House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[laredhead]

California couple last night with a million dollar budget.  So happy I am not having to shop for a house in the Los Angeles area because I could never afford it.  I liked the final result, except for the painted kitchen floor.  Why, why, why would you paint a great wood  floor in a contemporary looking space?  I associate painted floors with the farmhouse or rustic look, and yes, the wife wanted a Craftsman feel, but a painted floor?  They have a toddler for goodness sake.  The wife said it already had some scuffs on it and it's only going to get worse.  If you want the look of painted wood, there are some very nice looking ceramic products that look like whitewashed wood floors which I think would be more practical in a kitchen.  I also was not fond of the patterned tile they installed in the bathroom.  I would have gone with a more neutral tile and used pattern in another place that would be easy to change if I got tired of it.  Other than that, I think they did a nice job.  I liked the atrium they kept and turned into a playroom.  Their outdoor space was very pretty, but I wonder how green it's looking with the severe drought that California has right now.  It showed him watering some grass they had planted.      

Edited August 31, 2015 by laredhead

[Pickles]

Laredhead, I agree with your entire post! Those painted floors were a mistake. They already looked scuffed or kind of dirty. Won't the paint start to chip off? I did like the dark cabinetry. The tile in the bathroom was too busy.

I liked the couple. They were pleasant and upbeat. The prices in CA always shock me. I missed the very beginning of the episode. What did these two do for a living?

[dga28]

When people keep complaining about the cost of real estate in certain regions and how they would never pay so much, they must also consider that one of the benefits of living in such major metropolitan areas is that business professionals living in such areas have more opportunities and make more money than those living in rural areas. When one thing changes, usually other contributing factors changes as well.

 

I have had the experience of both, living in an area where $250k was a lot of money to pay for a house, then moving and living in other areas where you needed at least $500k to $1,000,000 for a decent property in a nicer safe neighborhood with a decent school district.

Its one big tradeoff and things usually balance out in the end.  You have more options, make more money, but give out more money, compared to having less options, making less money, and giving out less money.

 

When a property is inexpensive, there usually is a reason why.  Its either that industry in the immediate area cannot support higher price homes or there isn't a competition among buyers for homes in that area.

[tvchick]

I liked the couple. They were pleasant and upbeat. The prices in CA always shock me. I missed the very beginning of the episode. What did these two do for a living?

 

I liked them, too.  I missed the first few minutes, but later they mentioned that he was a writer and she was a singer.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I imagine he must be a tv or movie writer of some sort? She had a lovely voice, though I confess I'm not partial to acoustic folkie coffeehouse singers warbling along with their ukuleles. I don't recognize her from anything pop-culture related, but that's not to say I necessarily would! She was gorgeous, though I thought her haircut at the final reveal was tragic. I usually like shorter hair but hers was much better long.

Anyway, agree completely with the comments above about the painted floor. I probably would have gone with the yellow/chartreuse-y color scheme for the kitchen but that's just me. I knew they would stick with Beachwood Canyon (and not just because you can pick out the house in the previews). I'm familiar with that area, and most people, once they get in, aren't going to leave to go live in La Crescenta or even Highland Park if they can possibly afford to stay.

[Empress1]

Another LA couple. I was like "$40K? For all that you want to do, in an expensive market? Please." This was also one of the rare times that they referenced any kind of cash payment for the renovations - they went over budget by $20K and one of their moms lent it to them. I thought that what they did structurally was interesting but the house ended up looking like many others.

 

They paid what, $70K over asking and $20K over budget for the renovation? Ouch.

[laredhead]

Empress1, I thought the same thing when they said $40K.  A kitchen alone can cost that much, and more especially the way they were planning.  I swear I saw a stack washer & dryer in the background by the garage during one shot, and yet they had a stand alone set that had been left with the house.  If something like that works, why replace it if it's going outside?  I did think it was funny that they specifically negotiated the appliances into the deal and then replaced everything.   

[Bastet]

The redesign wasn't my style, but it was one of the few times when I thought an older home did look better with an open floor plan than with the original separate rooms. 

 

The HHs were nice people, and I loved that their contractor was a woman.  It was an enjoyable episode, even though I didn't care for many of the design choices.  (I generally find painting brick criminal - even though I hate brick - but since this was new brick it wasn't offensive to me.)

 

I laughed about the appliance storyline, too.  It's like they were trying to make paying over asking sound better (which there was no need to do, as you are going to pay over asking in that neighborhood) by saying they negotiated the inclusion of the appliances, and the producers threw in a sweeping shot of all the appliances ... but all except the fridge, washer and dryer would have already been included.  And then those are the three appliances they replaced. 

