Property Brothers - General Discussion

[radishcake]

Yep the internet (ymmv) says they are 6'5" which seems very possible! 

[WildPlum]

One of the things that drives me batty - and this is really ALL of the home shows, except I think Mike Holmes has done a few - is the lack of grab bars in showers or barrier-free entrances. The show with the huge basement columns, they mentioned that her mother was going to be staying in the basement suite. The layout of the room meant that the bathroom entry wasn't barrier-free and there were zero grab bars in the shower. I know that grab bars aren't exactly sexy appliances, but they have to be put in during the remodel or you get to rip all the tile down to put in the reinforcement blocks for them.

 

Also - marble floor tile in bathrooms is VERY slippery,

 

What I do like about the PB show compared to most of the home shows is that the houses aren't identical after they are done. I like Joanna Gains' taste on Fixer Upper, but the white-on-white farmhouse industrial shabby chic thing in EVERY house is getting old. Sure, the PB designer (I really doubt it is entirely Jonathan) leans heavily toward modern, but they use a lot more color.

 

The last couple shows have had a muralist who has done two children's rooms - an apple tree in a nursery and a space theme in a little boy's room Fabulous stuff, but my neighbor's "wine cellar" mural was something like $7,500.

Edited March 3, 2015 by WildPlum

[Peanutbuttercup]

@WildPlum you don't think the PB houses all look alike when they are done? I don't know, they all look pretty similar to me. Kitchens with white cabinets and white or gray counters, subway tile backsplash (usually some shade of white), a sliding barn door somewhere, a set of three pendent lights with Edison style bulbs, tearing down a wall to make it "open concept," a farm/apron sink, and dark, wide-plank style hardwood flooring. And usually the houses on House Hunters Renovation all look like this too. If you plopped me down in a row of re-done houses from both these shows I think I'd get lost and not be able to find my way out!

At least with Joanna Gains's houses you'd have the different giant letters/names/ridiculous cheesy quotes on the wall ("Today is a good day for a good day") to help you differentiate between the farmhouse/rusted dirty metal/shiplap/shabby chic interiors!

I like when they do children's rooms (like the most recent episode I saw) or nurseries because at least they inject a little color and personality into those.

[laredhead]

I know this is the Property Brothers topic, but if anyone on this site who has commented on the sameness of the decor of PB or other shows has seen I Hate My Kitchen, you will realize there is at least one show with a variety of styles and finishes.  I couldn't find a thread for I Hate My Kitchen, but on that show they are not afraid of color or different floor, wall and counter top choices.  That's the show I would want to redo my kitchen.

[auntjess]

 

One of the things that drives me batty - and this is really ALL of the home shows, except I think Mike Holmes has done a few - is the lack of grab bars in showers or barrier-free entrances.

Even Mike missed on this one, big time!

He redid a small (1br) house for an older man, whose wife had died.  The man lived alone.

Mike gave him a bathtub like he wanted, but he had no grab bar anywhere.

I think there's a stigma to them unfortunately.

I can't think why hotels do have them for every room, and I think the insurance would be lower.

Maybe one day they'll be standard, by bannisters and stair railings.

[aguabella]

 

What I do like about the PB show compared to most of the home shows is that the houses aren't identical after they are done. I like Joanna Gains' taste on Fixer Upper, but the white-on-white farmhouse industrial shabby chic thing in EVERY house is getting old. Sure, the PB designer (I really doubt it is entirely Jonathan) leans heavily toward modern, but they use a lot more color.

 

The last couple shows have had a muralist who has done two children's rooms - an apple tree in a nursery and a space theme in a little boy's room Fabulous stuff, but my neighbor's "wine cellar" mural was something like $7,500.

 

I tend to agree with everyone that the FU, LIOLI, PB and other TV designer homes have a certain sameness to them.  When you say that the PB designer uses more color, WildPlum, do you mean WRT the staging, i.e. the designer touches that are removed after filming the show?  BTW, you're correct.  The PB's use a Toronto design firm for the majority of the work and local designers stage.

