Good Bones - General Discussion

[RoxiP]

5 hours ago, MrPissyPuppy said:

Season 7, episode 1 (Quaint Cottage w/Vintage Vibes).  Two of Mina's coats looked like bathrobes!   In fact, I am not convinced that they are not.   One was the grey wrap coat/bathrobe when they went to Design Co which looked exactly like one of my bathrobes and the other was the pink/purple coat/bathrobe at the end.  

I was watching Snowflake Mountain this weekend and I know exactly what you mean - must be a trend - did you know you were a trendsetter?  Darned things did look warm though.

[CruiseDiva]

On 7/12/2022 at 10:09 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hate how they smash windows and mirrors for fun.    I would be livid if I bought a house, and every time the lawn was mowed there were glass shards flying around.

I've really tried to like this show since it first aired and do catch it now and then. The turn off for me is the ridiculousness of the childish men on the crew. I guess Mina and Karen put up with it because they are family, but after their antics on TV I doubt that anyone else would hire them in the future.

[sheetmoss]

Well whata  you know,  Mina added a closets near the front door  in lastest project 👍

[CrazyInAlabama]

At least this house was under contract from the blueprints stage, and actually sold to that buyer. 

  I think a lot of buyers don't want to be on TV, so we didn't have the  'prospective buyer touring the house' scenes they usually have.    I'm wondering how many of the homes are really designed for specific buyers, or are planned to be tear downs and built for a specific buyer, and that's where we get the specific design projects like wall murals?   

I could have done without the long toilet disgust scene.  The wine celler looked awful.    I'm sure that was something the buyers wanted, and was in the planes from the beginning.    Good point about the tiny living rooms.   I think they're supposed to be for the adults, and the kids are upstairs in the play rooms, or chill space on the loft/second floor level.       I guess the 'needs office space and headquarters' is this season's storyline, like the store and bar they opened was a couple of seasons ago, and last season was the second baby.     

Edited July 20, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[pasdetrois]

This series has become so repetitive. It's especially formulaic.

[MrPissyPuppy]

S7 E2 Eastside Americana Cottage: That long drawn out sequence with the toilet was (ha ha) crappy.  I fast forwarded through it.   Gross.  And boring. 

I think the thing that strikes me the most about their designs are the relatively small living/family room areas.  Last night had a family of five and they've got a three seater couch and two (I think) chairs.  I guess they can all fit and be close/crammed in, but no to guests!  Maybe all the people in Indianapolis stay in their bedrooms rather than socialize with family. 

[sheetmoss]

On Demand cut out  b/4 the end - did the couple buy the house?

Tks

[CrazyInAlabama]

2 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

On Demand cut out  b/4 the end - did the couple buy the house?

Tks

Yes, this week's couple had it under contract from the blueprints, and bought the house.    It went for a ridiculous amount when it was finished, of course almost everything does in today's market.    They could pick the finishes, and paint colors, etc. probably since they had it under contract so early.     

Edited July 21, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[MsTree]

I hope I live long enough to see Tad without all that excessive energy.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I love how Mina and Cory are talking about the landscaping at the one house, but that was the one where the landscaping was gone for the listing pictures.  

Budget-Busting Basic Bombshell, on East Michigan Street,  is a big house, just outside the area they built the house they were reminiscing about.   They're going to have to fix the foundation, rip off the falling off front porch, and put three bed, 2 bath in the attic.   Puchase $140k, rehab $220k make the rehab budget $300k, sale $420k, I'll make list estimate $500k. . I'm sure the rehab budget will go up.    Tad kicks the exterior wall siding off, another bad move.    

Main bedroom with ensuite will be the first floor.   And laundry on the second/attic floor, and it will be a 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath or maybe 3.5 bath.   They're adding a 2 car garage too. The first floor is sinking front and back, with the porch needing to be shored up, and needs major work.  The first basement / foundation fix didn't work.  The foundation fix will take 5-weeks, and cost $30k, on top of the $7k they already paid for the foundation fix.   Now the siding isn't good to keep, so $30k more to replace the siding.   So, price will be about $500k list probably.     This house has a couple of tiny closets, and a bench.   So, they're incredibly over budget, so they're getting a super skinny custom kitchen island, this doesn't make sense.  

