Beachfront Bargain Hunt - General Discussion

[NYGirl]

Editor's Note:

Discuss Beachfront Bargain Hunt Here!

 

Our wonderful moderator Wendy has graciously allowed us to put the "Life" topics in here since they are on HGTV AND very similar to House Hunters.  Thanks again Wendy.

[Homily]

I used to love watching these shows, made a nice change from HH.  But honestly if one more person looking for a vacation home insists on the stainless-granite-open concept triumvirate I may start screaming!  Or they are in a perfectly nice kitchen and insist "this will need to be updated" - in a vacation home they will be staying in a week-end a month or so at most and where they will supposedly be on the beach or looking at the view all the time.  Sheesh!

[NYGirl]

One thing I've noticed about these specific shows is that the realtor doesn't give them the amount of bedrooms they requested a good percentage of the time.  I find myself yelling at the TV most of the time.  Where are they gonna put their kid when there's only 1 bedroom?  It happens on these shows a lot more than any other

[DownTheShore]

That's usually because their bedroom requests aren't in line with their budgets by a long shot. But I agree. Having your kid sleep on the pull-out sofa means that room is taken out of play for a good chunk of the night - as is that "open concept" kitchen.

What annnoys me is when the parents insist that their children couldn't possibly share a bedroom. I can just hear the choice my father would have given us if we said that we wouldn't share a room with one another; there would have been no vacation, much less a vacation home - lol.

[NYGirl]

My parents had a summer home at the shore and it only had 2 bedrooms!  We were 4 kids.  Not even to count the friends and family members that came to spend the weekend.  We were packed in.  It was every man for themselves when it came to sleeping.

[AlleC17]

The kids having to share a bedroom (gasp!) always cracks me up too.  In our summer home, 4 boys shared one bedroom and 2 girls had to share...with their grandma!  Ha!  lol  And the constant 'oh this needs updating' comments on perfectly good appliances and bathrooms is annoying.  It is very interesting to see how much house they can sometimes end up with though on sometimes really small budgets.

[chessiegal]

For the folks buying a home to live in year round, I'm willing to give them more of a break on their wish list. For the vacationers, unless they plan on renting, not so much.

[DownTheShore]

And a vacation house is really only a place to eat and sleep, because unless it's raining, you're not inside it for most of the day.

[Homily]

It is very interesting to see how much house they can sometimes end up with though on sometimes really small budgets.

 

Those are the episodes I really enjoy.  I don't need to see doctors buying, as a second home, a house I'd give my eyeteeth to live in year round!  There are other shows for that. 

[Mittengirl]

I get irked at the beginning of every episode when the announcer says that you don't need to be rich to afford a house at the beach. If you can afford to spend upwards of a quarter-million dollars on a second home, you are rich. You may like to think of yourself as just a regular middle-class Joe, but you are rich. IMO.

Agree about the strange need for fancy. Growing up in Michigan, when someone had a cottage up north it was usually furnished with cast-offs. Grandma's old couch, Uncle Bob's dining room table, a garage sale find dresser, the picnic table that came with the place. Nobody went to an actual furniture store and they sure as hell didn't worry about design.

[DownTheShore]

Ditto what it used to be like down the shore. The cottages were furnished with everyone's old furniture. My sister's place still has a couple of pieces that came with the place twenty years ago. That stuff is rock maple and is sturdy!

When we rented at the shore when I was a kid there was no air conditioning, no dishwasher, no washer/dryer, no microwave, no phone and no TV. And we survived very well without all of them. Now, she has to have those things in her cottage to make it attractive to renters, because they can't imagine existing without them.

[Kohola3]

Growing up in Michigan, when someone had a cottage up north it was usually furnished with cast-offs. Grandma's old couch, Uncle Bob's dining room table, a garage sale find dresser, the picnic table that came with the place. Nobody went to an actual furniture store and they sure as hell didn't worry about design.

 

People recoil with horror at our 600 square foot, no shower, no hot water cottage on Lake Huron.  But we grew up there every su,,er and never thought twice about it.  One tiny bedroom and when we were kids we all slept crossways on the double bed to cram 4 in there. And we had an absolute blast every summer.  

 

Fun is what you make it.

[DownTheShore]

Every Good Friday I don't watch TV, don't listen to the radio/music, don't go on the computer, and only talk on the phone if it's an emergency. It's a personal choice to do that, not something imposed on me.

When I turn off that TV at midnight, when I can't put on the classical music station before going to bed, I really really miss those things. But by midnight Friday, I often don't even bother turning the TV on because I've started to relish the quiet.