 

Was your neighbor happy with the mural?  Did he/she consider purchasing one of those on-line stencil patterns, projecting it on the wall and doing the paint-by-numbers?  Too bad your neighbor didn't have the option of filming it to score a promotional freebie from the muralist!

Edited March 5, 2015 by aguabella

[WildPlum]

The mural wasn't even one of those complicated trompe l'oeil murals - just a stone arch with potted olive plants on either side. 

 

I have a couple structural issues with the fixer we bought last year that I'd love to see someone like Mike Holmes come in and spend more than the house is worth fixing, although I'd have to be the one picking the finishes and colors, because this trend toward painting things black I see on his recent series is just awful.

[NYGirl]

Ugh I hated the couple in the latest new episode.  They kept complaining that Jonathan wasn't done yet and yet every time he needed a design decision from them they were not available physically or mentally.  And then she made him take down the whole fireplace.

 

They just rubbed me the wrong way.

[auntjess]

Normally I'd agree on the changes, but I liked them, and agreed with her on the fireplace.

Jonathan seemed to be jerky on some things.
On the other hand, it is just so wrong to spend almost 3/4 of a million dollars, and have ONE(1) bathroom.

That's just so wrong.

[NYGirl]

Are we sure there was only one bathroom?  We do know that HGTV likes to fool us by not showing everything in the house.  Is it possible there was another bathroom somewhere that they didn't show us?

 

I agree about Jonathan.  He's a big whiner...which is why I like Drew better.

[auntjess]

Well they only showed 1 bathroom, there wasn't one attached to the master br, and I didn't see one downstairs.

The only place I can think of would be in the basement, so I don't think there'd be much of one, though it would be better than nothing.

[Keku]

I admit I love watching this show, fake or not.

Cracks me up that the Reno budget is exactly the differential amount of what they pay for the house and what their budget is actually. Also, why do they look shocked whenever they find something unexpected on the homes? They should know beforehand or expect unexpected things so it doesn't eat up the whole budget. And the endings, when the 2 brothers walk out of frame, whatever they say may sound funny, but in reality is not! I'm waiting for a great snarky comeback from one of them but it never happens in the end.

Lastly, where is this show filmed? Toronto, Vancouver? I love it when I hear the Canadian accents on the show: "I love what you did with this HOO-s!" Dontcha know' lol. I hear it mostly on Love it or list it." Hysterically funny!!

[auntjess]

I think they're back in Toronto.  In Vancouver, there'll usually be a shot or two with mountains in the background.

I didn't get it about the garage in this one.

The woman said she really wanted a 2-car garage for her bike and a car, but then I didn't see any room for a car, when they made it a "chick cave."
 

 

[WildPlum]

If there was a budget issue, the FIRST thing I would have ditched was that "rainforest brown" marble feature wall (it's not really a marble OR a granite, but often gets called both). That stuff is extremely expensive particularly in full slabs. Also, a couple episodes back (actually might have been last season, I am watching 2 seasons at the same time), we saw what happens when marble slabs fall and crack (and, oh boy, was Jonathan defensive about that when the homeowners clearly expected HIM to pay for it).

[tessaforever]

Some of the fakeness of this show I don't mind - Jonathan is upfront that the PB work on 6-10 homes at a time, and that he just supervises while teams of workers do the actual work. If all he does is what we see on camera, I'm fine with that. When we had our basement done, there was a head contractor that came in every few days just to check the progress, and I see Jonathan in that role.

 

What I find sillier is that 3 of the last homes that I've searched for (googling the names of the homeowners) are on Airbandb permanently, advertised as being done "by the Property Brothers".

 

One was that awful "couple" where he was clearly the only one paying (he kept saying "my money"), and he also thought that the homeowner's association should pay for the flooring (ha!), and the PB kept saying, with totally straight faces, how much fun it was to "help this young couple get their first home together". Yeah, it's on Airbandb - it was purchased and refurbished with that in mind - the man bought it himself and they are not "starting their lives together" in this condo. Lame. I guess the PB figure we'll believe whatever they tell us.

