House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[Peanutbuttercup]

I thought the floors they had when they moved in were beautiful -- to me it verged on criminal that they destroyed them and replaced them with the cheap, tacky, manufactured-looking grey splotchy "engineered" floors. The rest of the reno was meh but I really can't judge it fairly due to my annoyance at what they did to their floors.

[ByaNose]

4 hours ago, MsTree said:

This is the same guy that wore elbow length rubber gloves to paint a wall. Really?

At least, he could paint. I think the wife couldn't even do the edging with the product I uesed in the 90's.

 

I may or may not be confusing this with another reno show. I watched a few on HGTV and I may be confusing couples. They all start to blend together after a while. LOL!!!

Edited April 3, 2017 by ByaNose

[AnnaRose]

1 hour ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

I thought the floors they had when they moved in were beautiful -- to me it verged on criminal that they destroyed them and replaced them with the cheap, tacky, manufactured-looking grey splotchy "engineered" floors. The rest of the reno was meh but I really can't judge it fairly due to my annoyance at what they did to their floors.

Oh my gosh, yes!!  I couldn't believe they showed him destroying those beautiful wood floors.  If they couldn't appreciate them, and had to replace them with the tacky "contemporary" flooring, they should have at least had it removed carefully so it could be recycled by someone who could use them.  Ugh.

[AlleC17]

I was surprised they ripped out the flooring.  Couldn't they have stained it something else if they didn't like the color?  And the kitchen...white/white/grey/blah.  What they did to the fireplace was pretty awful and I laughed out loud when they painted the bathroom...grey.  The original blue was too much, but grey?  A very underwhelming transformation imo, but they did come in $2k under budget despite having to frame a new ceiling.  Oh...the wife was so annoying with her 'I dropped the edger again' bs.  lol

[QuinnM]

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I was surprised they ripped out the flooring. 

I thought I heard her say that the wood layer was too thin to be refinished.  It certainly looked like engineered hardwood, as opposed to solid wood, when he was trying to rip it out.  Some engineered flooring has zero refinishing and some has multiple.  I just did hardwood 5 years ago and it was interesting looking at engineered. I would never have gone with the option that didn't allow refinishing.  It was cheaper but not that much cheaper.

[AlleC17]

2 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

I thought I heard her say that the wood layer was too thin to be refinished.  It certainly looked like engineered hardwood, as opposed to solid wood, when he was trying to rip it out.  Some engineered flooring has zero refinishing and some has multiple.  I just did hardwood 5 years ago and it was interesting looking at engineered. I would never have gone with the option that didn't allow refinishing.  It was cheaper but not that much cheaper.

Yeah I think you are right, there was something about stripping , sanding and thinness.  I probably would have left it, but they things look different in person then on TV.

[MsTree]

This guy was an idiot. Who starts to remove planks in the MIDDLE of the room? 

[ByaNose]

4 hours ago, MsTree said:

This guy was an idiot. Who starts to remove planks in the MIDDLE of the room? 

That had to be the setup & tv drama of the new floors, right? First off, it's in the middle of the room and then it wasn't coming up. It had to be staged. Anyway, if it couldn't have been sanded or stained from what they said.

[TVJunkee]

On ‎1‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 5:01 PM, laredhead said:

Has anyone seen Maine Cabin Masters on the DIY network?  A group of renovators fix up old cabins usually on waterfront property in Maine.  This may be a very limited series because I can't imagine there would be an unlimited supply of cabins in need of renovation.  They are also constrained by the weather in Maine and cannot work during the winter.  I caught 4 of the shows and it was a pleasant diversion from granite/stainless/over the top decor installs.   In 2 of the cabins, the only source of power was by solar panels or a generator which would probably disturb the peace and quiet you would be seeking in a cabin in the woods.  I enjoyed the scenery and seeing the more rustic and simple cabins.  

Although it's only a few episodes this season this is one of my new favorite shows and a PTV forum has been created.  Please meet me, owner of a non-renovated Maine cabin, over there to discuss!

[laredhead]

TVJunkee, how do I find Maine Cabin Masters on the forums? 

