Home Town - General Discussion

[CruiseDiva]

2 hours ago, suebee12 said:

The one thing I do know from reading Erin's journal from way back, is that they do seem to live outdoors a lot! She posted photos of the parties, etc that they had outdoors. In fact, when they did the outdoor living area last week with the television outside, it reminded me of the many photos she posted of football parties they had while watching Ole Miss play. The gazebo type space was very reminiscent of Erin's parents backyard.  These photos were long before the show started. Plus they seemed to end up on everyone's porches to "enjoy" the great weather! I lived in Florida for many, many years before moving here(Starkville, MS....home of Mississippi State University-Hail State!!!) and never was one for outdoor living without screens! But I do have to admit there are many homes around here that have swings and rockers on front porches with no screens in sight! I personally do not like mosquitoes and other flying bugs so it is a screened porch for me!

Many of our neighbors here in Georgia have rockers and swings on their front porches, but very few people seem to sit out there. They are more than likely sitting in their backyard screen porches. We replaced our deck with a screened in sunroom five years ago, but used the deck all the time during the previous 25 years. Huge umbrellas to shade us from the sun, Off! spray, and citronella candles were necessities before the sunroom was built.

[CrazyInAlabama]

This was a great episode to end the third season.    I love the home owner, and love that she has been so instrumental in the revival of Main Street, and now has a lovely home.     I'm really glad she bought the house she did, and for once I wasn't thrilled with the second choice house.     

I loved the leaded glass window in the bath.     

[sheetmoss]

Judy's son reminded me of  desk clerk Jerry from the ER TV series

Edited April 9, 2019 by sheetmoss

[3 is enough]

It felt like more rooms were done in this house than in previous episodes.  

I loved the bathroom window.  Not so sure about the blue trim, although it did tie in nicely with the cabinets.  

Good finale- and now a long wait for season 4.  Hopefully some of the old episodes will show up from time to time.  

[chessiegal]

Just watched the 2 doctors episode. What a nice job! And I liked the black wrought iron over the porch. I just ordered black wrought iron railings for our brick steps leading to our front door.

[ECM1231]

22 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

This was a great episode to end the third season.    I love the home owner, and love that she has been so instrumental in the revival of Main Street, and now has a lovely home.     I'm really glad she bought the house she did, and for once I wasn't thrilled with the second choice house.     

I loved the leaded glass window in the bath.     

Didn't realize this was the final episode of the season. I loved this house and I cannot believe it was purchased for $40,000!  Homes don't go for much in Laurel.  So, I missed the very beginning but I gathered that the homeowner was once a teacher in Laurel. Was she a music teacher? Why was she so instrumental in the revitalization of Laurel? Did they say? At the end the mayor said some nice things about the homeowner (Judy?) and gave her the key to the city/town.  I loved the chunky crown molding but would have preferred it not be blue. Same with the exterior of the house...I tend to favor neutrals but gosh that house was so cute and much roomier at 1700 feet that it looked from outside. One little nitpick was that they never showed what the cottage in the back looked like. I was wondering if they fixed it up or if the son had to live in it as is. I was fearful that it was in just as bad shape as the original house. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

She manages the Main Street Laurel group that has revived the downtown area.    There is Laurel Mercantile, Scotsman Co., the art supplies store from the homeowner from a couple of weeks ago.   The bakery that the young woman who bought the property with the pond co-owns, and other businesses.    

Edited April 10, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[3 is enough]

21 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

One little nitpick was that they never showed what the cottage in the back looked like. I was wondering if they fixed it up or if the son had to live in it as is. I was fearful that it was in just as bad shape as the original house. 

Someone asked about that on Twitter last night.  Ben answered that it was too rough to save.  They tore it down and are building something else.

[buttersister]

Kinda relieved, it was practically falling down! Would like to see what Ben and Erin do for a single guy. 

[ECM1231]

Thank you Crazy in Alabama and 3 Is Enough for your replies.

[pasdetrois]

Erin was unusually perky, I guess because the homeowner is a business partner and also the last episode of the season (I realize they may have shown episodes out of the order in which they were produced). They did a great job on the house. Loved the bath window - having my own large window over a tub/shower, I know it's a challenge to update that area. I hate gaudy painted trim over white walls - it looks like harsh eyeliner - so that was a mis-step for me. Would have loved to see the son's living space.