 

As for why they went with the stackables instead of just moving the free-standing units that came with the house into the garage, it may have been to save space as well, but they explained that it saved them money -- they already owned the stackables, so they sold the other ones for a little extra cash.

[laredhead]

Bastet, I kept falling asleep during the last 15 minutes of this episode and just rewatched that portion before I erased the recording.  I should have done that before posting about the washer/dryer.  Sorry.  I think I would have sold the stackables and kept the others because the washer looked like it might hold more clothes.  Also, unless the front load washer is on a platform or pedestal, those things are hard on a person with back problems.  I have a front loader, but it's on a pedestal at just the right height.   

 

I did like the outdoor solar shower.  If it works well, that's a pretty economical way to wash off dirty children and pets and gardeners before they enter the house.

 

One other thing was the use of the outside building as an office.  Nice to be able to separate work from home even if it's only a few steps.  From the discussion at the end of the show, we might be seeing them again when they redo the master suite.

[Bastet]

The outdoor shower storyline was the silliest to me.  Great, they wanted one and got one; it will be useful.  But the storyline for why they wanted it was quite a reach. Am I supposed to believe that in the old place she'd been driving home from the beach in her wetsuit, traipsing through the house damp and sandy, and finally rinsing off in the shower?  (Instead of taking off her wetsuit at the beach like everyone else, using the outdoor showers there to rinse off, and then taking a proper shower at home?)

[CocoaGoddess]

I got the feeling that the beach was in walking distance, so I could definitely see the need for her to have an outdoor shower. I grew up in LA and it wasn't uncommon at all to have a shower in the backyards of homes in coastal areas. My grandmother even had one in her backyard (she had a pool though), so it wasn't an odd request to me.

 

I'm with you Empress1, it's getting really, really tiring seeing these million dollar homes with budgets under $50k, especially when you see homeowners with 1/3 of the price of the home with the same budget. Step your game up, HGTV--the reno budget should be more proportionate to the cost of the home. 

 

I liked both recent LA homes, but the remodels were kind of uninspiring and blah. I'm tired of kitchens, there are only so many combinations of hardwood/quartz/two toned cabinetry that I can see before they all start to look alike to me--and this is coming from someone who's closing on a brand new house with gray cabinetry, white quartz and hardwood floors. Lovely, but at this point, completely redundant.  I would like to see them focus more on backyard spaces, bedrooms, and great living spaces. 

[Bastet]

so it wasn't an odd request to me.

 

The request itself wasn't odd to me, either, just the "Since we don't have one at our current place, I'm having to go home in my wetsuit" storyline underlying that request.

[Honey]

Bastet, I kept falling asleep during the last 15 minutes of this episode and just rewatched that portion before I erased the recording.  I should have done that before posting about the washer/dryer.  Sorry.  I think I would have sold the stackables and kept the others because the washer looked like it might hold more clothes.  Also, unless the front load washer is on a platform or pedestal, those things are hard on a person with back problems.  I have a front loader, but it's on a pedestal at just the right height.   

 

I did like the outdoor solar shower.  If it works well, that's a pretty economical way to wash off dirty children and pets and gardeners before they enter the house.

 

One other thing was the use of the outside building as an office.  Nice to be able to separate work from home even if it's only a few steps.  From the discussion at the end of the show, we might be seeing them again when they redo the master suite.

The washer and dryer were top load.  I remember because the washer has a glass top and at first I thought it was one of those new Samsungs that has the wash basin in the top.

[izabella]

I did like the outdoor solar shower.  If it works well, that's a pretty economical way to wash off dirty children and pets and gardeners before they enter the house.

 

I missed the part about it being a solar shower.  What does that mean? 

 

I saw them hooking up the garden hose to the bottom of the shower column thing.  Other than giving them the hand-free option, I didn't see how that was so much better than just using the hose to rinse off before going in the house.  I mean, it wasn't in an enclosed area, and I didn't see how they'd be getting hot water since it was attached to the hose, so it seems like they could have just hung the hose on a hook and called it a day.

[laredhead]

Izabella, I found the shower on-line that they bought.  The shower needs to be set up in a sunny place, and the black PVC column heats the water.  It holds about 5 gallons according to the product info.  The garden hose needs to be connected to the shower unit to provide pressure and there seems to be a control to add cold water because some users/reviewers commented that the water can be too hot w/o adding some cold water from the garden hose.  It's meant to be used for a quick rinse, not a 10 minute leisurely shower.   