You can learn to live without the things you think might be essential, and a vacation is the perfect time to cut those ties and enjoy simpler things. You don't need granite countertops because you're not preparing grand meals. You don't need double sinks in master bath (or even a master bath) BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ON THE CLOCK! You're usually using paper plates and cups - dishwashing isn't a big deal. You don't need a clothes dryer; spend the time hanging them on the clothesline and let them air dry simply because you have the free time to do so.

[NYGirl]

I saw about 3 or 4 Beachfronts this evening, including the most annoying couple ever to grace HGTV shows!!  Ocean City Maryland.  Boy they thought they were auditioning for their own show with their stupid quips and wall to wall smiles and perkiness.  If I was their agent I'd have knocked her in the water for sure.

[proserpina65]

I saw about 3 or 4 Beachfronts this evening, including the most annoying couple ever to grace HGTV shows!!  Ocean City Maryland.  Boy they thought they were auditioning for their own show with their stupid quips and wall to wall smiles and perkiness.  If I was their agent I'd have knocked her in the water for sure.

They were pretty annoying.  I was looking forward to that one because I'm sort of familiar with OC, but then they got on my nerves.  And they were looking for bay-side not ocean-side so I wasn't even interested in the places they were being shown.  Except for the one ocean-side condo.  Plus, if you can afford to go $25,000 over your 'budget', why bother pretending that your budget is $350,000 to begin with.  UGH.  Good luck trying to get from Baltimore to OC on a Friday afternoon/evening in summer in 2 & 1/2 hours; that's the predicted travel time for 9:30 on a Friday morning in January, no way will it take less than 3 & 1/2 or 4 hours in peak summer traffic.

Edited January 29, 2016 by proserpina65

[Mu Shu]

I get irked at the beginning of every episode when the announcer says that you don't need to be rich to afford a house at the beach. If you can afford to spend upwards of a quarter-million dollars on a second home, you are rich. You may like to think of yourself as just a regular middle-class Joe, but you are rich. IMO.

Agree about the strange need for fancy. Growing up in Michigan, when someone had a cottage up north it was usually furnished with cast-offs. Grandma's old couch, Uncle Bob's dining room table, a garage sale find dresser, the picnic table that came with the place. Nobody went to an actual furniture store and they sure as hell didn't worry about design.

Same in the keys. You had old rattan and wicker furniture. How is it a getaway if you have the same fussy design in a vacation home as your main house? Nothing like old tile floors, and rattan furniture with lime green tropical prints to get you into the relaxed vacation mode. Sorry, but granite really pisses me off. I hate ALL granite. It enrages me.

[DownTheShore]

Also, you come in with damp bathing suits and not everyone can take a shower at once. You need furniture to sit on that dampness won't bother. Back in the day most of the shore furniture was naugahyde. When my sister redid the cushions on her rattan chairs she had the uphosterer use Sunbrella fabric, which is holding up well.

[Kohola3]

Sorry, but granite really pisses me off. I hate ALL granite. It enrages me.

 

What enrages me is the brainwashing that has been done by decorating shows that make you feel like an idiot if you don't bow down to the triumvirate of granite countertops, hardwood floors, and stainless steel appliances. I will be so happy when this runs its course.  Talk about cookie cutter.

BTW, my new house has none of the above.  And everyone loves it.

[DownTheShore]

I actually prefer sheet vinyl flooring in kitchens. It's softer underfoot than tile, has no grout lines, and if dishes or glassware falls on it, they don't always break. It's not cold underfoot when you're barefoot. It's easy to clean, wears well, and is cheaper and easier to change out when you want a new look. Although I love the look of tile flooring, it wouldn't be my first choice for a kitchen. I'd get wood before tile.

I don't like stainless steel appliances because they are a PITA to keep clean, so I'd never put them in a rental property.

I like all of the stone and solid surface countertops, with the exception of black granite; that to me is totally boring. I've got Formica in my apt. and I've managed quite well with it for years. The only countertop surface I don't like is ceramic tile, and that's simply because of having to keep those grout lines clean.

I think I watch these shows with a totally different attitude than the HHs. I ask myself if I can live with a thig the way it is, while they seem to allow for no compromise.

[Mu Shu]

I had glossy black tile counters with dark grout in my last place and it looked so beautiful. I never worried about bacteria gathering the grout because I kept it clean, and always used a cutting board for food. People really are brainwashed about granite. I also like vinyl flooring if it's laid well, and looks good. Easier than tile to keep clean, and easy to change out. I'm partial to black and white squares.

