, many have a cleaning and booking fee added, and some have all kinds of added costs.  

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

why doesn’t show just tell us that? I know they want to appeal to Anywhere, USA but it seems like a missed opportunity. 

Totally. There must be all sorts of legal reasons, but if I am the travel/visitors department of an area trying to market my destination, wouldn't it be perfect to have commercials for your area during these shows.  "Come stay at beautiful Prince Edward Island ..."    , of course, when the pandemic is OVER.  Please!

I'm surprised there isn't more direct marketing/advertising on HGTV, but I guess we should all be glad. Probably wouldn't be timely enough given how often the shows are rerun.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

I'm surprised there isn't more direct marketing/advertising on HGTV, but I guess we should all be glad. Probably wouldn't be timely enough given how often the shows are rerun.

You must have missed all the stuff that arrives from Wayfair. 😎

[CrazyInAlabama]

So on tonight's show the husband's family cabin that's been in his family for almost 50 years, is mostly used by the slacker son for party time?    I love the outside of the cabin too, but I really hate that the mother and son will make money off of something they really don't care about keeping up. 

The mother certainly doesn't seem to care about putting any money into the place, and I bet she's not thrilled with time at the lake at the family cottage either.    This place is beyond decrepit, and the lack of maintenance is appalling.  

The outdoor furniture store was amazing, but the huge double hammock bed is a bad idea for rental property.   The lady said that the hammock has a capacity of 600 lbs.   After watching My 600 lb Life, there are a lot of people over that weight, and if you get a couple of 300 pounders on it at the same time, you're talking personal injury lawsuit.   So Scott buys the hammock, and puts it on the deck by the lake.  How long before guests, start diving over the rail of the patio, into the lake from the hammock?  Unfortunately, the people who try the hammock into the lake will have to have a lot of power, because there is a dock under the edge of the patio, and it looks wide.   

So the closet doors are painted wood with some wood look peel and stick stuff on it to make it look like real wood, and the homeowners think the glue will last?   The closet doors looked like the "wood" was coming off already.    

 So the son doesn't some kind of construction, and didn't do one thing at his party cabin for years?   This is the first vacation rental owners that I don't care if they make money or not.  The son seems like a lazy jerk.  

I bet the work Scott did is the last time anyone will do any work on the cabin.   

I bet the outdoor furniture, except the hammock went right back to the company after the filming and photos happened.  

Edited August 23, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Irlandesa]

On 8/17/2020 at 8:09 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, the renter pays the taxes, but that's in addition to the homeowner's or booking price.    Plus, with the vacation rentals, many have a cleaning and booking fee added, and some have all kinds of added costs.  

Right.  That's the point I was trying to make---they don't cover those costs in this show because they don't directly affect the owner.  Of the $400/night, the owner will have some costs but it's unlikely it'll be things like a hotel tax or cleaning fee as those are added on to the $400/night cost.

7 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

So on tonight's show the husband's family cabin that's been in his family for almost 50 years, is mostly used by the slacker son for party time?    I love the outside of the cabin too, but I really hate that the mother and son will make money off of something they really don't care about keeping up.

Interesting because of all the pre-reno cabins we've seen, this one felt most like one I would have been willing to visit even before all the changes were made.  There were certainly issues, but overall, I thought the kitchen was cute, the eating area was great, they had just renovated the bathroom and the deck was not falling down.  The wood paneling was ugly but that is very typical of older cabins. 

Unlike many other people who had been in previous episodes, I got the sense that the only people who had been using this property were friends and family. The $700/$1000 per week amount they mentioned at the beginning of the episode screamed a "friends and family" discount. 

But once they decided to open it up for other rentals, they decided to invest more into it.  What worked for friends and family as a rustic cabin, wouldn't work for Air BnB type renters.