[chessiegal]

It's under new forums at the top of the page, and you can look at the alphabetical list of forums under "M".

[biakbiak]

Tonight's Austin single mom remodel was fairly boring but it's the first time in awhile I haven't said WTF to at least one design choice and was basically on budget.

[Empress1]

The Austin renovator looked like a lankier Amy Schumer. I liked her mom - I bet she's a fun grandma. The house turned out well (I thought the stripes and dots in the daughter's room were cute) although I never like that style of backsplash.

[AnnaRose]

I really liked Austin mom.  She seemed like a nice, level-headed young woman.  And no annoying vocal fry or uptalk, which was a big plus!

[ByaNose]

 I liked the house in Austin. I liked that the whole family was involved in the hard labor and work. The young mother (hate saying that but don't want to confuse with the grandmother) didn't seem phased about doing anything. Very impressive. The kitchen was better but not great. I wasn't into the backsplash.  I didn't like the long wooden island. It was narrow so I'm guessing you needed something custom for the space but I'm not sure what else you could have used. I thought the outdoor patio was beautiful. It looked so relaxing. Everyone seemed very nice & happy. I wish the mother & daughter much luck. 

[sheetmoss]

I liked Austin mom and family

Her daughter is lucky having a fun, unconventional, grandma in her life

I appreciated  that she retained and reworked the existing wetbar instead of the standard - 'It's dated...rip it out!'

I too thought the island was a tad too narrow also - and needed to be a bit beefier at that

Edited April 10, 2017 by sheetmoss

[Peanutbuttercup]

I also liked the Austin family. For me the island was too narrow -- it seemed more like an obstacle to moving around the kitchen freely than anything that would be of significant use.

[Vivigirl10]

I caught this Austin re-run yesterday and had to go back to look at the comments on it.  

Quote

Austin ep:  this one goes down as one of the top 5 worst renos! Everything about it was horrid! 

Not to be a dick,  but was she "off" or something?  She dressed like an old lady (no offense to anyone), she giggled at odd things, she  talked   so    slow, and when they toured the first house with the odd master bathroom and closets, etc she only notices "all the beige"?? Plus she LOVED wallpaper! 

She also had this way of acting horrified and moving at a snails pace when she was "afraid" to enter a perfectly reasonable room.  She also crowed on and on and on about mid-century modern but when she was standing in the middle of a perfectly untouched mid-century kitchen, she was completely disgusted by it and wanted to reno the entire thing.  Of course, that's a common complaint around here!

I have another pet-peeve.  Do all of these hired interior designers come out of the same school or something?  They ALL say, "what I propose" as some kind of stupid stock language.  It never varies.  I also die every time "they propose" something a little wild and crazy and -gasp- it's making the cabinets in the island gray versus white!  Oh my!!

[vesperholly]

North Hollywood: Never in a million years would I think to do it, but I loved the mint green kitchen! The neutral counters and backsplash (or lack of?) made it work for me. They had a definite retro taste, but they didn't make any of their choices too wacky - most of it is in the decor. I liked how they pitched in to help the work along. I'm impressed they only went $4k over their budget with the rewire and new hardwood floors.

Maybe interior designers use "I propose" as a way of suggesting, rather than making clients feel forced into something. It does feel unnecessarily formal, though - why not "I suggest"?

[answerphone]

North Hollywood: I have to admit, her quirky hair distracted me at first, but she seemed like such a nice woman!  Let's just say that's refreshing. I was watching a Love It or List It 2 recently, and the woman was stuck up, snooty and was waiting to be swept off her feet. Ugh.

[ByaNose]

I really liked the North Hollywood couple. I'm not into their design style at all but I can appreciate their enthusiasm for it. The house was a great size for 2 people + a cat (which I can't look at too long. I hate cats). At first, I didn't like the light floor sample being shown but when it was laid down it looked darker which I liked much better. I didn't like the mint green (which my Mom painted our in the 80's but it didn't bother me then) but it was different then the usual upper white & the lower blue with brass fixtures. I usually don't like pergolas but with their budget I'll give them a pass. All in all, a nice house and a fun couple. 

