House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[QuinnM]

39 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

The stupid thing is they didn’t lose it for the wine fridge they lost it for a wine rack that only held six or eight bottles of wine. The fridge fit under the window

When I see these things happening I always assume there is a reason that they’re not talking about.  Maybe its a security issue, a person can break the window glass and unlock the door?  The budget didn’t let them close it from the outside, yet, so this will do for now.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

Maybe its a security issue, a person can break the window glass and unlock the door?  The budget didn’t let them close it from the

The window was nowhere near a door. Budget doesn’t seem to be the case because it would have been cheaper to keep the window and put the wine storage somewhere else. When she first said they were closing in the window to accommodate their wine fridge I assumed she meant a full length wine fridge but they only got a countertop height one. Perhaps the large fridge was too expensive but if that were the issue I would have just not closed in the window.

Edited August 27, 2018 by biakbiak

[QuinnM]

3 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

The window was nowhere near a door.

When they did the outside shot at the reveal it looked to be right of the front entrance.  

[biakbiak]

12 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

When they did the outside shot at the reveal it looked to be right of the front entrance.  

On the inside it was between the regular fridge and a wall. That door opened into a little corridor seperated from the kitchen, so it would be impossible to reach the door. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by biakbiak

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, illini1959 said:

I thought the wife did order the pendants; maybe I'm wrong. I thought she said she ordered them and they were not returnable.

Agree about losing a window for a wine fridge but leaving it intact on the outside. :/

It's kinda crazy when there are perfectly good (appear to be anyway) cabinets that get ripped out and replaced to the tune of at least several thousand dollars. All for the sake of white shaker. No wonder these people go over budget. I probably don't even want to know what the huge pendant lights cost.

Oh well.

Couldn’t they have painted (or have had painted since they weren’t a fraction as handy as the WA couple) the cabinets white?

[laredhead]

I, too, am very much over that busy, patterned tile they put in the bathroom.  It's going to look dated in about 10 years.   Does anyone paint walls colors anymore?  Gray, gray, gray, 50+ shades of gray everywhere in all of these renovations.  Ugh.  Those dark floors are going to show everything you don't want seen.  Voice of experience here.  I'm single with no small children, and had dark floors in part of my house a few years ago.  When I could afford to change them, I went with a medium stain and I'm much happier not seeing every little speck of dust, and I don't feel the need to sweep or vacuum daily now.   

[chessiegal]

Repeating myself, but my step-daughter used about the exact same black and white cement tile in her new bath floor. The rest of her choices were simple, and the result is lovely.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

I, too, am very much over that busy, patterned tile they put in the bathroom.

Ugh, yes.  Another one of those things that looks good in select bathrooms (you just have to make the rest of the room boring neutral enough to make it work) yet quickly became annoying as hell on this show for the repetition, regardless of home style.

[illini1959]

17 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Couldn’t they have painted (or have had painted since they weren’t a fraction as handy as the WA couple) the cabinets white?

My thought exactly.

 

20 hours ago, biakbiak said:

The stupid thing is they didn’t lose it for the wine fridge they lost it for a wine rack that only held six or eight bottles of wine. The fridge fit under the window. 

Yes, I meant to say rack lol, I don't know why I typed fridge.

Thanks for fixing that :) 

[CrazyInAlabama]

They could have left the window, and put racks on the sides of walls, or put another open back cabinet with side racks that would look hold as much or more than what they put up.  

[aguabella]

On 8/25/2018 at 8:39 PM, juliet73 said:

Yes, they were BFBH Renovation.  My DVR didn't record them either since it's only set to record HHR, but I was able to catch them on demand.  Tonight were back to HHR in MA.

The wife on tonight's episode was driving me crazy with her constant NEED for "glam".  I actually preferred the kitchen before the reno.  Even though it was a bit closed off, it was a lot more cohesive.  The "rustic" and the "glam" in the new kitchen didn't work.   I think covering the kitchen window on the inside while still having it exposed on the outside was dumb, especially just to add a wine fridge.  I also think they should have taken the kitchen/family room wall down instead of the kitchen/dining room wall.  They would have had a lot more natural light and a nice view to the backyard.  Plus, the family room was large enough, they could have used a bit of that space and added a huge island with the sink, etc and bar stools and used it for casual dining.   The bathroom was nice except for the "glam" light fixtures.  The kid's bedrooms were cute and well done. Considering they spent over $65k, I expected more than just the kitchen and a small bathroom to be changed.  I don't think they renovated anything upstairs -  I would have liked to see a new master bathroom.

