Pet Peeves: The Holy Trinity and Beyond

[Sun-Bun]

Well, that thread is within the TV forums; mods have mentioned that one could be created in the Off Topic section in which real-life crimes against grammar could be (respectfully) discussed, but no one has done so.

Man cave drives me crazy on every level, too. As I've mentioned before, I have a game room -- there is a room attached to my (detached) garage that had a fireplace and built-in grill, so I added a pool table, stuck a giant TV up on the wall for prime football viewing, built a bar in one corner, etc. I have people over for "happy hour" occasionally, and my best friend likes to come watch playoff games with me, but it's mostly used by me (and my cat). Should I call it a woman cave? Man cave is just such a stupid term, and the implications of it -- that he gets a place to escape from the household and parenting duties, but she's forever in the "open concept" kitchen, preparing the family's meals while simultaneously watching the kids' every move -- take it beyond annoying.

I refer to my female version of the "Man Cave" as my "Lady Lair."

[BearCat49]

Thanks so much DowntheShore for pointing me to these forums. They're great. I'm going to check out the Property Brothers and Love it or List It forums soon. I may not have anything new to add, but I'll love reading everybody else's posts.

 

BearCat - I haven't heard "to gift" on HH or its relatives - that's why I called it "off topic". I have read it many times on Amazon Forums, as In "My sister in law gifted me a Kindle Fire." No, no, no. I will not have it. Nor will I tolerate "disinterested" used to mean "uninterested" or "fortuitous" used to mean "fortunate". I have seen the last two used by otherwise quite literate authors, both English and American. And "all right" is not spelled "alright". All Off Topic, please forgive rant.

 

A further HH language observation: Whenever a young woman sees a house whose "curb appeal" (ouch) she likes, she says that it is "cute". Many of these houses aren't cute at all. They may be pretty, or attractive, or some other adjective, but "cute" is frequently inappropriate. Especially for a ginormous McMansion. (I like "ginormous" - do me something.)

 

I probably make a few grammatical mistakes, too, so I hesitate to criticize others.  Many people don't spell well and simply need to click the "spellcheck" box.

 

Adjectives are in the eyes of the beholder, IMHO.  You may not find a McMansion "cute" but others will.

 

In addition, if it's typically a "young" woman who's using that term, it's possible the editors want to reinforce her image as the feminine side of the house hunting couple.  The editors hope to create a character so they probably used the footage where she happened to use that particular adjective. 

 

All, JMHO.

[BearCat49]

Thanks for that Grammar Police link, Aquarian1.  I didn't know it exists; I haven't traveled all the highways and byways of PreviouslyTV yet.

 

---

 

I think the women on the show describe the houses as "cute" either because they don't want to come right out and say, "it's too small and I wouldn't want to be caught dead in it", or if that's not the case, then they don't have sufficient vocabulary skills to quickly come up with a more apt adjective. Cute is replacing the word nice as a catch-all term.

 

Tptb have many hours of recorded footage so it's possible their vocabulary skills were on display elsewhere but not for the viewing public, in the final edit.

[DownTheShore]

"Cute" taking less airtime to say?  LOL

 

/mild digression/

 

I've been watching a lot of those shows lately on HGTV, GAC, and probably some others where the emphasis is now on buying homes in Alaska.  There's so many of them that I can't pinpoint a specific one or episode, but there's something I've been questioning.

 

Now, a lot of those homes are off the grid, so no electricity or else electricity via a generator.  We are told that electric heat is very expensive.  A lot of the homes have wood-burning stoves for heating purposes.  I would think that heating oil would be cheap up there, but I don't know if that's the type of oil that is being pumped from the fields up there, or if there are any refineries processing it there.