[ByaNose]

The after didn’t scream cabin to me. Maybe, that’s what they were going for. The hammock did look like a bad idea & took up too much space. It only has three bedrooms which seems small considering how big that dinning table was. The lake was beautiful and the deck was great. It was an okay place but the overall design didn’t work for me. Of course, I wouldn’t turn down a free week. I wonder how it’s renting?

[Kohola3]

I always cast a jaundiced eye on that outdoor furniture with cushions.  I don't know the area so I don't know what they get in terms of wind  but where I live on Lake Huron I could never have outdoor furniture like that.  One good nor'easter would have the cushions and even the furniture floating away to who knows where.  And no matter what they say, those faux wicker pieces deteriorate when in the direct sunlight all of the time.  There didn't seem to be anywhere to store them, either.

And those awnings and the hammock would be flapping like mad and making a heck of a din in big winds as well.

I didn't mind the inside but all I could think of was how hot that metal frame on the day bed would get right next to the fireplace.

As always, I wonder where this place is.  The lake was gorgeous with the fall colors.  Too many stairs for me, though.

[absolutelyido]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I always cast a jaundiced eye on that outdoor furniture with cushions.  I don't know the area so I don't know what they get in terms of wind  but where I live on Lake Huron I could never have outdoor furniture like that.  One good nor'easter would have the cushions and even the furniture floating away to who knows where.  And no matter what they say, those faux wicker pieces deteriorate when in the direct sunlight all of the time.  There didn't seem to be anywhere to store them, either.

 

I also wonder how long it will take for those cushions to look filthy. The cushions on the chairs on the deck were a light gray. The cushions on the sofa and chairs on the dock were cream/white. They will naturally get covered in dust, leaves, acorns, seeds and other natural debris if left outside all the time. They can probably be washed, but getting the covers on and off those cushions and be a pain in the neck. 

I agree with those who have said the after didn't look very cabin-y (although it was very pretty). I wish they would leave more natural wood. The bathroom had previously been partially redone, and the wood paneling looked great. There was no need to paint it white. I also wouldn't have painted the bench seat. They always put in painted kitchen cabinets. It would be nice to see some natural wood cabinets. 

For outdoor furniture, it surprises me that they always seem to put in sofas and chairs when what I would prefer would be chaise lounges, that you can lay fully flat if you want. Pre-remodel the owner had a few lounge chairs stacked up on the dock which they seem to have gotten rid of.  

[FormerMod-a1]

That's a good point about it not really being "cabin-y".  I understand updating and modernizing, but maybe too sleek and house-like.  That said, some people do want it to be more of a house on the lake, rather than cabin.  And it still looked cabin-y from the outside.  

I also thought the multi-person hammock was too big for the dock area.  AND I thought chaises would be been better down there than the loveseat/chair combo.  Or at least in addition to that.  Basically I thought all the lower deck/dock furniture looked too big and took up too much space.  I also thought the underestimate how many people may want to hang out on the upper deck.  Yes, they had the able there for eating, but it they could have had another seating/lounging area there. 

All that said, of course it was BIG improvement from what it was, and I hope the family is enjoying it anew, and able to rent it out as often as they want. 

[Grrarrggh]

4 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

That's a good point about it not really being "cabin-y".  I understand updating and modernizing, but maybe too sleek and house-like.  That said, some people do want it to be more of a house on the lake, rather than cabin.  And it still looked cabin-y from the outside.  

I've never wanted my holiday house to look like my every day house. It takes something out of being on holiday. 

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, Grrarrggh said:

I've never wanted my holiday house to look like my every day house. It takes something out of being on holiday. 

I think many people have been brainwashed (I'm looking at you, HGTV) to think that anything "old fashioned" is horrible and non-functional.  Think of the programs where they loudly proclaim that anything built more than 10 years ago is a "gut job".  Knotty pine paneling is a "horror".  

So much of the world has been programmed to expect nothing but stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops or else the place is a dump.

[Irlandesa]

20 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Knotty pine paneling is a "horror".  

And I think in a hilarious "twist", they put up shiplap on the walls which will likely be the seen in 20-30 years the way wooden panels are seen today. 