I guess we'll have an episode or two about their warehouse and offices plus design space?   

I would have used LVP everywhere, no wall paper, and no custom anything in the kitchen.  They're using leftover tile for the back splash and bathrooms.  Of course, Iron Timbers is building the custom island. The sink cut out will be a sink cover too.   The island is an apron/farmhouse sink in white, but counter top on island is butcher block.    

The entry bench seat is leftover marble.   The fireplace is MJ's idea, financed by his budget, and one of the mid-century free standing cone/round shaped ones, it's electric, so no gas line needed or venting.     It's beige metal.    

Mina is showing a young couple the house before it's finished, so if it goes under contract they can pick the finishes.  Now the exterior is white with black trim and windows.   The stove is the faux professional, with knobs on the front, is that safe with little kids?   So, a couple with an infant, and a toddler, have a first floor main bedroom with en suite, and the kids/guest bedrooms are all upstairs with the small loft space?  Also, a half bath on the first floor.    There are three bedrooms upstairs on one bath.  

 2300 sq ft, 5 bed 2.5 bath, 2 car detached garage.   Reno was $280k, listing is $429k for a break even without profit.   Someone else bought the house for $422k, and it is selling at a little loss. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[RowdyCam]

What does MJ actually do? It appears that Mina selects the cabinets, flooring, countertops and backsplash and his job is to profess "I love it!" when she makes the selections. I assume he does the shopping for the abundance of staging gear?

Edited July 27, 2022 by RowdyCam

[RoxiP]

So I guess we are seeing Karen remove herself more and more - this week Cory did the walk-through with Mina and Karen said the best part of retirement is she only does the stuff that she wants to do.  Sounds reasonable to me.

If I was Mina I would have fired Cory over the foundation fiasco. As she properly said - his job is not only to hire the experts but to also oversee them and make sure they do the job properly.  Basically she wasted at least $7,000 on the first company who didn't fix the foundation correctly.  Of course that means she would also have to fire her brother for continually making dangerous and reckless demo mistakes!  Ultimately they ended up replacing the siding for other reasons but still...

Furthermore, if Mina is the boss why didn't MJ and Cory listen to her.  She was adamant about the fireplace (although if I lived in Indianapolis I would want a fireplace - I don't do cold (which is why I would not live there in the first place)).  

All in all I thought it ended up being a pretty decent house.  I wouldn't have wasted the money on a marble bench for the entryway - I would have preferred something that was a little more comfortable to the tush and I thought the wallpaper should have either covered the entire back of the bench area or should have been done away with totally.  

[KeithJ]

I can understand why Mina didn’t want a fireplace due to the cost but the one they ended up going with?  No! No! No!  That thing is horrible.

I also really don’t like the cover over the kitchen sink, especially with children in the house.  All it takes is one accidental hit on the faucet and you’re going to have water everywhere.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wasn't happy with the stove knobs on the front, or the sink cover.    

I'm over the fixing up wrecks into affordable houses.    When's the last time them did an affordable home?    And I found the price drop for sale interesting, I bet it didn't appraise for the asking price, partly because of the boarded up dump next door.   

Was the house they showed at the beginning the one with the two other flippers in the historic district?   Where there were several stop work orders, and the elaborate landscaping for the TV show that disappeared by the time it was listed?   

Edited July 28, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[tljgator]

They're usually more creative with the camera work, so that we don't get a good look at the places nearby, but the house next door was falling apart and had boarded up windows. No way was someone going to pay that price for a place right next to something that was that sketchy.

(They also usually say if they've bought other places nearby to fix up as well, but they didn't in this case.)