 

Now, can someone explain why those homes all have vaulted ceilings and huge windows, other than for the view?  You think of early colonial homes when all they had were fireplaces to heat the homes, and the ceilings in those homes were low, to reduce the area that had to be heated.  I lived in a place where our kitchen stove had a heating element and that was used to heat the entire apartment, and let me tell you, it got cold in the rooms that were the furthest away from the kitchen.  Those wood-burning stoves can't really do that much good if they have to heat a two-story "great" room.  And unless all the windows are triple-paned, it's going to be cold anywhere near them.

[BearCat49]

"Cute" taking less airtime to say?  LOL

 

/mild digression/

 

 

 

 

You never know, DownTheShore!  They must have their reasons, right?   Hahahahah ...

One grammar pet peeve I have on these shows and many others is putting a modifier in front of "unique". Something is either unique or it isn't.

I can't remember if I've heard it on HH or not, but another peeve is using the word "irredgardless". Sorry, that is not a word.

 

We never know if these words/phrases were actually expressed by the house hunter or suggested by the production team so I give the house hunters the benefit of the doubt.  With my luck, if I made a single error during the entire shoot, that'd be the footage selected by the editors! 

[BearCat49]

What about what this woman said last night "That could be a potential dealbreaker"- I find this kind odd.. Either it's a dealbreaker or it isn't. If you are the one making the decision how could something be a potential dealbreaker?

PS: they bought the condo with the potential dealbreaker, only 2 bedrooms and the second bedroom tiny. 

 

This one can almost be explained, lol.  That's only almost, however!

 

Again, we don't know whose phraseology it was, i.e. the house hunter or the production team.

 

If it's the production team, however, I can hear them directing the participant to describe it in that way to throw all of us pesky viewers off the trail.  They need to tamper their enthusiasm for their new home and some have better acting skills than others.  If it has a deal breaker, even just a "potential" one, it might not be the home they already completed/closed escrow on.

 

And, speaking from the participant's point of view, I can almost understand the word "potential".  Again, "almost"!  Most of the participants are married or in a l/t relationship.  If they haven't spoken with their partner in detail about the home, they might guess something could be a problem for their spouse or partner but not know for certain.  Thus, the situation/factor has the "potential" to be a deal breaker, if any of that makes sense, lol! 

 

Or, they may be leaving the option open as a way to reject the home w/o criticizing it in front of an owner or agent or ...  It's always great to reject something that way, right?  Blame it on your partner.  We've all done that, haven't we? 

 

Yep, it doesn't surprise me to hear that's the condo they'd previously purchased.

 

OTOH, if more than X number of words or paragraphs are required to explain only one word, then ...  hahahahahaha.  Next time, ptb, select another phrase or sentence, please.

[BearCat49]

Well, that thread is within the TV forums; mods have mentioned that one could be created in the Off Topic section in which real-life crimes against grammar could be (respectfully) discussed, but no one has done so.

 

Man cave drives me crazy on every level, too.  As I've mentioned before, I have a game room -- there is a room attached to my (detached) garage that had a fireplace and built-in grill, so I added a pool table, stuck a giant TV up on the wall for prime football viewing, built a bar in one corner, etc.  I have people over for "happy hour" occasionally, and my best friend likes to come watch playoff games with me, but it's mostly used by me (and my cat).  Should I call it a woman cave?  Man cave is just such a stupid term, and the implications of it -- that he gets a place to escape from the household and parenting duties, but she's forever in the "open concept" kitchen, preparing the family's meals while simultaneously watching the kids' every move -- take it beyond annoying. 

 

 

Because the "man cave" plot is used constantly, however, we can chalk that one up to the production team.  And we know it's here to stay, just like "open concept".  We'll see if s/s and granite (and the other terms) finally disappear, if/when the house hunting and renovating public stops purchasing / demanding them.

[laredhead]

DownTheShore, I've had the same thoughts about the Alaskan home buying episodes.  Perhaps someone who has lived there can shed some light on your questions.  It may be exactly as you said, that oil rich Alaska doesn't have the refineries necessary to provide cheap fuel to the residents which would be ironic.  From the locations of many of these homes, I think solar is an excellent alternative as a power source as long as there are enough hours of sunlight to make it feasible.  That would be the case in the summer, but not so much in the winter.  I enjoy watching the show and the different house styles, but that type of lifestyle is not for me.  The episode last night set in Ketchekan was interesting.  i have learned a lot about the topography and geography of Alaska from watching this show.