[sheetmoss]

North Hollywood couple seemed  pleasant enough and the kitchen turned out nicely nostalgic w/o being too much

     That said, part of me wanted to remove  the wall, add an island  to open it up, but that would lose the retro feel they desired

Did they ever say where the laundry went, if they did I missed it

I didn't like the grey used in the bathroom - on my TV is looked a bit lilac-ish

  Nice too, no vocal fry....we've been on a roll the last few episodes of HH reno.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked the couple (although I desperately wanted the woman to get a different hairstyle, though, her hair, her choice). I appreciated most of their design choices, with the exception of the tiles -- for me the kitchen floor tile looked like shower floor tile (thank @atheistgod they didn't cover the dining room floor with them too) and as I've mentioned here a jillion times subway tile is way overdone and terribly boring (to me).

I'm glad they ended up with the house they did. Living next to either a truck yard or a truck stop (and highway) would be depressing, and I really did like the couple and would have been sad to see them in either of those other locations. I mean, I know it isn't a real choice or anything, they've already bought the house in question, but I was still a bit relieved when they chose house no. 1.

[izabella]

I enjoyed this North Hollywood episode - the couple and the reno were fun and low-drama.  I really appreciate that they made some choices to try to stay on budget, like keeping the pink tiles in the bathroom and saving the yard for later.

They turned that house into a comfortable, bright home, which they clearly love, so good on them.  I wouldn't have chosen that particular green for the cabinets, and I don't care for subway tile, but I thought it all looked really good in their kitchen.  I noticed they chose white appliances and how perfect they were for that design.  Loved all the Fiesta Ware!  I also love that they added color to all the rooms with accent walls.  It just made the whole place seem happy and fun.

[juliet73]

I agree about the North Hollywood couple...pleasant, nice to each other, etc.  She reminded me of a heavier Anne Hathaway.  While I wouldn't have picked the designs they chose for the kitchen and bath, I thought both rooms were tastefully done and went with the couple's personality.  The house was "updated retro" without being over the top.  My only nitpick is the swagged dining room light.  It drives me crazy, in any reno show, when the electrical is changed/moved/updated, but the dining room fixture box can't be moved over a few inches so it doesn't have to be swagged.  Since I fast forwarded through most of the show, did they mention why it was taking almost 3 months to fix up this house?  I saw the part towards the end when the contractor mentioned it was going to be another 3 weeks.  Not to judge, but by the looks of him, he looked like he took a lot of breaks.  All the houses they toured looked like they were in questionable neighborhoods.  The house they picked seemed like the location was the nicest of the three.  All in all, good episode.

[ByaNose]

4 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I agree about the North Hollywood couple...pleasant, nice to each other, etc.  She reminded me of a heavier Anne Hathaway.  While I wouldn't have picked the designs they chose for the kitchen and bath, I thought both rooms were tastefully done and went with the couple's personality.  The house was "updated retro" without being over the top.  My only nitpick is the swagged dining room light.  It drives me crazy, in any reno show, when the electrical is changed/moved/updated, but the dining room fixture box can't be moved over a few inches so it doesn't have to be swagged.  Since I fast forwarded through most of the show, did they mention why it was taking almost 3 months to fix up this house?  I saw the part towards the end when the contractor mentioned it was going to be another 3 weeks.  Not to judge, but by the looks of him, he looked like he took a lot of breaks.  All the houses they toured looked like they were in questionable neighborhoods.  The house they picked seemed like the location was the nicest of the three.  All in all, good episode.

Didn't they have to fumigate the place or something? Maybe, that was the delay. Yeah, the head foreman didn't seem like a guy in charge kind of guy. He looked more like a friend of the family helping out.  

[biakbiak]

8 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

That said, part of me wanted to remove  the wall, add an island  to open it up, but that would lose the retro feel they desired

Also given the color they went with I think it was wise to keep it seperate so they don't have to decorate the entire living space around that color and I think they also got more storage space and counter space out of this arrangement because otherwise they would have to put the refrigerator on one of the other walls and lose all the upper cabinets.