[izabella]

Ah, that's the solar part, thank you!  Reminds me of when you'd pick up the hose after it's been lying in the sun all day and water would be hot.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I really liked the couple from last night. Level-headed, hard-working, and they seemed genuinely nice. I mean, they must be super-likeable people IRL, given how many friends and co-workers volunteered to come over and landscape their front yard! I might consider doing that for my very best friend, otherwise probably not.

I also liked, for the most part, the outcome of their reno. I very much appreciated that it wasn't the typical: let's blow out all the walls, paint everything white, install white cabinets and white subway tile and a farm sink and Edison lights type of makeover. They respected the character and age of the house, and I thought it looked great at the end. I would not have chosen that particular way to do an island or the cheap-looking, garish plastic stools for the kitchen. I'm actually usually a fan of garish plastic, but it looked out of place given the rest of the design.

[laredhead]

I liked that the Buffalo couple on last night's episode listened to the designer and had the Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets professionally repainted and they reused them in the rental unit(s).  The designer was correct in her statement that there is a market for retro cabinets now, and people will drive hundreds of miles to salvage them.  I know pink isn't everyone's cup of tea, but wow, pristine pink cabinets could be a fun centerpiece for a retro kitchen.

 

I also liked the samovar that her parents brought as a gift.  I have one that I bought at an antique store 40 years ago.  It was made into a beautiful lamp, so it cannot be used for making tea anymore.  

 

Overall, I thought they did a nice job on the house renovation, and I agree with Peanutbuttercup that is was not the standard greige color scheme that is so popular today.  I loved the wallpaper the homeowner chose for the dining room. 

[ChelseaNH]

The Buffalo couple was nice, but they so needed Scott McGillvray.  Concentrate on getting a rental apartment ready before you do the patented sledgehammer-your-house scene.  They would have had a lot less stress that way.

[Empress1]

It took me until the third house to notice that their realtor was missing an arm.

 

laredhead, I didn't think I'd like that wallpaper (I think I'd probably reject it if I were looking for wallpaper) but I really liked the finished product.

 

I also liked, for the most part, the outcome of their reno. I very much appreciated that it wasn't the typical: let's blow out all the walls, paint everything white, install white cabinets and white subway tile and a farm sink and Edison lights type of makeover. They respected the character and age of the house, and I thought it looked great at the end. I would not have chosen that particular way to do an island or the cheap-looking, garish plastic stools for the kitchen. I'm actually usually a fan of garish plastic, but it looked out of place given the rest of the design.

I didn't like those plastic stools either. They did look cheap and out of place in that kitchen. That's the easiest fix in the world if they get tired of them though. I liked the island more than I thought I would - I like wood counters and I didn't think I'd like the industrial bottom, but I did. I don't think I'd pick it but it made total sense with the rest of the kitchen.

 

I thought it was so sweet how the wife's father was like "This is my family, of course I'm going to help them." Lovely.

[Grneyedldy]

I'm pretty sure the bar stools were painted metal.

[NYGirl]

Caught part of the Lincoln/Chicago area couple where the husband is a realtor this morning.  My God her voice... it was like nails on a chalkboard.  There was something about her demeanor in the way she spoke to the designer that annoyed me to no end.  I was glad I didn't see the whole episode due to a doctor's appointment.

[laredhead]

Saw the Oslo couple's renovation episode last night.  I cannot imagine living in that mess for a week, much less a few months.  Good thing they were still "newly in love" because a couple that has been together for years, might not survive that type of a renovation.  I couldn't figure out how the apartment was laid out and where the entrance was, but thought that there might have been one on both levels at the beginning.  The friend gave an explanation at one point, but I was confused.  It wasn't a very large space overall.  No handrail on the exterior edge of those stairs looked dangerous, and one of the guests at the end looked like she almost tripped on one of the treads.  I'm glad they achieved what they set out to do and are happy with it.  It was interesting to see a renovation in another country.  Her comment about no stores being open on Sunday when they ran low on supplies made me realize that we, in the USA, take Sunday shopping for granted for the most part.    

[izabella]

That lack of handrail was a big miss.  All of the guests were putting their hands on the walls to keep their balance.  I'm hoping that's in the plans but just wasn't finished for the show.