[DownTheShore]

One of those shows, the people chose the house where there were moose tracks close to the house.  They were thrilled by being that close to nature. "Look, we can see and shoot moose right from the window of our house!"

 

I, on the other hand, would have installed an electrified fence around the property - lol.

[BearCat49]

One of those shows, the people chose the house where there were moose tracks close to the house.  They were thrilled by being that close to nature. "Look, we can see and shoot moose right from the window of our house!"

 

I, on the other hand, would have installed an electrified fence around the property - lol.

 

Agree, I prefer to appreciate moose and other wildlife at a distance!

 

WRT Alaska and their windows, I've noticed that, too.  My understanding is they're starved for sunlight.  Probably more reasons, however.

 

Don't know how they're accomplishing home heating.  WRT refineries, I believe they do have them. 

 

Not Alaska but I've lived/worked for extensive periods of time in several areas with refineries nearby.  All were large metropolitan areas and ironically, their gas prices were all among the highest in the U.S.!  The explanation given was that it's simply supply and demand.  (Hmmm, could explain Alaska, too.)

Edited December 6, 2014 by BearCat49

[mojito]

 

I, on the other hand, would have installed an electrified fence around the property - lol.

I'd reconsider that condo in the Keys. I've had what seemed like a close encounter with a moose. In the woods, I heard thrashing and heavy pounding of hooves and it scared the crap out of me. The moose turned out to be further away than I thought, but I didn't know it at the time. Love the animal, they're so funny-looking, but I'd rather watch them on National geographic in that condo.

 

What's the deal with doorless bathrooms? I'm hearing a lot of homeowners complain about them on the show. Is this style new or old or a fad that came and left quickly?

[Apprentice Ilisidi]

Oh BearCat, I'm so sad to hear you say that "open concept" is here to stay (although of course you're right). It's not a concept. It's an open floor plan or an open layout or even an open design, but it's not a @#$$$% concept. I agree that the standardization of vocabulary is mostly up to the program crew, but enough people watch HGTV that its vocabulary - and tastes - must have become widespread.

 

For example, from watching HGTV, I have learned that it is important to decorate with fruit. Depending on the accent color, the fruit can be lemons, limes, oranges or even apples. I want to  make a strong design statement so I plan to put a bowl of grapefruit on the table. The beiges will really pop!

[Quof]

I have learned that it is important to decorate with fruit

It's better than the 1970s wallpaper with drawings of food, lest you not realize you were in the kitchen.

[BearCat49]

Oh BearCat, I'm so sad to hear you say that "open concept" is here to stay (although of course you're right). It's not a concept. It's an open floor plan or an open layout or even an open design, but it's not a @#$$$% concept. I agree that the standardization of vocabulary is mostly up to the program crew, but enough people watch HGTV that its vocabulary - and tastes - must have become widespread.

 

For example, from watching HGTV, I have learned that it is important to decorate with fruit. Depending on the accent color, the fruit can be lemons, limes, oranges or even apples. I want to  make a strong design statement so I plan to put a bowl of grapefruit on the table. The beiges will really pop!

 

Interesting question, ApprenticeIlisidi, regarding which came first - the chicken or the egg?  My understanding is that the terminology definitely predates HH.  Yep, they'll continue using it, ad nauseum, until the cows or chickens (lol!) come home.

 

I've seen stats and articles that discuss ratings points and their translation into viewer totals.  Previously, the consensus has been that the saturation from a cable reality television program isn't sufficient to truly effect change in the RE market.  I know tptb certainly hope they can encourage and continue the public's demand for certain products, sold by their advertisers.  Anyone have recent data to answer that question? 