Thanks for the confirmation, juliet73.  Good idea to check the on demand.  If I ever catch up with my dvr (lol), perhaps I'll view that episode.

 

Had the exact same thoughts about the MA renovation.  Waste of $$$, to me.  The kit was relatively new with (apparently) good quality cabs.  She was one of the white kitchen aficionados so why not paint them and add new h/w?  And, take out the other wall and install a contrasting, furniture style island.  (No need to match the cabs, that way.)  Yep, thought about the 65K, too.  Even though they left everything in place, basically, the kit was fairly large.  If they paid Boston labor rates, that's $$$.  Assumed they did a few other things, however, and included the (HGTV) comped designer / contractor fees.

[aguabella]

On 8/25/2018 at 10:49 PM, MsTree said:

Totally agree on both counts...and I would deduct the cost of the extra fixture from the "designer's" salary.

Great idea (would do it myself) but the designers comp the entire HHR job.  The participants only cover any tax liability.

Didn't read these comments in advance but those lights jumped out at me from the design plan.  Then, they cut to the woman saying it was her fave item and they needed to order them, immediately!  (lol)  Later, the designer entered a scene carrying one, saying they'd arrived.

Some designers compensate themselves with a 40% markup on the h/o's f&f purchases.  Have noticed HHR allowing some of this recently - poss b/c they're comping the fee.

My guess:  the designer purchased them and it was 2 from the get-go.  Smelled like the typical set-up, faux drama.  If anyone needs a refund, she'll return it to her vendor.  (She'd have a relationship with that vendor, anyway.)

[aguabella]

On 8/27/2018 at 7:56 PM, laredhead said:

I, too, am very much over that busy, patterned tile they put in the bathroom.  It's going to look dated in about 10 years.   Does anyone paint walls colors anymore?  Gray, gray, gray, 50+ shades of gray everywhere in all of these renovations.  Ugh.  Those dark floors are going to show everything you don't want seen.  Voice of experience here.  I'm single with no small children, and had dark floors in part of my house a few years ago.  When I could afford to change them, I went with a medium stain and I'm much happier not seeing every little speck of dust, and I don't feel the need to sweep or vacuum daily now.   

My understanding is medium stain is the current trend.  Good idea to avoid the extremes, if/when you ever decide to sell.

[aguabella]

On 8/27/2018 at 3:09 PM, LittleIggy said:

Couldn’t they have painted (or have had painted since they weren’t a fraction as handy as the WA couple) the cabinets white?

Definitely.  (I mentioned a potential minor reno plan, upthread.)

No need for them to be handy like the BFBHR WA couple.  They could have hired the HHR contractor to do a minor reno on the kit and then, for HHR, filmed a major master bathroom reno as juliet73 suggested upthread!  Save $$$ on the kitchen, utilizing the budget elsewhere.  Win, win!

Inexpensive to paint cabs but I hire pros to do the job.  Most homeowners can't manage the DIY such that it looks great.  Not for me, anyway.

[aguabella]

Agree with everyone - there was something hinky about the wine fridge window ("wfw").  Yes, it appeared to be adjacent to the front door when they showed a shot of the "window".  Yep, it sounded as if the designer indicated the wfw wasn't by the front door.

Everyone notice when they walked up to the home?  It had a nice portico with a triple window on the left and double on the right.  Oops, the filmed exterior of the wfw wasn't either.

But, (plot thickens), the buyers didn't seem to enter through that portico!  The went to the left, slightly in the rear, appearing to enter through another door!  Ok, am pretty sure that home had two entrances.

Quick camera shot but I believe the filmed window was adjacent to the second, left entrance.  Don't believe it was the official wfw!

Ok, here's my conclusion:  the crew was too lazy to truck outside and set up another camera shot of a single window!  They editors in post prob pulled a shot of the window where they entered, deeming it the wfw.

Make sense?  Anybody?  lol ...

[aguabella]

Ok, more importantly, as everyone noted, why did they need a wine fridge window ("wfw") to begin with?

Well, to me, it appeared the window was fairly low and the wine fridge taller.  They saved $$$ by keeping the appliances in place but lacked wall space.  Instead of expending more $$$ to remove the window, they blocked it.

Nope, agree, I wouldn't have done it.  To keep traffic from the kitchen, I prefer to locate wine fridges elsewhere, e.g. nearer a living area, inserted in a bar cabinet of some sort.  That way, a party guest or spouse can "man" the drinks, away from the kitchen work area.