[DownTheShore]

I do like the fact that patterns are ceeeping back into flooring.

[proserpina65]

Why the heck would someone who lives in Allentown, PA. want a weekend beach place in Ocean City, MD?  According to Google Maps, it would take about 3 & 1/2 hours to get from one to the other at 10 a.m. on a Monday morning in April - imagine what that drive would be like in the summer.  Wouldn't something on the Jersey Shore be a lot easier?

[NYGirl]

There was one couple yesterday that all they cared about was whether their dog would like it.  It was sooooo annoying.  They had to mention that dog 20 times in a half hour.  They saw a beautiful condo but didn't take it because the beach wasn't dog friendly.

[MsTree]

^^^ Right...and sometimes I think they care more about what the dogs "needs" than what each other wants/prefers.

[CherryAmes]

I think of all the (IMO) faux problems on these shows the "what will doggie like" is the one I have the least patience with.  Especially when it seems like they are giving up a much better choice only for the sake of the dog.  Seriously?  I mean don't get me wrong I would never expect someone to give up a beloved pet to move into a building that doesn't allow them but to give up a perfectly nice place because you think your dog wouldn't be happy there?  Not a chance.

[NYGirl]

I lived in a big house with lots of room when I got my dogs.  My husband suddenly passed away and I sold the house.  My dogs were about 6 years old.  The new house had a tiny little yard and not much room to run around.  They adapted well.  A year of so after that I ended up selling that one and moving closer to my sons.  My new house was not large inside but they had a very nice size yard to run around.  They adapted.

 

My point:  They adapt.  They are just happy to be with their family.

[DownTheShore]

Why the heck would someone who lives in Allentown, PA. want a weekend beach place in Ocean City, MD?  According to Google Maps, it would take about 3 & 1/2 hours to get from one to the other at 10 a.m. on a Monday morning in April - imagine what that drive would be like in the summer.  Wouldn't something on the Jersey Shore be a lot easier?

Sometimes folks from certain areas just gravitate to certain shore areas. There's a lot of people from the Orange and Rockland counties of NY and the Pocono area of PA who head to the Point Pleasant-to-Seaside Park stretch of the Jersey Shore, while the folks from Philly head to the Ocean City-to-Wildwoods bit, and folks from Quebec head to Cape May.

Maybe the Allentown PA area's shore-du-jour is Ocean City MD?

[Tony]

I lived in a big house with lots of room when I got my dogs.  My husband suddenly passed away and I sold the house.  My dogs were about 6 years old.  The new house had a tiny little yard and not much room to run around.  They adapted well.  A year of so after that I ended up selling that one and moving closer to my sons.  My new house was not large inside but they had a very nice size yard to run around.  They adapted.

 

My point:  They adapt.  They are just happy to be with their family.

 

Agreed.

 

As someone who's owned 4 dogs and moved several times over the years, I learned that dogs don't care what he house is like as long as there's more than one room and they have somewhere outside to do their business. They only care about spending time with you.

[Mu Shu]

These people annoy me even more than regular HH people do. Wah, I want to live right on the water but I am 75k short. There's not enough room for guests!! You mean we have to WALK 400 feet to the beach???? These sand dunes are really harshing my view!!! And so on and so forth. Never mind the lungs I want to rip out for whining that the vacation home you CAN afford, and will use 2 weeks out if the year doesn't have luxury finishes. You ingrates.

[chessiegal]

We really enjoy these shows because every couple months my husband starts looking at condos on the Florida panhandle (1 daughter in St. Petersburg with 3 grands, 1 in NOLA with 6 grands), so it would be nice to have a winter place to see family more often. I enjoy the shows where people are buying a primary residence because it seems their wish lists are more reasonable.

 

We're watching reruns now on GAC. I keep forgetting about this channel owned by Scripps since Verizon doesn't bunch it with their other channels.

[DownTheShore]

Cablevision puts GAC out in the hinterlands, too, while they've got HGTV on 30.

I've got those channels set as my favorites via my remote so that I don't forget about them.

[proserpina65]

Sometimes folks from certain areas just gravitate to certain shore areas. There's a lot of people from the Orange and Rockland counties of NY and the Pocono area of PA who head to the Point Pleasant-to-Seaside Park stretch of the Jersey Shore, while the folks from Philly head to the Ocean City-to-Wildwoods bit, and folks from Quebec head to Cape May.