 

Forget the fruit and you're out of the club!  hahaha

Edited December 7, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

 

What's the deal with doorless bathrooms? I'm hearing a lot of homeowners complain about them on the show. Is this style new or old or a fad that came and left quickly?

[BearCat49]

What's the deal with doorless bathrooms? I'm hearing a lot of homeowners complain about them on the show. Is this style new or old or a fad that came and left quickly?

They've been making an appearance, unfortunately, in new homes.  New home trends definitely influence the overall market, IMHO. 

 

Don't know for certain but I believe it's another instance of builders cutting corners, cheaping out anything they can to improve their bottom line.  Anyone have any other information?

 

BTW, the builders pushed "open concept", too!  They're partially responsible for that long-running trend, IMHO.  Hey, with an open floor plan, why not an open concept bathroom, too?  (Gag me!)

 

Hopefully they'll disappear by popular demand - or lack thereof, lol.

[auntjess]

I don't especially want to encounter a moose, but I'd as face one as an alligator or a python.
And a bit north of the Keys, but around Tampa, a dachshund went after a bear that was in a woman's garage as she & her little boy were putting up groceries.
Luckily, the doxie scared it off, and despite bad wounds, the doxie survived.

[laredhead]

Thank you for the information about the Alaska questions regarding energy prices and housing, AKraven.  I love the shows Buying Alaska and Living Alaska.  The episode last night feature a couple who owns a bagel store and has been living in a "dry" cabin for 10 years in order to save enough money to buy a house with running water and indoor plumbing.  I'm not that much of adventurer, but it seems many people are willing to live that way in order to live in Alaska and enjoy the beauty of that state.  

[BearCat49]

Thanks for sharing the AK info, AKraven.  Do you agree with the folks who told me that the quest for add'l light is a significant factor if/when AK residents maximize the number of windows in their residences, in spite of the high energy prices?

 

Given those rates, I'm sure everyone's installing the most energy-efficient windows available, right?  BTW, does the state and/or the local govt/utility incentivize them? 

[DownTheShore]

It's better than the 1970s wallpaper with drawings of food, lest you not realize you were in the kitchen.

 

When I was growing up, the wallpaper in the kitchen - and everyone's kitchen was wallpapered - was called Sanitas.  IIRC, it was washable.

[DownTheShore]

In keeping with the pet peeve topic, I'm often exasperated by some featured home buyers in Alaska acting surprised or apprehensive when informed of the likelihood that wildlife will be roaming the property...

Thanks for the Alaskan info!

 

That's the thing that would get me.  I wouldn't want to walk out on my deck or patio and come face-to-face with a bear.

 

What's the situation in most towns outside of the major ones?  Are there city sewer and water lines, or is it septic systems and wells or delivered water? 

[mojito]

I saw one of those shows where the husband wanted to live out in the wild and the wife wanted to live in the city limits. When the husband tried the run through at least 3 feet of snow to go to go to the outhouse or get wood for some common indoor malfunction that can happen in the home during the winter, I think he realized that he was not cut out for the Grizzly Adams lifestyle.

 

"Happy wife, happy life". That's getting to be as tiresome as "Where will you put your clothes?"

 

Trends for new homes 2015. A couple of interesting tidbits.

Edited December 16, 2014 by mojito

[DownTheShore]

When I was living at home, we had a washer and dryer down in the basement, and right by them we had a double work sink.  That thing came in so handy, that it amazes me when I see laundry rooms without one.  If you needed to pre-soak something for a while, or if you needed to wash delicates that couldn't go into the machine you could do it right there.  Ditto if you had something that needed to drip-dry; just hang it over a sink.  If a sweater had to be air-dried, we'd just put one of those sweater racks right over the top of one of the sinks.

[DownTheShore]

Trends for new homes 2015. A couple of interesting tidbits.