5 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

That's a good point about it not really being "cabin-y". 

None of the renos look very cabin-y to me after they've been redone.  However, I'm not so against that because of this:

1 hour ago, Grrarrggh said:

I've never wanted my holiday house to look like my every day house. It takes something out of being on holiday. 

Me neither.  But I can't afford super fancy finishes so when I see a vacation rental that looks more modern, trendy or "upgraded," I won't lie, they appeal to me more than the more cabiny look. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was shocked at the interior of the cabin tonight.   I'm not sure I've seen that much orange in a building in my entire life.   The funny thing is that it wasn't anyone in the family's favorite color.   

I like the retro theme inside.  I really liked the wall tile in the bathroom.  Compared to being hosed down in orange inside, almost anything would be an improvement over the previous decor.     I'm not really feeling the Tiki bar theme outside.     I think regular outdoor umbrellas would have looked better for the picnic tables.   I bet they'll rent it a lot, since it looks really roomy now, and isn't far from that spectacular beach (I'm hoping that the place really is that close). 

I really think that if you have a Tiki bar theme or a Bavarian Beer Garden theme like a few weeks ago, you're going to get a lot of partiers.      That's not good when you are doing vacation rentals.    I bet the tiki umbrellas will start shedding immediately, and will have to be replaced.     

The one I think will be full of parties is the one with that outdoor hammock on the deck over the dock.   That was the son's party place, and I bet that's exactly what it went back to.     I'm wondering if that was the pilot episode or something, because the owner and her son didn't seem all that interested in the rental aspect, just junior and his buddies coming up there.  

I guess Scott is an expert on vacation or short term rentals, and I know he says theme rentals do better on renting, but some of the themes (Tiki bar, Beer Garden, etc) would make me not want to rent them.    The carriage house that wouldn't end up a party place would appeal more to me, as a substitute for staying at a hotel.    A rental like the tiki bar that's probably next to a bunch of other party places would be a huge turn off to me.    Instead of the party places, I would look for a nice hotel, or somewhere that rents individual units, but won't allow massive numbers of people to rent, and party there.   My guess is a lot of the rentals we've seen are in locations where the neighbors are rentals too, so it's party all summer.  Since the four seasons one at the lake, and ski area being pitched as a corporate retreat sounds a lot more desirable.      

Edited August 30, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[DVDFreaker]

10 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I was shocked at the interior of the cabin tonight.   I'm not sure I've seen that much orange in a building in my entire life.   The funny thing is that it wasn't anyone in the family's favorite color.   I'm not really feeling the Tiki bar theme outside, but I like the retro theme inside.     I bet they'll rent it a lot, since it looks really roomy now, and isn't far from that spectacular beach (I'm hoping that the place really is that close). 

I am not impressed with the tiki bar AND the inside, it is a disappointment 

[Kohola3]

I am not a MCM fan (I lived it) so I was not at all taken with the uncomfortable looking furniture.  And who puts a straight bench with a round table?

But the real kicker was all of that tiki bar crap. I live on a lake with a lot of trees and I could imagine all of the buggy wildlife rubbing their hands in glee at the new digs just waiting for them to move into.  There will be insects falling into food and drink like mad and the guests will be walking into a million spider webs.  Plus I bet the neighbors will just love those lights in the yard every night.

[irisheyes]

Four beds and only one bath is a deal breaker for me. Eight people sharing one bath is a no go. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm betting some enterprising raccoons or squirrels will move into the tiki bar, and the umbrellas very soon. 

I think that anyone who markets a property as a Tiki bar theme, Beer Garden, or like the lakeside cabin with the mother and son as a party place, shouldn't be surprised when it's trashed by massive parties, and there are tons of complaints from neighbors.    

I don't like the one bathroom on a lot of these vacation rentals, and wonder if that's a restriction because of the location, and the size of the septic tank?     I would like to see a bath/shower for the lower levels if it's also going to be used for sleeping quarters.    However, I'm guessing the permits to get another bath, or a big addition might be a huge problem.   