[ByaNose]

19 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Also given the color they went with I think it was wise to keep it seperate so they don't have to decorate the entire living space around that color and I think they also got more storage space and counter space out of this arrangement because otherwise they would have to put the refrigerator on one of the other walls and lose all the upper cabinets.

and, it was load bearing, right? Darn, load bearing. Can't they invent something to fix that problem. LOL!!!

[laredhead]

I also wondered what happened to the laundry in the North Hollywood house.  I appreciate mid century houses and thought they achieved what they wanted.  It's not a look for everyone, but they were committed to it and their designer did a good job with the kitchen color and cabinets.  I agreed with the husband when he said the kitchen was cheerful.  How many times have we heard an HH renovator say their white subway tile, granite counter, stainless appliance kitchen was cheerful?  Uh, never?  I was very glad to see something different this week with a couple who was pleasant and took part in the reno.  Would be nice to see the backyard after they landscape it.   

[Pickles]

Tonight's CA couple. The voices of both women drove me nuts. Vocal fry? And their voices sounded identical.

[AnnaRose]

25 minutes ago, Pickles said:

Tonight's CA couple. The voices of both women drove me nuts. Vocal fry? And their voices sounded identical.

OMG yes!!  Just awful.  The worst part for me was all the Valley Girl sounding uptalk.  Almost everything ended up sounding like a question.  (Or, as they would put it in uptalk-speak, "almost everything ended up sounding like a question?") The realtor's way of speaking was especially annoying.  She also seemed to be fond of adding extra syllables to words, for example pronouncing "awesome" with three syllables by adding an -uh at the end.  I had to fast-forward through a lot of it because it was just too brutal to listen them.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked them despite their voices. I wasn't sure whether it was vocal fry or Minnesotaese when Mary kept calling rooms "rums." The reno was okay but kind of meh for me. All that subway tile, so institutional and bland and boring. And I really hate bench seating anywhere other than an outdoor picnic table. But it wasn't terrible, and they seemed nice and reasonable so overall I enjoyed the episode.

[lucygoose]

3 hours ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

I liked them despite their voices. I wasn't sure whether it was vocal fry or Minnesotaese when Mary kept calling rooms "rums." 

I'd put it down to the vocal fry, I live on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota and I don't know anyone who calls rooms "rums" like that.  It was getting on my nerves every time she said it.  She didn't pick that up around here  :)  

[ByaNose]

Just watched and OMG!!! Vocal fry x 2= Fast Forward. Yikes! That was a rough episode to get through. Even, watching the reveal was hard. My ears were killing me and I put the Final 4 minutes on mute. That said, the kitchen turned out nice and I thought the upper & lower gray cabinets looked great. I didn't like the busy floors. Luckily, it was a small kitchen but it was still too busy for my taste. I liked the wood farmhouse looking kitchen/dinning room table along with the modern funky chandelier. The bedrooms was nice with the French doors. Although, I don't think I could sleep on the ground floor with double doors. I'm too scared for that. LOL!!! The bathroom was pretty and functional. It wasn't huge but just the right size. All in all, a nice house and I would be happy living there. Okay, can I un-mute my television now? Wow!   

[QuinnM]

Quote

I'd put it down to the vocal fry, I live on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota and I don't know anyone who calls rooms "rums" like that.  It was getting on my nerves every time she said it.  She didn't pick that up around here  :)  

I live in the metropolitan area where the MN accent is less noticeable.  But even here you can't get away with a vocal fry.  People be looking at you like you're from Mars.  We have those round Fargo vowels.  Rums?  Nope we say rooms and roof and boots very distinctly.  People out east in elevators actually laughed out loud when I was talking about my boots.  She must have lived here 90 seconds or she is like a 13 year old that thinks it's cool out in LaLa Land.

That said.  Really liked what they did.  I like that they left that small utility room at the back door for the laundry.  I think the cement tiles are a good throw back to Mexican tiles but with an updated twist.  Didn't mind the French doors in the bedroom  She was clear that they needed to be secure and they have lock sets for those types of doors that sink a pipe in the ceiling and the floor.

All in all one of the better renos they've shown. 