Edited March 24, 2015 by tessaforever

[tessaforever]

I keep wondering if this show will morph into Love It or List It - if when the PB are done with the reno, the homeowners will like it so much they want to stay. You don't think they have to sign something saying they will move no matter what?

[bubbls]

I just started watching this and like it a lot. I like the realistic budgets, and I really enjoy how they use a lot of the existing furniture/cabinetry and just paint it and replace the hardware. This is my kind of show. I find all the gutting and brand-new-everything really boring.

[bubbls]

I've finally resorted to talking back to the TV. Whenever I hear a buyer wants open concept on any of these shows I say "Of course you do" and do a big eye roll. We just bought a house two weeks ago, and I specifically sought out a "closed concept," ha. Some of the After shots look like big warehouses of furniture to me. My eye roams over couches-couches-couches and that's all I see.

Edited March 25, 2015 by bubbls

[MyAimIsTrue]

I just saw a rerun of one of my favorite couples, Fred and Edith.  They were a bit older and wanted a backyard oasis for their blended family and grandkids to enjoy and bought the "cesspool house."   Edith contributed her own savings to get the outdoor furniture she really wanted (to keep their reno budget in check) and they were both so thrilled and so appreciative of the finished product.  At the very end Jonathan and Drew served them margaritas poolside.

 

It was so nice to feature homeowners who didn't bitch, whine, complain, annoy, etc.

[aguabella]

Some of the fakeness of this show I don't mind - Jonathan is upfront that the PB work on 6-10 homes at a time, and that he just supervises while teams of workers do the actual work. If all he does is what we see on camera, I'm fine with that. When we had our basement done, there was a head contractor that came in every few days just to check the progress, and I see Jonathan in that role.

 

What I find sillier is that 3 of the last homes that I've searched for (googling the names of the homeowners) are on Airbandb permanently, advertised as being done "by the Property Brothers".

 

One was that awful "couple" where he was clearly the only one paying (he kept saying "my money"), and he also thought that the homeowner's association should pay for the flooring (ha!), and the PB kept saying, with totally straight faces, how much fun it was to "help this young couple get their first home together". Yeah, it's on Airbandb - it was purchased and refurbished with that in mind - the man bought it himself and they are not "starting their lives together" in this condo. Lame. I guess the PB figure we'll believe whatever they tell us.

 

You got it - he just puts up the 1 piece of molding (or whatever) that you see on camera - albeit from every angle, lol.  It takes about 80 hours to shoot a 1 hour / 44 minute episode and they work on multiple episodes, simultaneously, so they simply don't have time to perform the actual work.  They're using local gc's - J's not the contractor of record on these projects.

 

Yes, you can also find these properties on the vacation home listings, e.g. vrbo.  A search for either "Property Brothers" and/or "House Hunters Renovation" typically yields results!

[WildPlum]

According to their Facebook page (which seems to have been updated recently) they are "casting" for Westchester, NY.  Zillow says the median house price is $550,000 with an average property tax bill of $9,000, so I think we will have another season of "wow, that seems expensive for what you get."

[NYGirl]

Dear HGTV.  Please STOP playing the same rerun of PB over and over.  Things are bad when I can't bring myself to have it on even in the background let alone watch.  I am absolutely sick of the one with the girl with the curly black hair.  Why not play some episodes from Season 1 so us latecomers could see how it was then?

Thank you, a loyal fan.

[Ciarrai]

What was going on with Lolita? That was the strangest episode I've ever seen. Her cousin acted more like a husband than a cousin, and there were several times her sons were dressed identically, despite being old enough not to be dressed by their mother. Plus, she seemed to forget that she's selling the house, so she should be renovating it to sell, not to her own personal taste.

Just a really, really strange episode.