Sad the second season is over so soon. I continue to love this show.

[3 is enough]

From Ben’s tweet I got the impression that the show had nothing to do with the son’s living space.  I think the demo and subsequent work happened after the episode was taped. 

I saw Erin and Ben on a Facebook live interview and they said they always do central air and fix any plumbing and electrical issues, but they don’t show it because it isn’t “sexy”.   I’m not totally sure how that fits into the budget, because when he gives his breakdown of the price of the home plus “x” to fix the outside, “y” to do the kitchen, and “z” for other rooms the numbers add up. 

Erin and Ben are heavily involved in Laurel Main Street so the homeowner is a personal friend.  Actually, quite a few of the homeowners had connections to the Napiers prior to being featured on the show.  I guess in such a small town there is always the potential for a certain degree of nepotism.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

What a cute house! I loved the exterior, and the blue paint really made the trim pop. Loved the blue cabinets as well.

[3 is enough]

One other thing I forgot to mention: Erin tweeted that their contractor, Jonathan, is moving to Florida for a new job and will not be on the show next year.  I liked him and I am sad we won't see him next year.  

I remember Erin said he adopted 3 little boys.  I peeked at his Instagram and there was a post from November saying they had adopted 2 boys.  Not sure if they added a third, but evidently he and his wife had a little boy who was born with a birth defect and he only lived 17 months.  This was back before the show began.  That must have been devastating.  

Edited April 10, 2019 by 3 is enough

[kirklandia]

I love it when they get down and dirty.  Roaches, pissants, ancient wads of chewing gum!

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

19 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

One other thing I forgot to mention: Erin tweeted that their contractor, Jonathan, is moving to Florida for a new job and will not be on the show next year.  I liked him and I am sad we won't see him next year.  

I remember Erin said he adopted 3 little boys.  I peeked at his Instagram and there was a post from November saying they had adopted 2 boys.  Not sure if they added a third, but evidently he and his wife had a little boy who was born with a birth defect and he only lived 17 months.  This was back before the show began.  That must have been devastating.  

Jonathan's always struck me as a real salt of the earth guy, and not surprised to know he and his wife lost a child—he has a certain quietness that might be explained by that. I’m trying to say he seems very kind, and knows much. 

Anyhoo I’m watching the most recent one on-demand and loving the exterminators comprehensive & yet casual knowledge of all things buggy. 

[suebee12]

I just re-watched this week's show and noticed something I thought I had seen the first time....and I was corrrect! If you look at the basketball championship board at the end of the gym, Erin's brother Clark Rasberry's name is on the list! They had a really great record that year.

I love the house they just did and I love having white walls with the blue trim and cabinets. I think it looks kinda' "old timey". I would love to have that kitchen! And that bathroom is to die for. I love how the tub and window are framed by the surrounding curtains. So rich looking and relaxing! I want that bathroom!

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

@suebee12 isn’t life great? There was so little about that house redo that I liked, and yet I enjoyed the episode very much. For one, really valued seeing Jonathan and hoping for the very best for him & his family in Florida. For another, at this point I just smile and shake my head at how Erin & Ben CLING to each other on the interviews — and yet when they unclinched, they were darned good at dancing!  Ben is one of those big guys who’s light on his feet. Fun to see. 

I think also in this one, Erin eased up on the snips at her husband. As good as he is to her, she really needs to learn patience dealing with him. Just MHO of course. 

[suebee12]

1 hour ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

There was so little about that house redo that I liked

Guess we better not plan on being roommates I guess! LOL! And you know, I really don't mind B & E being "clingy" since if she is to be believed, she needs him for a confidence builder!

BTW, did you catch the latest from Instagram? We all know that Ben is afraid of heights(and I am with him on that!) Here are a couple of photos that show him "being brave" to raise money for a children's hospital they support. I don't think I could do it even for that! Just looking at the view down makes me nauseous! And I just noticed, they had a climbing wall, also! Too much high for me.

Follow the arrows to see more plus Helen in the last photo!