 

I thought they did ok with the reno, in the end, despite all the miscalculations during construction.  I did not like that space, though.  It felt claustrophobic to me.  Having to climb stairs to enter the house on the second level, and then climb back down to get to the living area is weird.  They seemed happy with it, so that's what counts.

[laredhead]

Episode last night about the couple who said they wanted to move to Mexico to escape the winters in the northeast was a little odd.  I'm not sure they really sold their house in the U.S., because their budget for the supposed permanent house in Mexico was only $120,000 including renovations.  That sounded more like a vacation home that would be used a lot by them, but not as their year-round residence.  It was very small, even after the renovation and still looked like a vacation house to me.  The "pool" on the roof looked like it was a square of concrete blocks filled with water.  The weight of it was discussed and I wondered why they didn't just buy a hot tub and put it on the roof instead of building something from scratch.  The wife needs to find another word to use to describe every object and experience other than "amazing".  After you use that word about 15 times in an hour, nothing is "amazing" anymore.  I wasn't impressed with this episode.  

Edited September 27, 2015 by laredhead

[DownTheShore]

I always like the Mexican episodes, but I was wondering about that pool, too. If weight is an issue, then I'd think you'd over enforce the supports, rather than merely enforce them just enough.

That "plunge pool" looked rather worthless - too small to move around and foo awkward to climb out of.

I was looking at all the people drinking up on that rooftop entertainment area and the first thought that came to my mind was that there were no balustrades around the perimeter to prevent anyone from staggering off the roof. Nor were there any railings on that stairway.

My impression was that it was going to be a vacation home

[DownTheShore]

That Oslo couple would probably have done better to flip tbe whole floor plan and put the living room and kitchen on the second floor with the main entrance. They still would have lost the floor space for the stairway opening but they wouldn't have had to deal with the visual bulk of the stairs. One of those cable wire railings would have looked nice there.

Edited September 27, 2015 by DownTheShore

[Peanutbuttercup]

I enjoyed the London episode with the Victorian row house last night. Here's a list of things that as far as I could tell, did NOT make an appearance:

• Demand for an "open concept" kitchen in order to obsessively watch his child or for ease of talking to guests while "entertaining"
• Pot/can lights (I'm averse to these things as I don't want anything I need a ladder to change a light bulb for) or Edison lights
• Tiny glass tile backsplash
• Farmhouse sink
• Separate laundry room
• Ensuite master bath
• Insistence that daughter have separate playroom
• Hysterical fixation on stainless steel appliances and either granite or quartz countertops
• Subway tile

Now some of these things may have appeared and I just wasn't watching closely enough. But overall, I liked that the homeowner deviated from the standard script and seemed more concerned about making sure the house was structurally sound than with the latest bling-y finishes.

[laredhead]

On the London episode last night, I burst out laughing when the realtor said that the back garden was lovely at one of the houses, and it may have been the house he purchased.  I think he might have been referring to the amount of space, because it certainly was not lovely to look at.  I wish they had given the square footage of all of the houses.  None of them looked very big.  I think the budgeted money went to fix things that were necessary and not to install things that would impress friends and relatives like so many HH's in the U.S. think is important.  Did anyone else think that the home owner looked a lot like one of the the realtors who has appeared on the British episode previously?    

[Spunkygal]

Laredhead, I try to watch every episode in the UK and France and the homeowner was not familiar to me, but it is possible he has appeared before and I missed it. I loved this episode. I really enjoyed the friendship and casual banter between Richard and Stelios. I want to be friends with both of them! And I really want to go to that reclaimed yard. Drool! As peanutbuttercup said, what a refreshing episode without the usual demands.

[laredhead]

Spunkygal, I didn't mean the HH was the same person as a realtor who has appeared on HHI before, just that they looked very similar to each other.  Could almost be brothers.  Yes, I also liked the banter between Richard and Stelios.  Nothing was too major for Stelios to fix - for a price. 

[SPLAIN]

 

Quote

    Putting those depressions in the countertop also took away from actual, usable countertop space IMO.

 

 

I did not understand the point of those, especially for that reason.  Maybe if they'd had a top that could slide over the depressions so as to extend the counter would have been useful.

I am so late to respond to this but, it is because I finally watched this episode in its entirety. I had only caught a portion of this episode when it aired the first time. I watched this episode last week when it was repeated.

 

The counter top with those depressions did have a cover. The cover counter top would slide to the side as an extension to the counter and give them more space for putting items on it.