Maybe the Allentown PA area's shore-du-jour is Ocean City MD?

I find that very unlikely, given the distance between the two.  NJ's beaches would be much closer, and so would Delaware's.  Heck, I live in the northeastern corner of Maryland, and a lot of people here are more likely to go to NJ or DE than Ocean City, MD.  (I go to Cape Henlopen State Park myself, but then I usually only go for the day and OC is way too far for that.)  Maybe the husband or the wife grew up closer to OC and want a place there for nostalgia reasons, but it still doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense if they're just using it as a weekend place.  Now, if they're staying for longer, like a week at a time, that would be easier to understand.  It didn't sound that way in the episode, but I'll grant that it's possible.

Edited April 18, 2016 by proserpina65

[Albino]

On 4/16/2016 at 6:20 PM, Mu Shu said:

These people annoy me even more than regular HH people do. Wah, I want to live right on the water but I am 75k short. There's not enough room for guests!! You mean we have to WALK 400 feet to the beach???? These sand dunes are really harshing my view!!! And so on and so forth. Never mind the lungs I want to rip out for whining that the vacation home you CAN afford, and will use 2 weeks out if the year doesn't have luxury finishes. You ingrates.

ITA.  My main issue is that they will always complain about the size of the bedrooms.  It's a beach house.  These houses are usually older bungalows.  The bedrooms are going to be small.  I enjoyed many summers at the Jersey shore - my parents would rent a house for a week or two - and it was no big deal because we didn't spend time in the bedroom.  We were out on the beach or on the boardwalk or annoying my mother in the kitchen.  And sometimes we had to walk 3 blocks to the ocean on hot sand!  It was monstrous.

All the new homes down the shore are boring mini McMansions, but I may be just a little biased on that issue LOL.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Albino

[AlleC17]

My parents were fortunate enough to build a summer home on Cape Cod.  We lived in NY, so a 4 1/2 hour drive, but we spent the entire summer there.  The boys stuff in one room on bunk beds, and the girls...including Grandma!...in another.  It was awesome.  When we weren't on the beach, we were running wild through woods or riding our bikes.  Not a granite countertop or stainless steel appliance in sight, although of course, those weren't the thing back then.  lol  Point being, the kids shared rooms, the rooms were small..being outdoors was what it was all about, although it did get chaotic when it rained.

[Kohola3]

I know, AlleC17, I always laugh when these idiots go on and on about what they absolutely MUST have to survive.  My grandfather built a little 300 square foot cottage with one teeny bedroom just big enough for a double bed.  All 4 girl cousins slept in it crosswise (our feet hung off), the boy cousins slept on cots in the main room, with the parents pm narrow little sofas.  There was a tiny little electric stove and a college dorm room sized refrigerator.  No hot water, no shower (that's what the lake was for).  No radio, no TV, no phone.  We spend every waking minute on the beach, in the rowboat, and in the lake.  Rain days were spent in town. And those are the best memories of my life.

[Diane M]

I just binge watched Beachfront Bargain Hunting.  Why does no one ask about the HMO fees on those expensive condos?  That's an added monthly fee that is often very pricey.

[NYGirl]

What the hell?  The other day I was watching this and they had Beachfront Bargain Hunting RENOVATIONS!!!!  I had to look twice when the episode didn't end with the reveal.  

[KLovestoShop]

Am I the only one who noticed that during every one of these shows that there are at least two close up shots of the butt of a bikini wearing woman?  Not something I think is necessary.  

[Pine]

I am trying to find the entire episode of the Cannon Beach, Oregon Beach Front Bargain Hunt.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thus far I can only find the choice part.  I know it was a rather yawn episode, but, since I am actually looking in that area, I would like to review that entire episode.

[juliet73]

On 7/4/2016 at 7:13 AM, NYGirl said:

What the hell?  The other day I was watching this and they had Beachfront Bargain Hunting RENOVATIONS!!!!  I had to look twice when the episode didn't end with the reveal.  

I watched an episode tonight that was a TX couple.  I ff'd through most of it.  They replaced the white kitchen cabinets with WHITE kitchen cabinets and installed concrete countertops. I like concrete floors/counters, but these looked awful! They didn't look new or polished or nice; they actually looked scratched and worn out. I don't know if that was the "look" they were going for,  but they looked pretty bad. 

[Ottis]

Quote

Am I the only one who noticed that during every one of these shows that there are at least two close up shots of the butt of a bikini wearing woman?  Not something I think is necessary.  