Edited April 14, 2019 by suebee12

[Gam2]

I have the same fear that Ben has so I do admire his bravery! Helen is so much like her mom in looks but at the same time, favors her daddy. She is too adorable for words. I read Erin’s blog for years before they ever got this TV show. She talked of being bullied as a very shy, fearful child. Ben is her protector but she’s always been so aware of that and so appreciative of that. The things she says to him on the show are done in jest. That’s been their relationship since the beginning, apparently. At any rate, I love watching a show where people do their best at their jobs, love each other and appreciate their hometown. There’s so much nastiness, hatefulness and gross crap on TV (and in the world) that I’m glad there’s something we can watch as a family!

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

I love heights so yes, we can live in the same building and I’ll visit you on the ground floor!!! 

Instagram Failure here but I will try to find the photos. Thanks for advising!

@Gam2, I’m sure she was jesting and quite a few of the ones that impressed me were from when she was carrying Hellen. Pregnant in the summer in the South = good reason for irritability. 😉

[SmithW6079]

I must admit, I watch this show primarily for big, burly, bearded bear Ben. Having said that, I find the show mostly pleasant. I like the craftsmanship and pride they put into the renovations, but I'm not such a fan of the interior decorating. I think what they're doing to revitalize the town is great; I'd like to see something similar in other depressed areas. If there were jobs in the area, it might be interesting to live there. 

[3 is enough]

23 hours ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

I think also in this one, Erin eased up on the snips at her husband. As good as he is to her, she really needs to learn patience dealing with him. Just MHO of course. 

I really think the "snips" are scripted.  HGTV seems to the like "goofy husband/eye rolling wife" narrative. 

I don't really mind that Ben and Erin are very affectionate, but there was one episode where he kissed her and it was a bit of a "get a room!" moment.  For a split second I felt like I was intruding on a very private moment.

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

13 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

I really think the "snips" are scripted.  HGTV seems to the like "goofy husband/eye rolling wife" narrative. 

I don't really mind that Ben and Erin are very affectionate, but there was one episode where he kissed her and it was a bit of a "get a room!" moment.  For a split second I felt like I was intruding on a very private moment.

Scripted unscripted reality not-exactly-reality!! The mind reels. LOL

i was really down on HT for awhile but feel like I’m back. Like someone said upthread, it’s good to see small-town downtowns making comebacks and HT probably is spurring some folks to action. 

Where I live, there’s a downtown renaissance in a former standalone city which has become an exurb of the sprawling metropolitan area. I haven’t visited Laurel so can’t compare yet, but I just enjoyed a “taste of” night where we restaurant-crawled from one cafe to another, and shops stayed open late to let people get acquainted with what they sell or provide  

There’s a similar city-now-suburb closer in, where the downtown has never really been deserted, and it’s really diversifying now. I try to buy what I can (usually gifts) from stores in those areas.  I’m old enough to well remember life before Walmart and enjoy the personal nature of doing business with *neighbors* from clerk to store owner, again. I value it, too. Funny that as a kid, I took “downtown” and “local ownership” for granted. 

[Machiabelly]

Just popped in to say hello and that this is by far my favourite of the home reno shows. 

Back to your regularly scheduled posting. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

 I've missed them since the season ended.    I've read they're filming the next season, and I can't wait.  

I've really enjoyed the reruns they had on this morning (the 17th).   I love that every house is different, and how creative they can be with a tiny budget.  

I love the "Move it or Lose It" rerun this morning, where they moved the house, and still kept in the couples $100,000 budget.    Then the Lott house, with the young couple that were the youngest homeowners they've ever worked with.   It's so funny to see locals keep the screened porches, and newcomers don't.   

Edited August 17, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[3 is enough]

So evidently next year they will be filming in another town.  They just posted about it on Instagram, asking people to “nominate” their small towns.  I don’t know if this will be a one time thing or if it will be the whole season. 
 

I would imagine that it would still be in the Southeast.  I honestly cannot see Erin being ok with filming on the West Cost and disrupting Helen’s routine.  
 

I guess they were running out of homes in Laurel.

ETA: someone asked if that meant they were not filming in Laurel anymore and Ben answered that it was a bonus and they were still filming in Laurel.

Edited November 12, 2019 by 3 is enough

[CrazyInAlabama]

They are always going to do their filming in Laurel, or close by.    The other one they're advertising is for a six part (I think six part) special about redoing one small town with the help of the residents.   