 

I didn't like that cement counter top at all. I don't get the need for having a counter top with a depression to hold a wine bottle and ice. Just buy a wine bucket. I think that counter top space was wasted since those depressions are made for specific uses. Unless they cover those smaller depressions with say a nice cutting board, it would give them more counter space when they are entertaining. Other than that, it just seems useless.

 

One thing I noticed about their tiling work in the kitchen was how bad it looked. I paused the DVR and noticed how much of a gap there was around one of the electrical outlet covers. On another electrical outlet cover, the tiles were not cut properly, or so it seems because the tiles around that outlet did not match the tiles around the two other outlet covers.

 

The bathroom wall behind that claw bath tub? That so-called gorgeous look was just awful. What exactly is nice about $25 metal squares with numbers and letters going across some of those squares? It just ruined the look of that claw tub and the overall style of that bathroom.

Edited October 8, 2015 by SPLAIN

[izabella]

I really liked Jako and Cobus with their Amsterdam reno.  The guys were low-key and didn't irritate with their choices or wants for the apartment, and I thought they did a great job in making the space feel bigger and more comfortable.  I appreciated that they were willing to give up a little bedroom space to make their kitchen big enough to be an eat-in kitchen, and to have a good sized bathroom. 

[KLovestoShop]

I had to admire the Myanmar guy, but was surprised he didn't do his due diligence in knowing how things operated in that country. It would have been easier for him if he had checked things out and knew that foreigners needed to pay a full year's rent. Plus, it wasn't surprising that local banks wouldn't make loans to foreigners. Myanmar is still struggling to come to terms with functioning outside a third world thinking nation. It wasn't long ago that Myanmar was a totally repressive government, and did not allow foreigners to work there.

[NYGirl]

  Did anyone else think that the home owner looked a lot like one of the the realtors who has appeared on the British episode previously?    

 

Laredhead!  I saw the realtor that looks like him last night on a London episode.  After I got his name I searched my TiVo for this episode of Reno but it wasn't picked up.  They look exactly alike.  Here's his website:  http://www.richardblanco.com/profile/

 

It's definitely the mouth area that's similar.

[laredhead]

No new episodes of HH Renovation for the past couple of weeks.  Where are all those HH's who said they were going to change things in their house when they bought it? 

[NYGirl]

I just watched one I must have missed.  The engaged couple in Buffalo with the $150,000 budget.  OMG they are ridiculous (stopping short of calling them morons).  He had to have Pacific northwest and her aesthetic was farmhouse.

 

The kitchen is disgusting.  The designer had them put garage door windows (huh?) in the kitchen with hardly any upper cabinets.  It looked ridiculous!  All the guy cared about was his kegonater (sp) and she had to have chickens (what???) Those neighbors are going to LOVE them.

 

I have no more words for this couple or their renovation.  Thumbs down!!!!

[DownTheShore]

I just keep thinking about those garage doors and Buffalo winters. Those two deserve what their heating bills are going to be.

[aguabella]

No new episodes of HH Renovation for the past couple of weeks.  Where are all those HH's who said they were going to change things in their house when they bought it? 

 

Howdy laredhead,

 

HHR finished airing S6 and will start S7 around 12/1 or thereabouts.

 

HHR utilizes their own casting team, separate from HH so those homeowners must appear on WATN or nothing.  HHR hasn't used any HH participants since very early on b/c they attract their own applicant pool.  Also, I assume they don't care to repeat the house hunting scenes, i.e. the scenes previously aired during HH.

 

And, these days, HHR only films in 3 designated cities per season, 4-5 episodes per city, simultaneously.  So, unless reno-minded homeowners live in those cities and time their reno accordingly, they wouldn't score an HHR gig anyway.

 

Sorry, laredhead, don't know if you wanted an answer - you were probably aware of all that!

[laredhead]

Aguabella, thanks for the in depth response.  I wasn't aware of most of that, and it's good to know.  Looking forward to S7.

[aguabella]

Aguabella, thanks for the in depth response.  I wasn't aware of most of that, and it's good to know.  Looking forward to S7.

 

Anytime, laredhead.  Yes, it's too bad they didn't film / finalize many HHR-Intl to fill-in during this interim period.  Perhaps they're gearing up to produce more of those episodes.

[NYGirl]

Watching this morning I came upon the mother/daughter in Connecticut.  The annoying daughter forced her mom to have an hour commute just so she could live by the beach.

 

Well..I also discovered that they moved to Milford, Ct. and I spent a weekend there in August.  When they sit on the beach I can actually see the house we rented.