[pasdetrois]

There was a public alley right next to the house. Not even any green space between it and the house.

Also, did they put the master up top, with other bedrooms below? That made no sense for the couple with an infant and a toddler.

They stopped talking about having enough profit to help build their new office.

Edited July 28, 2022 by pasdetrois

[bilgistic]

And the laundry on the top floor. No, just no. If it floods, you are screwed.

[RoxiP]

I'm pretty sure the main bedroom was downstairs but I agree - the laundry being upstairs was stupid.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, main bedroom was downstairs, with an en suite, and a half bath on the first floor too.  Upstairs were the three kids/guest bedrooms, and one bath, plus laundry was moved upstairs.   I know second floor laundry is popular, but I don't like them.  Even with a pan and drain, I know too many people who had a hose break, or something equally bad happen, and I don't think a pan and drain under the washer can handle that.   

Over flowing isn't the only possible issue, A friend was out of town for two or three weeks, came home and started to do laundry, and the hose let go from the top right where it hooks into the washer,  and was shooting water everywhere.   The worst part wasn't just the water going everywhere, but it was the hot water hose, and the washer was right next to the hot water heater, so it was hot water.     She was just glad that it hadn't happened when she was out of town, or the basement would have been flooded. 

I don't see any reason why someone with an infant, and a toddler would want to put the kids upstairs, even with a baby monitor.

I think the 'prospective buyers' were another fake for the cameras.   

That living room was tiny too.   I could never have a sink cover like that, I would be the one who accidentally turned the faucet on.   That island was awful too, in my opinion.    It would just be in the way, and shallow cabinets on the other wall would have so much more useful.   The island had so little storage space, and just looked rough.     The front stairs from the sidewalk to the halfway point on the front walk looked as if they sloped towards the street, the sidewalk portion of the stairs needed to be redone.   The steps were different heights, the stairs pitched towards the sidewalk, and on an icy or rainy day would be treacherous.  

 I think a lot of the houses are meant for short term rentals, during the legislative season, or the month around the Indy 500, or other sports events.    They have that upstairs loft area as usual, and they don't ever have a decent sized living room. 

One of their worst remodels was the former biker bar, that they added another 2 story addition to.    Making the lot that filled front to back with almost no yard, full of giant house that looked a lot like a kleenex box.     Then, I think there was a one or two car garage in back off of the alley.   That alley was the main access to a huge apartment complex, and I'm not sure there was another access point,  but it looked like the only exit from the parking lot, was  right behind the garage / house.    The neighboring houses looked awful too. 

I guess doing the first house in a neighborhood is what Bargain Block does, but on that show they build their wrecked houses up to the level of the neighborhood in some cases.   In others they put extra features, and more design so the house appraisal is higher, and include furnishings for a very reasonable price, and then the others in the immediate area they've redone are comps for the next house.   

However, on GB, they're now building $500k and up now, and I really don't see how they get that appraisal amount looking at the neighboring houses.    There's such a wide variation in Indianapolis, with very modest homes right next to the McMansions they're building.   I suspect a lot of what the GB people are doing in the most expensive areas are short term rentals to politicians, lobbyists, sports fans, Indy 500 rental.    The Italian one with the coffee mural that was a recent tear down had to be for short term rentals.     I don't even want to think about the producer or director's house for his family to live in forever, and it was posted for sale right after the episode aired.   

Edited August 2, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[dleighg]

35 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I don't think a pan and drain under the washer can handle that.   

As someone who has always had my laundry room off the kitchen, my gut reaction is the same; but then I think about my son who lives on the 6th floor of an apartment building in San Francisco, and somehow manages to have a washer/dryer in the apartment without huge fears (by the landlord) of disaster happening. I mean, if my washer overflowed (we don't have a drain) it would cause a mess down in our basement, so...

[bilgistic]

I once lived in an historic 1920s condo building that wouldn't allow any water-bearing(?) appliances in the second floor units. The place was beautiful, but not having a dishwasher was a huge bummer. I have refused to live anywhere without a dishwasher since then. I learned my lesson.