[DonnaMae]

I just watched an episode where they moved the woman's great-grandparents house, which was successful.  They did a great job with several of the rooms.  So, what about the second bedroom and the bathroom?  Of all rooms, I would think the bathroom would have been a priority over the daughter's playroom.  🙄

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sad news from Laurel, a tornado struck in the historic district, and this is the FB statement from the show:

Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Laurel tonight and to everyone in the South who were hit by tonight's Tornado. Erin and Ben are safe. Erin posted this photo earlier tonight with the following post.
"Our beautiful historic district you love from #hgtvhometown was hit by a tornado tonight. We've lost so many of our century-old oak trees but that's all I can see in the dark with headlights. I've not heard word on the folks in the path are. Keep Louisianna and Mississippi in your prayers, grab a chainsaw and help your neighbors in need. Our families are all good, but lots of folks will need our help in the days to come."

Hoping that property damage is all that happened, and everyone is safe.       

Further information is that though there is huge property damages, no one was injured.   

Edited December 19, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[suebee12]

Oh my...Luckily our town was in between all the storms. We had one big downpour but otherwise we were lucky. I didn't realize that there were the bad storms to the south of us....our television coverage was about the storms to the north. Prayers go out to Laurel and all the other areas hit by the storms.

[3 is enough]

Erin put a photo on her Instagram stories last night.  They did get some damage in their living room.  Looks like broken glass- I'm sure they will update when they get settled.  Must be chaos there today.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder if they already selected another city to do some limited episodes in.     From the posting Erin put up, many of the homeowners who have serious home damage don't have insurance (many people on limited incomes don't).    Laurel might be a good place to help some of the displaced homeowners.   

They're having some episodes this evening, and I keep listening to see if they say any of the homes are in the historical district, that was hardest hit.     I just hope there weren't injuries.     Laurel Mercantile is advertising a poster called "Home Town Strong" to raise funds for rebuilding.  

Edited December 18, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[car54]

Nice interview with Ben and Erin.

https://people.com/home/hgtvs-ben-erin-napier-reveal-the-serious-reason-they-had-to-pause-a-home-renovation/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag&utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&__twitter_impression=true

[car54]

Another article about their new show

https://www.bhg.com/news/hgtv-home-town-takeover-submissions/?utm_campaign=bhg_bhg_trueanthem&utm_content=recent&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=5e1d6719ceb08f000129f945

[merriebreeze]

Hurricane Michael devastated a small town in the Florida panhandle - Port St Joe. Fewer than 40,000 in population, has a main street in need of updating  and historical homes and buildings. It would be an ideal candidate for a makeover.

Edited January 14, 2020 by merriebreeze

[CrazyInAlabama]

They just showed an updated promo for the new season that starts next Monday, the 20th will show some of the tornado damage, and according to what they said they're going to help repair the damages.     They did say the historical district was hit hard, lost a lot of the big oak trees, and many homes were damaged.     They said a lot of the homeowners in that section are low income, and many don't have homeowner's insurance, so there is a need.  

I can't wait for the new episode tonight, and the one before it talking about Ben and Erin's favorite remodels.      Also, the couple that wanted the banquette, and were from Virginia (I think Virginia), have been moved due to a job transfer, and their home is for sale.   This is only the second home featured on the show that's been sold.  

Edited January 21, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[pasdetrois]

So excited for the new season to start Jan. 20!

[CrazyInAlabama]

The retrospective of their favorite homes, how they got started, the pilot episode, and how they actually do the design, and construction was a fun episode. 

The premiere of Season 4 with actor Richard T. Jones, and his wife buying a home to fix up, and do a lease to own deal for a deserving family is so wonderful.   As Erin said, Richard T. Jones has been in everything you see on TV, and that's so right.     He's been in so many projects for years.     

The footage of the tornado damage is so sad.    Fortunately, there were only minor injuries, but one school is unusable.   I saw a picture of one of the grocery stores that had a car thrown threw the front window too, that was bizarre to see.     I read that many of the huge old oak trees in the historic district were destroyed.   I think they're going to go back and repair damages to this house at the end of the episode.     

[irisheyes]

It’s so sad that the house that the Jones family was trying to give to a community is the only one of Ben & Erin’s houses with serious damage. I can’t wait to see how it will look when they are done. 
 