We, like all of you, entertain frequently.  Right?   Hahaha ...

[aguabella]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:54 AM, Pegasaurus said:

yes, regarding the faulty fireplace, my first thought was "why wasn't that caught during the inspection prior to close of escrow?"  

Judging from this quote from Lisa, I guess you can't rely on the inspection.  That's scary.  No way those homeowners should have had to pay $8400 for a whole new fireplace insert & chimney.  Shame on somebody.

The kitchen actually turned out very nice.  I totally agreed w/ Mrs. Homeowner about the busy granite counters coupled with that brain-seizure-inducing mosaic backsplash tile.  One of my pet peeves.  The more neutral backsplash calmed it down and was the saving grace for the granite.

Also must note:  Enough with the overuse of the term "beachy".  My last nerve was at the edge of the cliff throughout the whole show.

Unless I didn't read the thread thoroughly, only one poster responded to my June comments with a negative inspection story.  Not sure how many readers and/or posters we have but that seems positive.

There's one thing common to all inspectors - they're human.  They're not infallible.  Like all of us, don't have a 100% positive batting average.

When you posted, "you can't rely on the inspection", am hoping you didn't mean that strictly as written.  Like all things, it's probably "trust but verify".

Don't know if I mentioned it previously but it's important for the buyer to not only attend the inspection and walk the property alongside them, asking questions along the way.

Edited September 1, 2018 by aguabella

[aguabella]

On 6/10/2018 at 8:45 AM, Lisa418722 said:

I bought my condo with an FHA loan. I had an inspection and they mentioned three little things:  the sprayer in the kitchen sink didn't work, the bathtub didn't have a stopper and I don't remember the third thing, but nothing was big.  That fall I had a someone come out to check the gas heater and there were many things that needed to be replaced for safety reasons (I didn't want to die from carbon monoxide poisoning my first year living there) and in the long run, it ended up being cheaper and definitely safer for me to replace the whole thing.  I asked if the inspector should have seen that when he did the inspection and the technician told me, "yes, if he had inspected the unit, he would have seen it."  If I had known I wouldn't have bought the condo unless the seller had replaced the unit or decreased the price of the condo.   So for me, an inspection didn't really do any good because to replace the things he mentioned was probably under $100 (probably not even that much, but I can't remember the third thing).  

 

Sorry you had an unfortunate inspection experience.  (Just saw your reply, today.)  Most of all, I'm glad you're safe, Lisa418722.

I've had many experiences with various techs and heard tons of bloviating from them.  Everyone know that most service techs receive commission?  So, they have huge financial incentives to sell everyone up, inducing them to purchase new systems.

First thing, I would have asked the guy to specify what would have been (definitely) missed on the h/o inspection, listing those items and initialing / dating his comments directly on his service bill.  I'd ask him nicely to put it in writing in order to obtain a refund of at least the inspection fee, and/or the entire system if the seller failed to properly disclose defects.  If he's not willing to do this, he's probably bloviating.

Next, I'd obtain 1-2 add'l estimates, depending on the $$$ involved.  They'll usually come out right away, although I prob wouldn't let on someone suggested a new system.  (Funny, I've had multiple service techs suggest new systems but can't remember ever actually needing one.)  Then, if it's health / safety involved, you can immediately replace the system, requesting refunds later.

BTW, appliances / home systems don't always warn of their impending death.  Sometimes, like people, they just go. Small consolation, Lisa418722, but when we purchase older homes, their purchase price is usually significantly lower than a comparable new property, assuming all other factors, e.g. location, sf, lot size, etc., are identical.  It's usually a safe bet that something fairly major will conk out every year or two unless the home's systems have been upgraded.  Important to establish and maintain a repair reserve if/when purchasing an older home.

Plunk - falling off soapbox.

ETA - assuming you had a regular home inspection, BTW, i.e. not simply the minimum FHA report.  And, it's important to carefully select your inspector.  Realtors sometimes value inspectors who push through sales.  More on that another time, if the subject arises.  Take care -

Edited September 1, 2018 by aguabella

[msmarjoribanks]

14 hours ago, aguabella said:

My understanding is medium stain is the current trend.  Good idea to avoid the extremes, if/when you ever decide to sell.

Current trend here for high-end new construction is very light and matte.