 

That was the crappiest beach I have ever seen.  It was so rocky in and out of the water.

 

I still hate the daughter and her entitlement.  The mother was such a wuss.

[Juneau Gal]

Watching this morning I came upon the mother/daughter in Connecticut.  The annoying daughter forced her mom to have an hour commute just so she could live by the beach.

 

Well..I also discovered that they moved to Milford, Ct. and I spent a weekend there in August.  When they sit on the beach I can actually see the house we rented.

 

That was the crappiest beach I have ever seen.  It was so rocky in and out of the water.

 

I still hate the daughter and her entitlement.  The mother was such a wuss.

Watching this episode now. Great job raising your daughter, mom! Sit back and reap your rewards. Self-entitled twat of a child. I hope any potential boyfriend of the daughter sees this episode so they are fully warned.

Laughed so hard watching them sit on the Rocky beach!

AND what the hell with spending money to replace white kitchen cabinets ....with another set of white kitchen cabinets?!

Having just replaced only the counters in my kitchen, from Formica to Quartz, and knowing what that cost me, for the life of me I don't know how people on these shows get everything done for the budget they quote.

[Empress1]

I watched that episode and commented to my friend that that daughter was way too mouthy for someone who wasn't paying bills or mortgage.

 

AND what the hell with spending money to replace white kitchen cabinets ....with another set of white kitchen cabinets?!

I had the same thought. The original cabinets looked to be in good shape and the difference between them was so subtle that I thought that was a big waste of money. She could have swapped out the knobs on them and gotten the same result.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I kind of, mostly liked the couple from last night. They seemed pretty down to earth and realistic with what they wanted/got in their house. They seem to be happy and functioning in a kitchen with formica countertops and white appliances. The wife wasn't crazy about carpet in the bedrooms (waaaah! hardwoood floors! waaaah!) but acknowledged that it's more important to save money to put their son through college than it is have hardwood floors. A rare and refreshing bit of financial prudence on an HGTV show.

Some of the stuff they were gaga over I found really boring and unoriginal (penny tile floors in the bathroom, subway tile) but overall I thought they did a very nice job with their reno, and focused on things that made the house more functional.

That said, I would go with a deck way before a pond. I know that is me projecting my issues, but I absolutely love my back deck, and my pond is basically a class A mosquito breeding facility. I'm getting the pond taken out as soon as I can afford it (I've tried keeping fish in the pond to deal with the mosquito problem, but the fish get eaten by predators as soon as I put them in).

[laredhead]

I liked the Austin episode last night and almost fainted when I saw the white appliances in the kitchen at the reveal.  Gee, I wonder if they can prepare meals on those since they aren't stainless - heavy sarcasm there.  I also thought they made some good decisions with their money, and as the husband commented, money doesn't go as far as you think it will when remodeling a house.  They got square footage space and land which were the important things to them, and other things can be added as they can afford them.  I agree with her about the desire to have hardwoods throughout the house, but since the carpet is in the bedroom, it probably won't get too dirty as would carpet in a high traffic area.  I wonder what they do for water when there is a drought and you cannot rely on enough rainwater from the roof.  I didn't hear anything about a well on the property. The filtration system that was there must have cost a pretty penny when it was installed.   

[Empress1]

I don't even think the couple mentioned appliances when they looked at any of the houses. Very refreshing.

 

I, too, was with the wife on wanting hardwood floors throughout and omitting carpet, but I also agreed with their "let's do what we can now, decide what we can live with, and do the rest as we can afford" strategy. It seems like going over the renovation budget put a strain on them, which is rarely mentioned on these shows. Ostensibly they're going to be in the place for years, they have time to redo the floors in the master bedroom. I'd put in a deck before a pond though. (I actually don't think I'd put in a pond.)

[DownTheShore]

Sometimes I think there's some ratio between liking subway tile and the frequency one sees subway tile in an actual subway. 

[sheetmoss]

I liked the Austin couple - the wife reminded me of Ashley Judd-ish  in looks and demeanor.

 

Thought it sad though, building a new master bath and not getting a separate shower.

Edited December 1, 2015 by sheetmoss

[ChelseaNH]

Caught the episode in LA with the red tile backsplash.  I hope for the sake of their marriage that the "even though we're over budget I'm going to rip out the rest of the original hardwood floors without consulting you" conversation was staged, because I really wanted to smack that guy.

 

I liked their designer.  I didn't see anything that would put me off hiring her, if I happened to live in LA.  So good job!