I also love how Richard Jones and his wife wanted to renovate a house AND still ensure it was affordable for a lower income family to buy. What a great way to revitalize a struggling area. The renovation showed just how difficult that is. I mean Ben got the bathroom floor for exactly zero dollars. Not too many renovators can find that deal. 

[LittleIggy]

This is the first episode of Home Town that I’ve watched and I really enjoyed it. I’ll keep watching! Ben is an amazing craftsman and I like Erin’s aesthetic. She should be on the next Rock the Block. 

Sad about that adorable little house being damaged. Surely insurance will cover the damage.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

This is the first episode of Home Town that I’ve watched and I really enjoyed it. I’ll keep watching! Ben is an amazing craftsman and I like Erin’s aesthetic. She should be on the next Rock the Block. 

I'm pretty sure she and Ben are the only HGTV regulars who don't require open concept. That alone makes her nearly a design goddess. 

[3 is enough]

So sad that the house was damaged.  Surely since it was a rent to own situation there was insurance.  

I honestly don't think Erin would consider taking part in Rock the Block.  I think she likes to stay close to home.  I would be very surprised if their new Home Town Rescue series was not based in a small town in the South.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Actually, since the value of the home is only about $10K more than the damages (I think Erin said $60-$65K last night), then insurance might just total the home.    Plus, it depends on how much it was insured for, and deductibles.    Also, when a disaster happens, getting contractors can be a problem, with the local ones being busy, and the not so great out of town ones not doing good work.     (I lived in a town that had a lot of tornado damages in 2007).      

[izabella]

On 1/20/2020 at 8:28 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

The premiere of Season 4 with actor Richard T. Jones, and his wife buying a home to fix up, and do a lease to own deal for a deserving family is so wonderful.   As Erin said, Richard T. Jones has been in everything you see on TV, and that's so right.     He's been in so many projects for years.   

I loved this episode, until the tornado damage.  Such a cute house!  I'm never sure I like it when they take off a screened-in porch because I think every house needs one, but I admit the house looked nicer without it.  It did have a little screened-in porch in the back, though.

It looks like they will be fixing the house after the storm, so I'm glad they were able to carry on with their rent-to-own plan and Mr. Gary will eventually be able to move in. 

This is my favorite reno show for so many reasons.  I'm glad it's back!

[RoxiP]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

I loved this episode, until the tornado damage.  Such a cute house!  I'm never sure I like it when they take off a screened-in porch because I think every house needs one, but I admit the house looked nicer without it.  It did have a little screened-in porch in the back, though.

It looks like they will be fixing the house after the storm, so I'm glad they were able to carry on with their rent-to-own plan and Mr. Gary will eventually be able to move in. 

This is my favorite reno show for so many reasons.  I'm glad it's back!

I agree - having lived in the south all my life I always think "why are they taking off a perfectly good screened-in porch!"?  I was glad to see they left the one at the back at the very least.

I did get tickled in this episode when they were showing the Mr. and Mrs. Jones the houses and how amazed they were at the prices of houses in Mississippi as opposed to California.

Edited January 23, 2020 by RoxiP

[irisheyes]

Erin said on her IG that their season finale in May will focus on the repairs to Mr. Gary’s house. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

What I love is the homes aren't all decorated the same, unlike other remodeling shows.    

[proserpina65]

I just watched an episode of this for the first time this weekend.  It was two young women buying a Craftsman style house just outside of the historic district, with the screened in front porch which I absolutely coveted.  I enjoyed it because the people are lower key than a lot of the HGTV shows, and the design wasn't the same old Cristina/Joanna cookie cutter.  But, as a newbie, I did have a question which someone here might be able to answer: They had furniture in all the rooms, and I was wondering if that was the new homeowners' stuff or if maybe it was rented just for staging purposes?

[CruiseDiva]

11 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

But, as a newbie, I did have a question which someone here might be able to answer: They had furniture in all the rooms, and I was wondering if that was the new homeowners' stuff or if maybe it was rented just for staging purposes?

It depends, but if the homeowners have furniture and accessories that are antiques or family heirlooms, or if they simply have things they love, then Erin uses them. That's one thing I really appreciate about this show--she doesn't overlook the homeowners' stuff like it's unworthy of being used.