Edited August 30, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[hurrrz]

The layout and location of the tiki bar was terrible. The "customer" side of the bar was raised up, giving people the experience of bei g 10 years old when going for a drink. I also feel like tiki is not really matching the retro theme well. 

That wallpaper is hideous. 

[hurrrz]

I also think they installed the string lights wrong. Usually you install them onto a metal wire/rope to take off the slack of the wire itself.  Not  sure why they didn't do it here. 

[CruiseDiva]

50 minutes ago, hurrrz said:

The layout and location of the tiki bar was terrible. The "customer" side of the bar was raised up, giving people the experience of bei g 10 years old when going for a drink. I also feel like tiki is not really matching the retro theme well. 

That wallpaper is hideous. 

If you have to hang a sign that says "Tiki Bar" then your tiki bar is a total fail. 

I cringed when that wallpaper was unrolled. It looked even worse on the walls.

What was the deal with the "checker board" pattern that they painted on a picnic table top? Did anyone else think it wasn't exactly a traditional pattern for playing checkers? It looked like it had too many rows in all directions.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

If you have to hang a sign that says "Tiki Bar" then your tiki bar is a total fail. 

 

Nothing says Northern Canadian Lake Cottage like a Tiki Bar.  Sheesh.

[FormerMod-a1]

I love the Tiki bar.  A good friend has one at his lake home on Lake Huron (MI side, not Ontario side).  It's a lot of fun.  It's kind of incorporated into their dock but on the backyard beach, not hovering over the water.  No critter problems at all.  He also wired it for sound, so can bluetooth music.  I will agree that the picnic tables didn't need the tiki umbrellas - they were too far away and just didn't go with the tables.  

I was surprised how much I liked it post make-over.  The bedrooms were still tight, but the main living area was much improved - the furniture placement made the space flow better, and the changes to the kitchen were great.   

Lastly, Tiki goes hand in hand with mid-century modern.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Almost any style of make over would have been an improvement over the original hosed down with cheap orange junk motif that was the current decor.    

[ByaNose]

The Tiki bar was a cute idea but you can’t stand behind it. It’s more of a long counter top running along the deck rail. Whatever. The outside was a fun place to hang out but it doesn’t match the inside at all. Why do you need a theme? The theme is a beach/mountain rental. Just fix the inside up and stop trying to make it Disneyland. I haven been thrilled with any of the makeovers that Scott has done. I know it’s a tv show but can’t he just make it a normal rental?!?!? All new appliances, nice beds and paint. That’s all I want or need. 

Edited August 31, 2020 by ByaNose

[RoxiP]

Well at least Scott puts televisions in the living rooms...LOL!

My biggest issue is when did Scott decide he needed to be an entertainer and not a renovator?  His frenetic over-enthusiasm is a turnoff and I don't remember him being that way on his previous shows.  He is trying too hard to be cutesy and I am disappointed.  Although not a fan of the themes myself (and I just got home from a week from a VRBO rental and one of the things that was not something I looked at was weird themes for my vacation - I was more interested in number of bathrooms, bedrooms and a great coffee maker...LOL).  I would assume something that was a tiki bar or beer garden would mean the place was rented to partiers and would not be as clean and nice as I wanted.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

My biggest issue is when did Scott decide he needed to be an entertainer and not a renovator?  His frenetic over-enthusiasm is a turnoff and I don't remember him being that way on his previous shows.  He is trying too hard to be cutesy and I am disappointed.  

That's been bothering me as well. It's like he's auditioning to be a Property Brother (and there are already too many of them).

[RoxiP]

I have always really liked Scott.  He's nice looking, very knowledgeable, and his shows were always great - I don't know what consultant told him he needed to amp up his personality but IMO they were wrong  He wasn't broke before and neither was his format.