 

"According to the survey, 52 percent of builders expect the living room to merge with other spaces and 30 percent believe that it will vanish completely to save on square footage. Instead, expect to see great rooms — a space that combines the family and living room and flows into the kitchen."

 

Anyone else get the impression that we're slowly going back to medieval times when people lived altogether in one half of the building and the animals lived in the other half?  LOL

 

Give me separate rooms.  That way if someone is preparing something in the kitchen, I don't feel that I have to offer to help.  ;->

 

I want a dining room AND and eat-in kitchen.

 

I don't want to see what everyone is doing at all times.  A shouted out, "You kids still alive over there?" suffices for me.

[mojito]

 

When I was living at home, we had a washer and dryer down in the basement, and right by them we had a double work sink.  That thing came in so handy, that it amazes me when I see laundry rooms without one.  If you needed to pre-soak something for a while, or if you needed to wash delicates that couldn't go into the machine you could do it right there.  Ditto if you had something that needed to drip-dry; just hang it over a sink.  If a sweater had to be air-dried, we'd just put one of those sweater racks right over the top of one of the sinks.

I think you're my sister. Same experience growing up.

[auntjess]

I miss the laundry room I used to have, with a deep tub, between the washer and dryer.
I want a place to wash the dog.  I want a place to wash things too dirty to wash in the bathroom sink or tub.
I want somewhere to wash the vacuum filters.

And how can you keep keeps kid or dogs in or out of a room with an open plan.

[ChelseaNH]

It's been a while, but one of my favorite books about house design is Sarah Susanka's Not-So-Big House.  One of the concepts I like is that there should be two family spaces; one should be allocated to conversation/noise and one should be allocated to quiet or uninterrupted activities.  One can be open and one should be able to be closed off.  So if you have kids, the "great room" has the television and video games and noise, and the "library" has books and comfy chairs and quiet.  In my house, the "great room" would be designed for conversation, while the media room would have the TV and music, and no distracting conversation.

[DownTheShore]

That makes sense.  Sometimes you just don't want to be around all the noise of the rest of the family, but you don't want your only option to be locking yourself away in your bedroom.

 

---

Mojito - LOL.  If you had a dog nicknamed Beast, then we just might be.

[erikdepressant]

Grumpy old man pet peeve... It annoys me when HHs say they want an enormous backyard in which their children can play.  I realize every family is different, but I suspect the vast majority of those kids will spend their childhoods in front of the television.

[BearCat49]

Grumpy old man pet peeve... It annoys me when HHs say they want an enormous backyard in which their children can play.  I realize every family is different, but I suspect the vast majority of those kids will spend their childhoods in front of the television.

 

Probably a different type of screen, e.g. p/c, tablet, phone, etc.

 

At least it's more likely the kids will have some outdoor playtime with a yard than if they were required to travel to a park.  Personally, I'd rather have the house hunters aspire to that goal than hear them recite more lines about granite, s/s, double sinks, ...

[Maizie]

Recently I've noticed  a trend on the house hunting "on the beach" shows which really disturbs me. When the house hunters are looking at a condo, they are delighted that the balcony has a view of the pool, and the parents can sit up on the balcony and watch their young children play in the pool. The condo is on the seventh (or higher) floor! In one case, the realtor suggested that the parents could be up on the balcony drinking wine while the kids were in the pool. It doesn't take long for a child to drown in a pool,  and they should never be alone. Most of these resorts do not have a lifeguard. The resorts I've been to usually  have a rule that children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

[aguabella]

Yeah, those comments always crack me up.  Well, the other vacationers will watch their brats, right?  The parents are all certified lifeguards who can dive from the 7th floor into 3 ft and save them, no?

 

I love kids, but ...

[Lola16]

The Onion has a fitting article:

 

http://www.theonion.com/articles/woman-fulfills-manifest-destiny-of-hardwood-floor,37711/

[Quof]

Insisting that the children's bedrooms must be within a few feet of the master bedroom.  I understand the inconvenience of going to a different floor to get a baby who wakes several times during the night, but otherwise what is the big f'ing deal about walking the length of a hallway on the rare occasion a child wakes up?  If your child has such severe medical issues that they routinely stop breathing and you need to reach them in seconds to perform CPR, perhaps you have other concerns than searching for a McMansion with granite and stainless steel.