[Reishe]

According to their Facebook page (which seems to have been updated recently) they are "casting" for Westchester, NY.  Zillow says the median house price is $550,000 with an average property tax bill of $9,000, so I think we will have another season of "wow, that seems expensive for what you get."

I saw an article in the local paper, and was amused that they portrayed the show as looking for people currently househunting. Don't these shows choose homebuyers who have already made a choice, and then show decoys?

 

And yes, prices can be terrifying here, particularly down-county where the PB are looking.

[aguabella]

I saw an article in the local paper, and was amused that they portrayed the show as looking for people currently househunting. Don't these shows choose homebuyers who have already made a choice, and then show decoys?

 

And yes, prices can be terrifying here, particularly down-county where the PB are looking.

That's funny - yeah, gotta' keep the smoke and mirrors in motion, lol. The participants will discover that when they start the application process.

Yep, Westchester, home of the Clinton's - well, make that Bill, primarily. I don't think Hillary publicizes the fact that she lives in DC.

Did you mean where the PB are currently filming, not "looking"? Typically, these shows accept candidates within a certain set number of miles from a given downtown core to limit their travel expenses. Again, the application would specify that.

[Reishe]

There was an article in the paper this morning about the "dream home" (the one that has everything the househunters want but costs too much). They apparently began filming in March, and the paper says that all homes featured on the program will be on the market (so no faked decoy houses, I guess?). The application also states that they are looking for candidates who are shopping for a house, but then asks detailed questions about the house that househunters might have already had their eye on, a "house of interest." Are they being coy so the newspaper has a fig leaf for printing the official party line that the househunters are househunting still, or have they honestly not settled on a house yet?

As for locations, the original casting article said that both PB and Buying & Selling with the Property Brothers were casting in the NY/NJ/CT, which isn't that big a net, if they stick within the NYC commuting radius.

The "dream house" has wide open spaces and a funky round stone-walled bedroom. And the kitchen, while ginormous and sporting huge windows, looks like a futuristic office file room.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Reishe

[Jaydeed]

I agree. Got the same feeling about the cousin. And when she'd been shown how easily dark wood marked, why did she want it in her new home?

[aguabella]

There was an article in the paper this morning about the "dream home" (the one that has everything the househunters want but costs too much). They apparently began filming in March, and the paper says that all homes featured on the program will be on the market (so no faked decoy houses, I guess?). The application also states that they are looking for candidates who are shopping for a house, but then asks detailed questions about the house that househunters might have already had their eye on, a "house of interest." Are they being coy so the newspaper has a fig leaf for printing the official party line that the househunters are househunting still, or have they honestly not settled on a house yet?

 

 

IMHO it doesn't matter if these homes were listed when filmed b/c the production company requires at least 6 months to edit episodes.  If actually listed, I would assume / expect that all or nearly all these homes would be sold with escrow closed by the episodes' air dates.  (Or, if not sold, the sellers would probably have removed them from the market.)  Given the lead time required, they may as well be decoys, lol!

 

I believe they're simply towing the party line.  When it's time to film, they won't waste either the talents' (the bros) or the production company's time and $$$ unless the participants have actually purchased a home.

[bubbls]

I can't remember their names, but I watched an episode today with the young couple wanting to buy in the neighborhood he grew up in. Houses started at almost two million. She turned an extra bedroom into a dressing room. I got the distinct feeling Jonathan was extremely attracted to wifey-poo, which was uncomfortable to watch. I guess the husband is used to other men drooling over her as he seemed unfazed by it. But maybe it wasn't obvious to him.  

Edited April 23, 2015 by bubbls

[tessaforever]

I believe they're simply towing the party line.  When it's time to film, they won't waste either the talents' (the bros) or the production company's time and $$$ unless the participants have actually purchased a home.