Come on, that's how you know it's a beach. What I want to know is, why always just the butt (of women or men)? Does that allow them to avoid model release forms vs. shooting from the front?

Edited July 21, 2016 by Ottis
clarity

[laredhead]

I just watched a Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation episode about a couple buying a condo in Myrtle Beach.  They had a total budget of $200,000 including renovations.  They went over the $50,000 reno part of the budget by $4,000, but that was because of some hidden floor issues and the HVAC system had to be replaced halfway through the reno.  They did not have a designer who recommended white subway tile, a barn door or stainless steel appliances.  They ended up installing white appliances which looked pretty basic, but nice, and they installed a multi-color glass tile backsplash.  They did install granite counters, but they were a dark color and in a pattern that was not the usual one we see so often.  The entire family pitched in to remove the old flooring & wallpaper and other fixtures.  I thought the family was great and the kids pitched in to help with everything, which the parents said would make them more invested in the project.  The end result was really nice, and it showed that you don't have to spend a huge amount of money to improve a space.  

[Ottis]

Quote

I thought the family was great and the kids pitched in to help with everything, which the parents said would make them more invested in the project.  The end result was really nice, and it showed that you don't have to spend a huge amount of money to improve a space.  

Agree. The beach was completely empty each time they showed it. Odd? The dad had emotional ties to that location so it seemed predestined they would end up there. Was kind of curious if the teen daughter was expected to stay in the same room with the teen boys. That wouldn't fly at our house.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Ottis said:

Agree. The beach was completely empty each time they showed it. Odd? The dad had emotional ties to that location so it seemed predestined they would end up there. Was kind of curious if the teen daughter was expected to stay in the same room with the teen boys. That wouldn't fly at our house.

Yeah, they had a great budget for a 2 bedroom but they had 3 kids and one of them was girl. It didn't seem very practical. I guess they could use a sofa bed but that's gets old pretty fast. Those 2 bedroom condos are only great for a couple with possibly one kid or two if they are the same sex. Also, I guess they aren't inviting any guest either. LOL!!! 

[laredhead]

The weather seemed to be cold during the renovation, so I am guessing it was the off season and that's why no one was on the beach.  They mentioned that they finished it just before spring break.  Their oldest son was 17 so maybe he's headed off to college and won't be at the beach with them as much as the other two children.  Maybe one of them sleeps on the living room sofa.

[Albino]

New episode of Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation tonight: handsome pilot Brian and his squeaky, waddling wife Candace buy a home in Cocoa Beach  for $480,000 leaving them with a whopping $20K for a huge reno.  Candace has firm ideas about what's modern and what's not!  The estimate for the kitchen alone was almost $20K.  Because those cabinets (which I thought were really okay) just wouldn't do.  And of course, the required "opening up the space" did not come cheap either.  So they decided to put their $20K into turning a perfectly good pool and Florida room into a "poolside paradise" including a hot tub which their 2 daughters - ages 6 and 3 - really wanted.  They ended up spending $41K on their backyard.  It looked okay but really...priorities, people!  I'd rather use that money to buy new beachy furniture and rugs or whatever.  If I had $60K I might be more inclined to go all-out, but $20K isn't much at all.

Honestly I could barely watch it because of Candace...so loud and overbearing with a sing-songy girly voice that worked my last nerve.  (And by the way, they have two daughters!)  The husband was down-to-earth - although clearly whipped - and did all the demo himself to save money.  I don't know how he can stand listening to her 24/7.  I was near tears after 20 minutes.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Albino

[dga28]

man, this woman in coach beach has a squeaky voice...that would drive me nuts....and she talks a lot....lol

[ByaNose]

First off, the dude is a pilot and can do demo/construction  work. He's basically perfect. LOL!! The wife is a little annoying but seemed nice. I thought the kitchen looked fine as it was and didn't think it needed anything majorly done to it. Taking the wall down would have been nice though. The outdoor lanai and pool looked awesome. I do have one question though about those pool "cages". Aren't they sort of needed for the mosquitos & bugs? I know they aren't aestheticly pleasing to the eye but they are practical for the Florida area, right?

Edited July 24, 2016 by ByaNose

[AlleC17]

I think it looked much nicer after the 'cage' was removed., plus when they were demolishing the Florida room, they found the beams were not supporting anything, and it would have needed to come down anyway.  But the $41k was a pretty steep price I thought.

[NYGirl]

I really liked last night's Florida couple.  It was amazing how they built that beautiful deck for $10,000 less than the contractor.  He did a great job.  I loved the bathroom.