[auntjess]

HGTV posted this article on dream laundry rooms, and almost everyone is raving about how they'd love one of them,http://www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/8-tidy-laundry-rooms-that-make-washday-fun-pictures?adbid=10152831852279213&adbpl=fb&adbpr=16801589212&soc=hgtvcom39150727

 

To me, this is like having one of those bathrooms with a huge amount of floor to clean.
Laundry rooms are for mundane things, dog washing, rinsing sandy towels from the beach, and other dirt-intensive chores.
Why does it need to be fancy?
 

[caci]

After having to lug laundry up and down the basement stairs and then years going to the laundrymat, I appreciate the want of a spacious laundry room.  However, the one in the picture didn't really impress me.  It actually seemed a bit cramped with the machines being at the end.  I also don't see why so many sheves and drawers would be needed.  Just give me the washer and dryer, a large sink (that one was too small and unpractical), and some counter space with a shelve or two for detergent.  The laundry room wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, but when touring houses, I do find myself looking at the size and location of the room.

[QuinnM]

 

After having to lug laundry up and down the basement stairs and then years going to the laundrymat, I appreciate the want of a spacious laundry room.  However, the one in the picture didn't really impress me.  It actually seemed a bit cramped with the machines being at the end.

 

My upstairs reno included a laundry chute.  If I could have afforded a dump waiter I would have done that as well since my plan is to age in place.  But I agree on the cramped with those laundry rooms.  I don't need marble counters etc.  I don't understand the thought there. 

[auntjess]

I agree with Mike Holmes that laundry rooms belong in the basement.
I've had at least 3 overflow over the years, the one being where the was just a laundry hook-up area near the bedrooms.  Soggy carpet and a big mess.
And there were a group of pictures, not just one.

[caci]

I wasn't paying attention and only saw the first picture. None of them really enthused me, though, although I could see them being alright in an apartment or smaller house.  As far as the flooding, that's something I hadn't thought of and a danger to be sure.  Still, I look at what my elderly father has to go through to do the laundry and I think it would be nice to have the washer and dryer upstairs in a room of its own.   Maybe that would help with flooding.  I don't know.  A laundry chute or a dumb waiter sound heavenly also.  (Btw,  just so noone thinks I'm being really evil and not helping my dad out, he actually loves to do laundry.  That gene sure didn't pass down to me!  It's just not the easiest task for him with the machines being in the basement.)

[Tunia]

HGTV posted this article on dream laundry rooms, and almost everyone is raving about how they'd love one of them,http://www.hgtv.com/...hgtvcom39150727

 

 

In the first photo, it seems as though they've combined the laundry room with the pantry.  Do you really want to store your spices, condiments, etc. in the humidity of a laundry room?

[CoolMom]

Yeah, those comments always crack me up.  Well, the other vacationers will watch their brats, right?  The parents are all certified lifeguards who can dive from the 7th floor into 3 ft and save them, no?

 

I love kids, but ...

Yes, they expect the other people to watch their children.  We were at a resort pool once when another family allowed their 2 yr old to play in the pool unsupervised.  I have 3 kids of my own to watch but I kept freaking out over that baby.  I had to take my kids and leave because I was so distracted by her.  When we left the mom got in the pool...idiot. Which brings me to the fact that these are possibly the same people who:

 

Insisting that the children's bedrooms must be within a few feet of the master bedroom.

I agree with Mike Holmes that laundry rooms belong in the basement.

I've had at least 3 overflow over the years, the one being where the was just a laundry hook-up area near the bedrooms.  Soggy carpet and a big mess.

And there were a group of pictures, not just one.