 

I too noticed that the application tries to phrase it as "Do you have your eye on a *particular* house? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Yet for some reason I still want to believe it goes down the way the show portrays it. I guess I'm an easy sell :)

[Ciarrai]

The dad and daughters? Holy trying to be Kardashian clones, Batman! The older one especially looks like she's trying to be Kylie Jenner, with her plumped lips and dyed hair.

[NikSac]

I can't remember their names, but I watched an episode today with the young couple wanting to buy in the neighborhood he grew up in. Houses started at almost two million. She turned an extra bedroom into a dressing room. I got the distinct feeling Jonathan was extremely attracted to wifey-poo, which was uncomfortable to watch. I guess the husband is used to other men drooling over her as he seemed unfazed by it. But maybe it wasn't obvious to him.  

 

Was this the one with the gazillion dollar wallpaper, and Jonathan was saying how they could make the dressing room into a nursery later or something like that?  I was really uncomfortable watching that episode too, if it's the same one.

[DietCokeJunkie]

 

One was that awful "couple" where he was clearly the only one paying (he kept saying "my money"), and he also thought that the homeowner's association should pay for the flooring (ha!), and the PB kept saying, with totally straight faces, how much fun it was to "help this young couple get their first home together". Yeah, it's on Airbandb - it was purchased and refurbished with that in mind - the man bought it himself and they are not "starting their lives together" in this condo. Lame. I guess the PB figure we'll believe whatever they tell us.

Just watched this episode and found this couple so annoying--from expecting to move into a "dream home" in their mid-20s, to the aforementioned harping on "my money" to the twit of a wife cavorting with the dogs in a strapless formal dress with cowboy boots.  This young couple just reeked of entitlement and delusion.  I'm not at all surprised it was a scam to rent the property out and market it as a Property Brothers home.  

[laredhead]

This is a question about another show that I cannot locate on the forums, but has to do with fixing up houses.  Is Income Property on one of these forums?  I thought it was, but I don't see it.  Figured a lot of you who follow Property Brothers might know about Income Property.  Thanks in advance.

[chessiegal]

Income Property is being discussed in "Real Estate Shows" in the Genre forum. It appears no one has requested an individual thread.

[auntjess]

Yes, I've probably mentioned IP on that thread.
I'm reluctant to start shows, if I can fit them in a genre topic, because it seems somehow wasteful, to start 3 separate threads for a show that may not get much response.

But back to PB. Wow, prices in Toronto seem to have gone up more, and the poor couple who managed to scrape up ONLY $920.000, at least did pick the house with 2 bathrooms.

Maybe I come across as having a bathroom fetish, but damn, I see these homes costing over half a million, in Toronto or California, and they can only afford one pot to pee in, and it seems crazy.

[nicepebbles]

The most recent episode I've seen was a Jewish couple that kept kosher so they had to have 2 of everything in the house.  Their budge was $935K.  This is about the second or third episode I've seen where the couple has a ridiculous (i.e., very healthy) budget and still can't find a home that everything they want. Total BS!  I know they live in high priced areas, still.  I can't see why they can't find a house they want within their budget without having to do a renovation.  I feel like these couples just want a reno and someone to pay for it.  So if that's the case, go on a show where you can just get the reno done w/o the "oh, we can't find a house with huge budget we have because our taste are just so expensive!"  *eye roll*  The first home doesn't have to the "one".  I know moving is a pain but if you're only moving every so often (before you start a family, after you start a family so you need a bigger house, etc.), it's not that big a deal.  I say that as someone that moves every 2-3 years due to military service so...

 

In this episode, this was the first time that I can recall a buyer actually saying to Jonathan, "I know this isn't your first rodeo, we are just having a hard time seeing it."  Most of the time the homeowners act like Jonathan can't do what he says like they've been living under a rock or something.

[WildPlum]

Watched the new Brother vs Brother last night. The general premise is that they each buy a house in the $300k range in Las Vegas and renovate and flip it and the brother who makes more money on the flip is the "winner." They imply that they will be doing the work themselves but then introduce you to their GC and his crew, so you know how that goes. They have a "contest" as the fix each room of the house, judged by other HGTV "celebrities" and then the loser has to do something humiliating.