[buttersister]

Scott, do not take a page from David B and dial yourself up past 11. People are tuning in to see the remodels, you're the host/designer, not the evening's entertainment.

I'll go hard pass on the tiki. In fact, when he bought all that crap and shoved it into the car, I reached for the remote. One bathroom equals deal killer. It probably is a sewage issue, so ew. This episode reinforced reading the fine print on the chance I'm ever looking for a vacation rental again.

[Kohola3]

23 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

A good friend has one at his lake home on Lake Huron (MI side, not Ontario side).  It's a lot of fun.  It's kind of incorporated into their dock but on the backyard beach, not hovering over the water.  No critter problems at all. 

Wow, I'm on Lake Huron in MI and I cannot put up a regular umbrella let aloeg a "hairy" one without it being overrun with spiders and other bugs.  I have to sweep off my swing every time I want to use it!

[NYGirl]

I thought I was the only one who thought Scott was over the top in this show.  He's worse than Chip Gaines;  I keep cringing.  Right now I'm in the middle of the Orange Horror.

I really don't think these houses need themes to rent them but that's just me.

[RoxiP]

11 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

I thought I was the only one who thought Scott was over the top in this show.  He's worse than Chip Gaines;  I keep cringing.  Right now I'm in the middle of the Orange Horror.

I really don't think these houses need themes to rent them but that's just me.

The difference to me (and quite honestly I like Chip Gaines) is that Chip Gaines has sort of had that persona from the start.  Scott did not have it on his original show so either now he feels free to be "himself" or he has gotten some bad advice.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Apparently my cable guide, that frequently lies to me, is telling the truth.    It's a new episode on Wednesday, called Ski Cottage.   The entry room sucks, and the kitchen cabinets don't even look like word, maybe particle board or something.   I would call the kitchen cabinets wood-like.   I guess this is a new episode.    The couple are telling the truth, the stairs and loft are a death trap.     Haven't the home owners ever heard of curtains?  The lofts in the secondary bedrooms are horrible.   It would be easy for a kid to fall out of them.   The deck rail is so hideous, and the other deck is at least six feet off of the ground, and no railing.     Scott saying this cabin sleeps ten guests is ridiculous, it's four bedrooms, and they're not big, so where are the others supposed to sleep?    

I love that they could add the shower to the first floor bathroom.    

I loved the house, and especially the sun room.     The kitchen was lovely after.    However, I don't think it's realistic to say, 'sleeps 10'.     I really loved what they did, because the before was hideous, and dangerous.   

Is the price for rental in Canadian money rates?    I can never remember how that exchange works.   Guess the theme this week is ski chalet, with a toboggan for inspiration.   Toboggan is being turned into a clothes rack.  

Edited September 6, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Kohola3]

I seriously covet that sun room! Of all of the episodes, I like this design the best.  And it has two bathrooms which would be a deal breaker for me if I were renting for a group.

[absolutelyido]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Apparently my cable guide, that frequently lies to me, is telling the truth.    It's a new episode on Wednesday, called Ski Cottage.   The entry room sucks, and the kitchen cabinets don't even look like word, maybe particle board or something.   I would call the kitchen cabinets wood-like.   I guess this is a new episode.    The couple are telling the truth, the stairs and loft are a death trap.     Haven't the home owners ever heard of curtains?  The lofts in the secondary bedrooms are horrible.   It would be easy for a kid to fall out of them.   The deck rail is so hideous, and the other deck is at least six feet off of the ground, and no railing.     Scott saying this cabin sleeps ten guests is ridiculous, it's four bedrooms, and they're not big, so where are the others supposed to sleep?     

Is the price for rental in Canadian money rates?    I can never remember how that exchange works.   Guess the theme this week is ski chalet, with a toboggan for inspiration.   Toboggan is being turned into a clothes rack.  

I got a Comcast notification too, but assumed it was 10 seconds of new film added to a repeat of the episode where Scott visited the nearby ski hill to get a lift chair which he used to make a bench. Now I will know to catch it on demand. Thanks!