Our neighbor has a second floor laundry room and just had a leak.  She said she was reading a book and thought the washer didn't sound right.  By the time she got upstairs and got the water off all of their floors were ruined, walls had to be repaired, etc.  They were out of their house for over 2 months.  I have no basement but I am happy the laundry room is on the first floor. 

Edited January 22, 2015 by CoolMom

[ChelseaNH]

At least have a drain in the floor of the laundry room, so you have a fighting chance.

[laredhead]

My dream laundry room would put the washer & dryer in the same room.  Because of the plumbing configuration & electrical connections in my house, the washer is in the kitchen and the dryer is in the utility room.  Too expensive to move the washer & impossible to move the dryer so I wash in one room & dry in the other.  At least I have these appliances.  A deal breaker for me in the house hunt would be room for only one of those small over/under one piece washers/dryers.  They don't hold king size bed linen in one load.  Also, I'm short and stacking the full size units makes it difficult to unload the dryer.  Guess I have some issues when it comes to doing laundry.    

[QuinnM]

 

Also, I'm short and stacking the full size units makes it difficult to unload the dryer.  Guess I have some issues when it comes to doing laundry.

 

I agree.  Stacking front loaders is the best use of space.  Why doesn't anyone make a model with controls on the side?  I would pay more money to have that.  But I really have to stretch if I'm using top controls on a stackable.

[QuinnM]

My Tivo picked up a new one.  That's so House Hunters.  People they are all there.  The Turtle Lady.  The clairvoyant.  The pole dancer.  Then lots of fun facts.  Smallest house?  490 sq ft.  Most visited international?  Paris   All your faves - 15 years worth.  Killer fun.

[NYGirl]

Quinn..is that the name of it?  I can't find it and apparently my TiVo didn't pick it up.

[QuinnM]

It says That's So House Hunters.  I don't see it showing again.  

[Ketzel]

My two biggest peeves are (aside from everything everyone else has mentioned in this thread) (1) the childless couple who is looking at a house with two-to-four bathrooms and the wife turns up her nose because she HAS to have an en suite with a bathtub and the en suite in the house only has a shower. "You know how I have to have my bath," she whines to her husband and the realtor. Oh how I wish the realtor would kindly respond by saying, "You do understand you will own the whole house, right? Just you and your husband? And see, right here, one door down from your bedroom is a bathroom with a giant, jetted tub? So now, let's slowly walk from where your bed would be, to where the tub is, and let's see if it's really too much for you."

(2) The HH who wants "move-in ready." I guess it's just me, but I think of "move-in ready" as a home that is completely functional for my needs as is. I don't think of "move-in ready" as meeting every possible demand I could think of for my dream home, including paint colors and window "treatments." If you're a family with four children and the house has only four bedrooms and one bathroom, but you could expand the back of the house and install a second bath and another bedroom, THAT house isn't move-in ready for you. But if the house has a fully applianced and working kitchen, five bedrooms, and two baths, don't complain to the realtor that you really wanted "move-in ready" and this house isn't because it has white counters and you want black ones.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Ketzel

[LakeGal]

I get annoyed when a HH has one phrase they say over and over till you want to tape their mouth shut.  I am watching one now with the bodybuilders.  The husband keeps going on and on about "expressing his green thumb".  What an odd phrase.  But the fact he has to insist on saying it 10 times at one house. 

[BBDi]

A couple of years ago I saw an episode with a young couple who were buying a condo or somesuch in Florida, and the wife kept talking about "amenities." Amenities this, amenities that. At first it was kind of funny, bc you could sense how proud she was to be doing a grownup thing and buying a house, but grew very tiresome as she started bitching and complaining about the lack of amenities here and there ("They didn't have enough amenities. I want to see a place with more amenities" etc.). She also said it in a rather affected way (kind of like Jenna Moroney saying "camera," if you're a 30 Rock fan). Now when I watch HH with my daughter if anyone says "amenities" we start making fun of them right away.