I've somehow only lived in ground-floor units since then and except for one place, had a (my) washer and dryer. Our obnoxious upstairs neighbors have overflowed their tub or shower or toilet numerous times so much that we have mold, and any subsequent overflow leaks through our bathroom ceiling. And still they are allowed to live there and keep damaging their place and ours.

[mojito]

On 7/27/2022 at 6:25 PM, tljgator said:

No way was someone going to pay that price for a place right next to something that was that sketchy.

And wouldn't they be in the most expensive home of the area as well? Purchasing that house would violate a few basic rules of real estate investment. 

[ChicksDigScars]

On 7/27/2022 at 4:23 PM, KeithJ said:

I can understand why Mina didn’t want a fireplace due to the cost but the one they ended up going with?  No! No! No!  That thing is horrible.

I also really don’t like the cover over the kitchen sink, especially with children in the house.  All it takes is one accidental hit on the faucet and you’re going to have water everywhere.

YES, to all this! And if you're going to sell a home for $425,000, can you at least paint the white, rusted, metal pipe hand rail leading up to the steps from the sidewalk? They're standing there in the front yard, showing prospective buyers the outside of the house, and all I could stare at was the RUSTY PIPE. 

Also, when they showed the back yard, there was a piece of unpainted fresh wood on the basement wall, right under where the siding ended. Why wouldn't you paint that to match the rest of the foundation? They're small finishes, but if you're asking nearly a half million for a home, the little things count.

[izabella]

That living room seemed small for a family with kids, especially with the fireplace taking up floor space.  Wouldn't they always have to worry about the kids bumping into the hot surface?

[pasdetrois]

Maybe production needed to finish, well, production before the team was able to finish all of the little jobs, like replacing or painting the rusty hand rail?

I guess this house reflects how Two Chicks started, which is putting a relatively expensive home into an aging or decayed neighborhood and and watching the rest of the neighborhood catch up.

[CrazyInAlabama]

So on tonights new episode, "Big Red Urban Barn", the city of Indianapolis now has new rules, so the house can be 80% of the lot?   Now, the McMansions with big additions that they do can get even bigger.    So, the urban renewal idea is totally gone, and now it's McMansions that cost a ton.    I wonder if there's even parking for the number of residents in the houses they're now building. 

[absolutelyido]

Once again a minuscule amount of living space for a four bedroom house in the Urban Barn. If you'd ever want to sit down and eat a meal at a kitchen or dining room table in one of Mina' houses you are out of luck.

[deirdra]

The cheaply gentrified McMansions also mean that people who live in the neighbourhood can no longer afford to live there and get forced out as their lots become overlooked and shadowed by the monstrosities next door.

[CruiseDiva]

24 minutes ago, deirdra said:

The cheaply gentrified McMansions also mean that people who live in the neighbourhood can no longer afford to live there and get forced out as their lots become overlooked and shadowed by the monstrosities next door.

Property taxes will also rise making it unaffordable for some long time homeowners.

[pasdetrois]

This scenario exists in northern Virginia. In fact, there is a groundswell in support of reclassifying single-family housing areas into multi-family zoning (e.g., duplexes) so that a property doesn't automatically get developed into a monstrous $2M home that only relatively wealthy (white) folks can afford.

[KeithJ]

18 hours ago, absolutelyido said:

Once again a minuscule amount of living space for a four bedroom house in the Urban Barn. If you'd ever want to sit down and eat a meal at a kitchen or dining room table in one of Mina' houses you are out of luck.

For the most part I like their designs but I hardly liked anything with this house.  Just walking in it felt very cramped.  No table to eat at and the living area was tiny (good luck inviting more than four people over).  Personally, I hate butcher block counters and a beadboard (wood?) backsplash.  Yuck. 