I think most stains work fine, though -- medium is nice and neutral, and of course presumably people have rugs in most cases.  Mine are dark and I quite like them.  My floors in my old place needed to be refinished for years and it was too much of a hassle to move everything out to do it until just before I sold, so I'm just happy to have beautiful floors that are in good condition.

[SimoneS]

I watched last night's episode with the couple who bought the house in St. Petersburg, FL and have to comment. I usually just roll my eyes at some of these couples, but watching them destroy a perfect lovely house to indulge in their weird style annoyed the hell out of me. They replaced perfectly good hardwood floors with an ugly driftwood style wood. They could have simply redone the floors. They removed perfectly good kitchen cabinets with expensive hardware when they could have just painted them. Usually it is women going overboard, but the husband was totally into this wasteful stupid redesign. I did roll my eyes at their friends "oohing" and "aahing" over their odd and unattractively designed home. Only the landscaping looked good, probably because they could not come up with ways to ruin it.

Edited September 2, 2018 by SimoneS

[Empress1]

I saw an episode in Aurora, CO. One thing I wondered is how the boys in the family ended up blond. The wife was biracial (they were staying with her parents and grandmother and her mother and grandmother were Black, father was white and dark-haired) with dark hair, the husband was white with dark hair, and their sons were blond. Genetics!

There was a scene where the husband said "We're staying with her parents so we want to move in quickly" and the wife said "I get what he's saying, he needs his space, but I like being at my parents' house" and he replied "Your parents need THEIR space!" and it seemed like that hadn't occurred to her.

They ended up going with laminate floors that I didn't like. They came in under budget because the husband and wife's father did a lot of work themselves. The kitchen was pretty blindingly white - actually, the whole place was pretty white. I could have used some more color.

[ForReal]

On 8/31/2018 at 10:07 PM, aguabella said:

ETA - assuming you had a regular home inspection, BTW, i.e. not simply the minimum FHA report.  And, it's important to carefully select your inspector.  Realtors sometimes value inspectors who push through sales.  More on that another time, if the subject arises.  Take care -

As a former realtor, I would have wanted to see my clients use the best inspector they could afford and felt that they trusted. If something went wrong and the inspector missed something important, I'd want that inspector to have E&O insurance and a reputation he/she would want to protect and so would be accountable and make right on the problem.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

The wife was biracial (they were staying with her parents and grandmother and her mother and grandmother were Black, father was white and dark-haired) with dark hair, the husband was white with dark hair, and their sons were blond. Genetics!

That’s not that uncommon. Two of my childhood best friends are biracial sisters who married white men and between them have 5 kids and and 3 of them are pale and blond. Their brother who most people think is white has two children are the darkest in their family, except for their grandfather. Genetics are fascinating! 

The wife reminded me of Amber Stevens West from The Carmichael Show and Ghosted.

Shiplath wallpaper is a travesty but didn’t look as bad as I thought it would. I liked the flower wallpaper on the accent wall in the kitchen.

I thought it was interesting that they went with twin beds in the guest room because it was for when his parents came to visit.

[LittleIggy]

Aurora: If I had taken a shot every time the wife said “French Country,” I would have been passed out halfway through. Shut up! 

When they were at the Sherwin-Williams store, I was excited when the decorator suggested picking a blue shade, but then the wife picked the most grey-looking blue I have seen. ? Blah.

[ForReal]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

I thought it was interesting that they went with twin beds in the guest room because it was for when his parents came to visit.

I know, right?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I have to laugh about the twin beds too.

That kitchen was so lacking in character after her french country remodel.      That woman had zero taste, and the wallpaper in the bath looked like the before the house hunters always sneer at, not the after.      I hated all of their light fixtures.    They were so oversized, and the kitchen ones looked like the ones from last week except with a dark finish.     

[juliet73]

Aurora Co:  The wife said "like" way too much!  And not as in "I like hardwood floors', but as "the backsplash has like a weave design" and "this light fixture is like so medieval."  She reminded me too much of a Kartrashian with all her "likes" and heavy makeup.  

It was nice to see them come in under budget.  It was also refreshing to see the husband (and the dad) do a lot of the work themselves.  The kitchen came out nice, but it was very white!  With 2 young boys, they are going to spend a lot of time cleaning!  I liked both the bathroom and guest room, but I agree, it was strange to have two twin beds when it was supposedly a room for her parents to use. 