[AnnaRose]

I forgot to mention that I totally covet their $8,200 Lacanche range.  (I'm pretty sure that was the brand.)  They are so expensive (imported from France)... and that was one of the smaller models.  Maybe in my next life I'll own one. ;)

[vesperholly]

2 hours ago, QuinnM said:

I live in the metropolitan area where the MN accent is less noticeable.  But even here you can't get away with a vocal fry.  People be looking at you like you're from Mars.  We have those round Fargo vowels.  Rums?  Nope we say rooms and roof and boots very distinctly.  People out east in elevators actually laughed out loud when I was talking about my boots.

Your booooots. I have relatives in Minnesota. ;)

I thought the cost of that range was NUTS! EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS?! Does it come with its own good-looking French chef?

[laredhead]

The kitchen floor was strobing in the background on the reveal scenes.  I'm not a fan of those patterned floors except in very small spaces like a foyer.  It will be good for hiding crumbs.  Would love to see what they do with the backyard and patio area.  It would be a wonderful outdoor dining space and the California weather probably would make it useful almost year round.  painting the exterior white and removing the awnings totally changed the exterior for the better.  The owners' voices were grating on the ears, especially the dark haired woman (I forgot her name).  It was almost a high pitched vocal fry.

They certainly went over budget, but it can't all be blamed on asbestos abatement and foundation issues.  The range they installed is not cheap, and they could have saved $$ on the kitchen floors.  Obviously they had more money than stated at the beginning.  I still am shocked by the price of houses in California.  $435,000 for 1200 sf of house that needed top to bottom reno.  I just looked at a house yesterday that is 2100 sf, on a 100 X 200 foot lot and it is $550,000.  I would be living in my car if I had to move to California. 

[QuinnM]

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I thought the cost of that range was NUTS! EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS?! Does it come with its own good-looking French chef?

I didn't want stainless steel so I looked at these.  I ended up going Italian because it was less expensive. 

Did everyone notice the new color on the frig?  That's the new stainless.  It's like dark grey matte.  Because stainless is so last year.  I do think the brass trim on the stove, the lights etc really gave it a high end look.

Edited April 24, 2017 by QuinnM

[ByaNose]

9 hours ago, QuinnM said:

I didn't want stainless steel so I looked at these.  I ended up going Italian because it was less expensive. 

Did everyone notice the new color on the frig?  That's the new stainless.  It's like dark grey matte.  Because stainless is so last year.  I do think the brass trim on the stove, the lights etc really gave it a high end look.

Yeah,  I think the dark gray is the new trend. It isn't black and it isn't stainless steel either. It's in between. I've only seen it on HGTV. I think people have just put in their stainless appliances in the last 2 years and now it's outdated. LOL!!!

[chessiegal]

7 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

Yeah,  I think the dark gray is the new trend. It isn't black and it isn't stainless steel either. It's in between. I've only seen it on HGTV. I think people have just put in their stainless appliances in the last 2 years and now it's outdated. LOL!!!

KitchenAid has been sending me emails about their new "black stainless steel line" of appliances.

http://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/black-stainless-steel/?cvosrc=ppc.google.kitchenaid black stainless&gclid=Cj0KEQjwxPbHBRCdxJLF3qen3dYBEiQAMRyxS2aDwusxO5AzTLEhdS2x5y77VFhLMt0_Lf3SmycqGzsaAuij8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKaBxa-mvtMCFUxSDAodi9MICw

Quote

BLACK STAINLESS APPLIANCES AS BOLD AS YOU ARE

Hee.

[vesperholly]

15 hours ago, chessiegal said:

KitchenAid has been sending me emails about their new "black stainless steel line" of appliances.

http://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/black-stainless-steel/?cvosrc=ppc.google.kitchenaid black stainless&gclid=Cj0KEQjwxPbHBRCdxJLF3qen3dYBEiQAMRyxS2aDwusxO5AzTLEhdS2x5y77VFhLMt0_Lf3SmycqGzsaAuij8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKaBxa-mvtMCFUxSDAodi9MICw

Hee.

See, those already look dated to me. Maybe because the kitchen is also uber trendy. Stainless steel is a classic look.