And the buyer likes the marble countertop in the bathroom but "is not a fan of quartz"?  Put them side by side and take five steps back and you probably couldn't tell the difference.  Was the loft the only thing finished upstairs?  All the doors were closed and the loft was the only thing they showed.

$294k for 1,300sq feet (I don't remember the exact amount)?  Ouch!

[dleighg]

21 minutes ago, KeithJ said:

And the buyer likes the marble countertop in the bathroom but "is not a fan of quartz"?  Put them side by side and take five steps back and you probably couldn't tell the difference.

When I did my kitchen some 15 years ago, quartz looked like, well, quartz. Last week I was choosing counters for our church kitchen remodel and I was blown away by how far it's come. It's absolutely beautiful, and I totally would go with that today.

[deirdra]

and quartz stays looking beautiful because wine and other acidic foods won't stain or etch it, which happens all too easily with marble

Edited August 3, 2022 by deirdra

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was so underwhelmed by the house last night.    1600 sq ft for 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, (or maybe 2.5), plus the square footage lost to the stairs, and plus the loft space would decrease usable space even more.    I'm betting the buyer was really the client all along.  I bet they buy the place for remodel, and pitch the floor plan and finishes to the buyer, and they get a lower price because it's set in the contract.   

I hated the exterior color mixture. I liked the red exterior, and the black trim, but not the beige upper story color.

Izabella's right the amount of open shelving screamed Airbnb or other short term rentals.   Indiana is one of four states that protect Airbnb or other short term rentals.   So, I suspect another short term rental being on the market.   Or just useless kitchen. 

Red Barn sold for $294k for a 4 bed 2.5 bath, just under 1600 sq ft.     How do they get away with planting a hedge on the front and street side property line that will block the line of sight for drivers?  

I'm getting too suspicious I guess, but with all of the screw ups, and cookie cutter floor plans, I'm wondering how much work any of the principles do except for the demo, and the filming at the house?    I'm wondering if they rely so much on their contractors that they don't actually flip anything themselves?   

Remember the finance employee talking about their $5,000 a month of storage facilities?   I bet they have 8 or 10 flips going at once, if not more.    For a headquarters, and storage, buy an out of business grocery store, and use a quarter for offices, and a sample room for finishes, and the rest for warehouse space.   They're spending at least $60k a year on storage.  

Edited August 10, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[dleighg]

13 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

1600 sq ft for 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, (or maybe 2.5)

I didn't see the episode, but that sounds insane. Our first house (pretty simple tract house) was 2400 with 3 bedrooms plus a loft/study, and it did not feel "expansive." We had an old fashioned tiny master bath, and an itsy bitsy first floor powder room. Of course we had both a living room and family room. But still.

[izabella]

They put in too much open shelving in that kitchen, too.  I get that he has plants, but you need some upper cabinets too.

[Andyourlittledog2]

If that guy wasn't just a plant then I think he needs a guardian to help him live his life.  "Let me give you money!" several times as he gushed about things that were definite red flags to me. The open shelving over the window in the kitchen was ridiculous. Mina just didn't want to buy upper cabinets. The kitchen wasn't much and there was no dining set up at all. The living room was tiny (if you have four bedrooms you should have to have seating for at least four in the dining and living rooms). 

Mina wants four bedrooms and two plus baths because they bring higher prices. She has no intention to design a home that is comfortable for actual people to live in. She could easily skip the downstairs master and increase the public space, including room to get out of the rain and snow (it's Indianapolis!!) when you enter and hang up your wintery jackets etc. Then upstairs she could have a three bedroom with a large enough master to actually be a master with an en suite (the red barn house had no en suite in the master).  But three bedrooms isn't the money maker that a four bedroom is. It's all about money for her.  I would never buy one of her houses.

[mojito]

Like most shows beyond a few seasons, this one is losing its appeal to me. Usually, I grow bored of a show's plot. With this show, their targeted neighborhoods have increased in values and now they're doing a lot of new construction, so the "plot" has changed.