[seasons]

Scott has small children (a beautiful family with his wife), but still he was so good with the homeowner's little ones. You Can't fake that. I just love his energy, serious when necessary but fun and silly too. Doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, which i love. I hope he is this way in real life, i get the feeling he is. I wish more husbands realized that when their wife sees them so good with the kids and helpful, that is one of the best ways to keep the spark going. (Saying this for a friend. *lol*) scott with that baby at the end?!? Be still my heart!!! 🔥💞

can you guess i am a scott fan? ☺

that sunroom is brilliant. So is the toboggan coatrack! 

nice family. Hope it is super profitable for them.

I love the shades of grey, blue, white designers are using these days. I see Tarek and Christina use those colors a lot lately too.

Edited September 3, 2020 by seasons

[RoxiP]

I agree - this was to me the best makeover since the show started and Scott was not over the top this episode  That sun room was stunning (although since I live in Texas we couldn't have something like that because it would turn into an oven in the summer).  I did wonder if the heat from the house keeps it warm in the winter and hopefully the roof slopes enough that the snow wouldn't build up on it (looks like it would).  There were four bedrooms but they also put beds in the little loft spaces above each of the downstairs bedroom which would increase the sleeping space (I suspect children love those little rooms - they were so cute!).

The family seemed truly thrilled with the results.

[Kohola3]

19 hours ago, seasons said:

Scott has small children (a beautiful family with his wife), but still he was so good with the homeowner's little ones. You Can't fake that.

Loved how the little guy at the end was staring at him. It was hilarious.  He really is a natural with kids.

[ByaNose]

Scott did a good job with the Ski Cottage and shocker it didn’t have a in your face theme. It was just a mountain house. What a novel concept. The sunroom looked great. All it needed was a fireplace with the snow falling outside. Just a minor quibble on my part. When I was young (I’m 55) my family, aunts, uncles and cousins would rent a ski cottage (or, as we called it...mountain house) and, loved it. One of the better makeovers which is probably going to be an anomaly but I will appreciate it while I can. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight, there's a new episode, Fisherman's Getaway, and at 9 pm Central they're rerunning the Ski Chalet episode.  

[Irlandesa]

I think it's the season finale tonight. 

I enjoyed the ski chalet reno as well.  The sun room  was great.

On 9/2/2020 at 8:14 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

However, I don't think it's realistic to say, 'sleeps 10'.     I really loved what they did, because the before was hideous, and dangerous.   

Who'd want to rent their house out to 10 people?  I feel like that'd increase the upkeep costs.

[Grrarrggh]

59 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I think it's the season finale tonight. 

I enjoyed the ski chalet reno as well.  The sun room  was great.

Who'd want to rent their house out to 10 people?  I feel like that'd increase the upkeep costs.

But if the rent payments are more than the upkeep costs in the end....

Edited September 5, 2020 by Grrarrggh

[CrazyInAlabama]

The "Fisherman's Getaway" before condition on tonight's episode is horrible!   It looks OK from a distance, but the chimney is leaning, the deck looks like a death trap, the shower is horrible, and I can believe the husband never took a shower in that cabin.    I find it strange that the wife stays there a lot, but the husband only comes up for overnight, or something.   

So Scott still thinks 1 bathroom for a place that sleeps eight or so, is OK?    Of course, it might depend on the septic tank and rules in that area, it might be too expensive to add a bathroom.   Or the septic tank would have to be expanded, but they can't do that in that location.   

As Scott just said, the more people that stay, the higher the rental cost.  In the ad they put up on the show, it said sleeps 6, 1 bathroom.   The cabin looked very nice after the makeover.   The before of the fishing cabin looked as bad as the ski chalet last week.   The after was so nice.    It looked like a nice place to stay, instead of a neglected home no one cared about.  

Some of these cabins, like the fishing one last night, look like they might have been put up by a builder, but amateurs did some of the work adding features on.    

Edited September 6, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[LizDC]