[Nysha]

Not gonna lie...I REALLY like the black stainless steel kitchen in the KitchenAid link. I didn't buy stainless steel when I remodeled my kitchen, 10+ years ago, because it was more expensive and stainless showed fingerprints more than white. I've heard that the new stainless doesn't show prints, but it's still more expensive. I'm not emotionally attached to the rooms in my house, so price and functionality are going to win over trendy every time.

[suebee12]

On 4/24/2017 at 9:02 AM, laredhead said:

painting the exterior white and removing the awnings totally changed the exterior for the better.

Finally watched this episode and I really enjoyed it...voices didn't bother me and it was nice that they both compromised. 

As for the white exterior, it bothered me. I lived in Florida for many, many years and white just isn't the color for that Mediterranean style with the reddish  barrel tile roof. I think it would have been better done in a terracotta shade.(I did rewatch just to see the outside again.) Removing all the awnings was a great move though...especially for that fabulous window on the left side of the house.  All in all a fun episode.

[Bastet]

On 4/24/2017 at 5:02 PM, chessiegal said:

KitchenAid has been sending me emails about their new "black stainless steel line" of appliances.

Oh, I like that a lot better than the traditional stainless steel finish.  White is still the best finish for how I do my kitchen, but if I ever had a kitchen where something on the dark end of the spectrum would be best, I'd go for that black stainless steel over black (and definitely over traditional stainless, which I just do not like even where it's a good color combination).

[aguabella]

On ‎4‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 7:02 AM, laredhead said:

The kitchen floor was strobing in the background on the reveal scenes.  I'm not a fan of those patterned floors except in very small spaces like a foyer.  It will be good for hiding crumbs.  Would love to see what they do with the backyard and patio area.  It would be a wonderful outdoor dining space and the California weather probably would make it useful almost year round.  painting the exterior white and removing the awnings totally changed the exterior for the better.  The owners' voices were grating on the ears, especially the dark haired woman (I forgot her name).  It was almost a high pitched vocal fry.

They certainly went over budget, but it can't all be blamed on asbestos abatement and foundation issues.  The range they installed is not cheap, and they could have saved $$ on the kitchen floors.  Obviously they had more money than stated at the beginning.  I still am shocked by the price of houses in California.  $435,000 for 1200 sf of house that needed top to bottom reno.  I just looked at a house yesterday that is 2100 sf, on a 100 X 200 foot lot and it is $550,000.  I would be living in my car if I had to move to California. 

I agree, laredhead.  I've used that actual tile and other versions of it.  To me, it's bathroom tile.  (I'm kinda' over it, however, lol!)  Moreover, that was a small home so I believe they needed to run the hardwoods into the kitchen.  That way, their space would feel much larger.

The outdoor dining area reminded me of one of my pet peeves.  Why, oh why, does everyone, including their seller (or one of the prior owners of that home) locate the bbq so far away from the kitchen?  Ugh!

Didn't notice the homeowners voices but that designer babe, "Barbie", IIRC - anyone else notice that she was a combo of actual valley girl plus vocal fry?

I can't get too excited about the budget overages.  To me, that represents how well someone budgeted the job, including a 10% (at minimum) contingency.

And those prices were only Socal dumps!  Norcal is much higher, from what I've noticed when working there!

ETA - about the budget:  homes of a certain age have asbestos.  If you're going to disturb it then abatement's necessary.  Same thing for foundation - it s/b known in advance and planned for.  Or, with a home this age, you always require extra contingency.  Again, that's just good budgeting.  My opinion, only ...

Edited April 29, 2017 by aguabella

[aguabella]

More about the vintage episode,

Overall, it appeared to be a successful reno.

Before my time but anyone else think the husband looked like Seinfeld's Kramer?

IIRC, they were both in the business.  She was an improve coach, right?  They seemed to have better acting skills but the faux dramas annoyed me.  Hey, we know that they were never going to retain those floors!  Come on - they received the Lumber Liquidators freebie.  BTW, another reason they should have run them into the kitchen!

Don't know if the Fiestaware belonged to her or was staging but hope she removes it from the plate rack.  Those racks chip the edges of china and dishware.  They s/b skipped.