Yeah, it's time to quit this show. I find myself rolling my eyes at the sight of the demo guys marching down the street like a mob of angry townspeople, at MJ's being moved to demolition and having the designs dictated to him, the gross mistakes of the contractors,  of Tad's stupid antics. One day, he's going to try to bust through a wall with a kick and bust his leg instead. 

[pasdetrois]

I hated everything about this episode. Mina kept trumpeting the "new zoning rules which allow more house on a small lot." The city profits with increased real estate taxes; the developer makes more money; and the neighborhood continues to lose its charm, green space and affordable housing.

Did you see how jammed up the new red house is next to the house to its left? If I owned that house next door, I would be furious at the loss of privacy and light.

Maybe Indy doesn't care about runoff. Here in the DC area, runoff caused by loss of green space is very detrimental to our precious Chesapeake Bay. I recently saw a heat zone map showing how my neighborhood's temperatures have climbed where huge healthy trees have been torn down.

I don't mind open shelving in moderation, but those were horrible and weird looking. Just big ugly slabs of wood stacked on the walls. Makes the kitchen look smaller.

I think the rug was a plant.

I've noticed that Mina has started barking at people she disagrees with. She snapped at her partner/assistant, MJ and Cory in this episode. She's making mistakes and won't take responsibility. Not a good look.

Karen with her yipping and hopping and exclamations acted like a loony.

Very disappointed in the greed and selfishness.

Edited August 4, 2022 by pasdetrois

[Grrarrggh]

I was oddly attracted to the outside of the red barn... not quite sure why but I liked it. Now if I'd like it if I looked at it every day I'm not sure. But definitely to drive past occasionally if I lived in the area. Houses like that are great for direction giving too. 

[tinderbox]

I wasn’t fond of anything Mina did to this house, especially the kitchen.  I despise open shelving for a variety of reasons, the range hood looked miles too high, and I disliked all the finishes she chose.  That skinny island or table or whatever it was, is awful.  

WHY does she not make any of her first floor living spaces larger?   There’s no room for a family to relax, watch tv, or for any entertaining.  In this instance, I cannot imagine preparing and serving a Thanksgiving dinner on that first floor?

Also, Mina’s vocal fry habit is like nails on a chalkboard, for me.  Vocal fry bothers me, in general, but I seem to latch on to hers.  

Edited August 5, 2022 by tinderbox

[MrPissyPuppy]

6 hours ago, tinderbox said:

WHY does she not make any of her first floor living spaces larger?   There’s no room for a family to relax, watch tv, or for any entertaining.  In this instance, I cannot imagine preparing and serving a Thanksgiving dinner on that first floor?

And it's not like the vast majority of houses they do have finished basements for the family areas!   Most people tend to have guests over to watch a game or for dinners or perhaps kids playing in the open concept area while a parent prepares food.   While their kitchens are generally big (and I also hate open shelving - hello, grease!) the dining and living room areas are so tiny. 

I dunno.  I think this show has run its course for me.   After the 4th or 5th season most shows are done, imo. 

[pasdetrois]

I thought first-floor or basement family rooms were de rigeur in the family home market.

This house screams Airbnb to me.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 8/5/2022 at 10:18 AM, pasdetrois said:

I thought first-floor or basement family rooms were de rigeur in the family home market.

This house screams Airbnb to me.

Yes, just like the tear down with the Italian theme, I think that was  last season, with the coffee mural.  They're a lot of Airbnb type rentals, because Indiana is one of four states where a city can't ban short term rentals.     I also bet that a lot are remodeled for specific buyers, and not just spec houses. 

I don't think they turn many basements into living space, no egress windows.   There's also a danger of water pouring in too.   

Edited August 10, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[deirdra]

Mina wastes a lot of time telling the buyer what isn't there any more rather than focusing on what IS there.