 

Not that fond of the premise, but the interesting thing is that this show you actually SEE the true designers - two women who come in to consult on paint and furniture and do the actual furniture, decor, paint scheme design work.

[auntjess]

Brother vs Brother has its own forum.

[MyAimIsTrue]

WildPlum, here's a link to the Brother vs. Brother forum:  http://forums.previously.tv/forum/885-brother-vs-brother/

 

Of course any talk about the brothers is okay in my book!

[Artsda]

I'm confused about the Vegas "At Home" shows. There's one episode that they put in the huge reno backyard with the pool/waterslide then there's another one where they do another  backyard and put in curved palm trees and fake turf for the dogs. They are 2 different houses right? 

[laredhead]

Saw a new episode last night about a couple who wanted a larger house with a pool.  The woman was a "collector", but I would call her a hoarder.  Their house was beyond a mess with clutter everywhere.  I'm sure that the larger house they eventually bought looks exactly like the old one by now and filled with even more clutter.  I would love to know how much was tossed or donated before they moved, of if they stuffed everything in a storage unit and then put it all in the new house.  The woman didn't seem to be too bothered by the fact that the mess was a result of her buying stuff she did not need.  In fact, she was admiring a beautifully organized walk in closet in the house they would buy and said it would not look like that once she had it.  I think the phrase "wretched excess" kept running through my mind as I watched the episode.

[auntjess]

Yes, I just watched the hoarder one too.
Remembering  how much I hated changing schools many years ago, I'd have given up the pool, because I think there was enough room for a smaller pool in one of those houses.
That said, the yard they got is almost all pool, so no place for anything else.
Also, I'd have a screen fence around the pool.

[Nysha]

 

They are 2 different houses right?

No, that house is on the curved corner of a cul-de-sac. The palm trees and fake turf are on the side yard.

[topanga]

I like Drew slightly better, though I enjoy both brothers. They both have a sarcastic streak, but Jonathan’s is a little more biting than Drew’s, if that makes any sense. Drew’s humor is more good-natured towards the clients. And there was one episode where the homeowners/renovators had a 2-year old daughter who was in almost every scene. Drew called the little girl's name and tried to make her laugh every time he saw her. Jonathan basically ignored her. And it’s fine if he doesn’t like kids, but the fact that Drew does makes him the nicer brother, IMO.

[topanga]

 

I can't remember their names, but I watched an episode today with the young couple wanting to buy in the neighborhood he grew up in. Houses started at almost two million.

Are houses in Toronto (is that where they are?) really that expensive? Almost every episode I've seen has couples buying 2 or 3 bedroom homes that are about $900,000. Gee, whiz

[MyAimIsTrue]

In looking at a Re/Max listing of Toronto properties it does appear that the older in-town homes go for a lot of money.  It's been years since I've been to Toronto but I remember the residential part of downtown being very charming and walkable so I'm not surprised it's a desireable location.

[auntjess]

I bailed out of the latest episode after the first few minutes.
The husband was a loan officer who worked from home, but the wife needed more space because she added gilt or whatever, to large letters (as in A, B, C...).

And I think they needed some obscene amount, like $800k, to do the move.

[limecoke]

I always enjoy the brothers no matter which show I'm watching.  Just recently began watching Buying & Selling, thanks to the wonders of Netflix.  It's entertaining and enlightening, especially to those of us who will soon be listing our homes.  Good advice, good ideas, helpful hints.  However, I'm very turned off by the whining of the homeowners in their nighttime video spots.  I've been through a couple of difficult renovations and it is stressful, but you know what you're in for and you put on your grown-up pants, grit your teeth and get through it.  I find myself yelling at the people to shut up and go to bed...it's only two weeks.

[sistersledge]

I can't be the only one who is sick of seeing these two actors on HGTV. I literally can't anymore.