Personally, I can't judge the efficiency or effectiveness of the tradesman on the basis of 22 minutes and only a few lines.  The contractors are typically hired by HGTV and frequently work with the designer.  Also, the guy was wearing his company T-shirt.  They didn't introduce him as family, like the bil.  He seemed to be doing some physical labor during the episode, unlike most bosses.  Given the above, he seemed fine.

About the scene where they discussed the length of the reno and speeding up the process by having them paint ... they were always going to paint those other rooms, I believe.  For one thing, HGTV usually employs the contractors for one room, only, ie. the main reno - usually the kitchen.  They all knew the reno schedule b/c it's dictated by the filming schedule!  And, those 2 were obviously acting but the contractor's acting wasn't that great, lol!

About the d/r light swag, they don't necessarily pull the wires when they update the panel.  In fact, frequently they don't.  It's easy but time consuming so if there's no problem, they skip it. 

Yes, they did remove part of that one wall so it was open.  But, that's a different subcontractor, working on the job at a different time, usually.  And, IIRC, they didn't install any cans.  So, unless they had someone with the foresight to think about that light, they didn't bother to move it.

[aguabella]

On ‎3‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 0:51 PM, ByaNose said:

I forgot about the cliff to nowhere. Yikes! They didn't show what was below there but it couldn't have been good. Hopefully, the fence made it into their budget later. The little side yard for the possible pool didn't look that big either. 

I'm sure they did the fence right away but it'd surprise me if that pool's ever built.  B/c of the small side yard, IIRC, the realtor suggested they do an infinity pool and extend it out over the canyon. 

I looked at the listing photos and this house looked like infill at the end of the street.  Pool costs increase if/when it's difficult to access the backyard.  That, together with the infinity edge and the canyon - uh, forget about it.

From a RE standpoint, it's typically always better to buy a home with an existing pool, if you want one.  Or, a pud with a community pool.

[juliet73]

House to Home was on last night instead of HHR. I thought HtH was really good. The host/designer/laborer was drama free and it was nice to see her wear a hard hat, face mask, safety glasses, etc unlike most of these other people on these type of shows. Before the kitchen demo, she reminded the crew to be gentle because EVERYTHING was getting donated.  

On to the design... The couple had a $95K budget and that got them a first floor remodel and the front yard.  I like what was done to the front/yard, but if it were me, I would have put all that in the backyard. I liked the fireplace and the long kitchen island. Everything else was subway tile, farmhouse sink, removing walls for an open concept, etc. I liked the idea of converting the coat closet to the kid's play area, but it just didn't work. It was too small and there was still no storage for all the toys. Even though I wasn't a fan of the outcome, I'll continue to watch it. Plus, the eps are only 30 mins. 

[AnnaRose]

10 hours ago, juliet73 said:

House to Home was on last night instead of HHR. I thought HtH was really good. The host/designer/laborer was drama free and it was nice to see her wear a hard hat, face mask, safety glasses, etc unlike most of these other people on these type of shows. Before the kitchen demo, she reminded the crew to be gentle because EVERYTHING was getting donated.  

On to the design... The couple had a $95K budget and that got them a first floor remodel and the front yard.  I like what was done to the front/yard, but if it were me, I would have put all that in the backyard. I liked the fireplace and the long kitchen island. Everything else was subway tile, farmhouse sink, removing walls for an open concept, etc. I liked the idea of converting the coat closet to the kid's play area, but it just didn't work. It was too small and there was still no storage for all the toys. Even though I wasn't a fan of the outcome, I'll continue to watch it. Plus, the eps are only 30 mins. 

I didn't see this, but I'm so glad to read that they donated the materials.  Nothing irks me more than to watch people on these shows destroy perfectly usable cabinets and wood floors etc.

I also like that the episodes are only 30 minutes.  I take it that they don't show a house hunt, which is definitely my preference.  I hate watching them tour fake decoys that are not even under consideration instead of getting directly to the reno.  I usually just watch the end because it annoys me so much. 

I'll keep an eye out for this new show.  Thanks for mentioning it.