Every show now seems to have expensive "mistakes". If none of them knows that flashing is required to prevent water from getting into the exterior walls, what other mistakes have been made that nobody noticed?  That would scare me away from even looking at one of their amateur construction projects. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by deirdra

[CrazyInAlabama]

The spin off show is Good Bones, Risky Business.  Apparently, it's the remodel of a big house in Fountain Square, it was supposed to take 4 months, it took 14 months.    It's a six episode series, on Dis. + first, and I'm guessing on HGTV later.   

Tonight's new episode, "From Burned Out to Boho Nordic"  Old Southside with fire damage, of course it will end up a two story.   Wonder what the Iron and Timbers gang will do this time?   I'm over their work..  It's directly behind Cory's house. 

Adler house, 2 bed 1 bath. tiny, even with two upstairs bedrooms, they're going to add a gable.  They're going to make it a 3 bedroom 3 bath, with 2 bedrooms and two baths upstairs, and 1 bed and bath on the first floor.   I'm convinced with the every bedroom gets a full bath, that we're looking at another Airbnb, Cory is going to buy it.  So, supposedly Cory decided not to buy it, the couple Mina's focused on want Boho Nordic. 

I fail to see the inclusion of a climbing wall for a little kid in their bedroom.   I wonder how many times the little girl has fallen off that wall?  

Kitchen is tiny.  patio is overlooking Cory's hot tub.  How long is Karen's special project outside table with a glass top going to last? 

I suspect some of the relatively cheaper houses, under $400k are in sketchy neighborhoods, or have bad views, such as the several that are across from that solid wall of train tracks.     I looked online, and at least for Indy 500 month the one month fully furnished rentals go from $3500 to $ 10k, a month.  The prices for other months, such as the legislature meeting sessions aren't much cheaper.   So, I can see the last couple of houses are totally short term rentals, and ones like the Italian theme with the coffee mural also.   Lots of bathrooms for the size of the house, virtually no yard, no maintenance yards except mowing.   Tiny eating areas, or no eating area but a breakfast bar, small kitchens, several areas for office space. 

Edited August 10, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[dleighg]

On 8/5/2022 at 4:00 AM, tinderbox said:

WHY does she not make any of her first floor living spaces larger?   There’s no room for a family to relax, watch tv, or for any entertaining.

I just watched the first episode of the season (4 br, 2.5 bath, where she used the word "vintagy" about 2000 times). I had a similar thought about the living space, until I saw the upstairs "bedroom" that they had fashioned as an office. It is absolutely only appropriate as a "bedroom" for a baby in a crib. So I'm thinking that this sort of 4 bedroom home is really for a couple, a kid, and two offices since they both work from home. 

[dleighg]

I just watched the "budget busting" big house episode, and Mina was showing off the main en-suite bathroom pointing out the "double vanity." For the life of me I don't understand a double vanity to the point of having very little counter space. And then I noticed that what looks like a four drawer vanity *can't be." Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no way those top drawers can work with the sinks/plumbing! I admit that when my husband and I were brand new homeowners and incompetent DIYers (we now know better and hire people), we ordered a small bathroom vanity with a center sink and drawers where drawers won't go. Fortunately I'd done it with a similarly incompetent "designer" at Home Depot so they took it back no questions asked. 

[bilgistic]

In May 2020, I moved into my boyfriend's 800SF 1980s-era 2BR/1BA apartment, and our bathroom is small. The sink is tiny. We can't put anything more than a soap dispenser on it. We had to put up shelves on which to put toiletries. I would love a double sink, but what I wouldn't give for a second bathroom!

We can't afford anything bigger. Our rent just went up $200. I'm actually surprised the prices that Mina's quoting are as relatively "reasonable" as they are. Homes are in the $400K–$1M range here in the Charlotte metro area. It's bonkers.

[hilaryvm]

Anyone notice at the end when they're showing the house, they mention the kitchen cabinet uppers and then zoom in and you can see that the cabinet doors weren't even/level.  The bottom of the cabinet doors didn't line up and it was obvious.  When they showed a view that wasn't close up I could still see it.