St Pete's BFBH:  This episode was such a huge disappointment!  The house they "chose", they had already been living it it!!  The furniture and layout were exactly the same in the "tour" scenes as in the "after" scenes.  When they upped their budget to almost double, I expected to see a major outside oasis.  Instead, they ripped out everything inside that was nice and replaced it with tacky shabby chic crap!  The "before" kitchen was so much better!  If they didn't like the dark cabinets, they should have painted them white! It would have saved them so much money and would have looked a lot better!  This couple I would classify as "having more money than common sense."  And I wanted to gag at all the lame comments from their friends.

Edited September 2, 2018 by juliet73

[chessiegal]

What's weird about a couple not sleeping in the same bed? If given a choice of a room with a double or queen size bed vs twin beds, I'd take the twin beds every time.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, imitating the Kartrashians happens a lot on this show.    Remember the one in California where the couple flipped some smaller houses to make money for their dream property?   I think the wife did something with sales or something for medical devices, and I suspect it was implants, judging from her plastic surgery enhancements, and botox and probably some fillers, and the husband was a fireman.      She was dress like one of the Kartrashians, and always posing, and wearing full TV makeup, including giant fake or extension eyelashes in every scene too.     She obviously was the pushy part of that relationship, and I think applied to be on HHR as a bid to show the powers that be that she deserved her own show.    She made Flip or Flop Christina look subtle compared to her.   

Edited September 3, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[CruiseDiva]

15 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, imitating the Kartrashians happens a lot on this show. 

All her eye rolling was getting on my nerves. She certainly thought she was a diva.

"French country" in a Tudor style house? Can you say tacky?!?

The husband was cute...the only reason I watched the entire show.

[sheetmoss]

13 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

All her eye rolling was getting on my nerves. She certainly thought she was a diva.

"French country" in a Tudor style house? Can you say tacky?!?

The husband was cute...the only reason I watched the entire show.

Are you thinking English Tudor, because there is French Tudor style too.

[LittleIggy]

22 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

Are you thinking English Tudor, because there is French Tudor style too.

“English Tudor” is rather redundant since the Tudors were the English royal family of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I fame.

Edited September 5, 2018 by LittleIggy

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

When they were at the Sherwin-Williams store, I was excited when the decorator suggested picking a blue shade, but then the wife picked the most grey-looking blue I have seen.

Hey!  I have that color in my foyer and hallway ... Meditative Blue.  It is more blue than gray, and I love it.  At least they picked a color!

When I think French Country, I think of yellow or pale yellow and possibly blue accents.  I don't know what version of French Country she was thinking of.

I do appreciate that they (especially he) did a lot of the work.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Another boring, monochromatic kitchen, and more hipster jerks.  I hated the kitchen back splash tile, it was so blah.      I hated the blue patterned tile behind the stove.   I wonder how their huge garden will do after they get the first water bill, and see it will cost them a fortune to raise veggies.   The water bills in some areas are huge, and they might be sorry they wanted a big yard or acreage to take care of, unless they're on a really well producing well.   

I love how all of the house hunters want an old house, and then are shocked at having to do a replumb, rewire, add a decent electrical panel, and find asbestos and mold.     I thought the kitchen/dining  tile wall was nice, since I have a similar back splash tile, but it was certainly cheaper, and less work than a reclaimed wood wall like they wanted. 

So they really want the MIL suite with separate entrance for rentals, right?  Or do they want to get a live in nanny for their future kids?    

 Bet he won't think the deer are so cute when they eat his entire garden.  Or the day they find coyotes ate their chickens.    I want the video when he comes face-to-face with a bear someday too.  

I love the woman's remark about the barn being smelly.  I wonder if she's going to be able to stand country living?     I guess chicken poop doesn't bother her.    I can't believe they had that many chickens in that small area, and in a rental house. 

So they have a huge kitchen, a couple of bar stools, and the table is shoved against the wall because the dining area is so narrow?     The master closet after wasn't really any more space than the smaller original closet.      

I like that their $100k budget ended up $120k, and they didn't even add the other bathroom they wanted.   I wonder if they'll ever add the extra bathroom, because my guess is the engineers told them how much the septic could accommodate, and that it would need a major overhaul or replacement if they add another bath.  

Edited September 10, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[ByaNose]

The Denver farm couple house was so mismatched. I liked everything but just not together. The kitchen cabinets were a nice change from white shaker but then they had that ugly blue tile above the stove. The designer got rid of French doors for the new large refrigerator and said they could put in a single glass door for more light. Instead it was replaced by a dark wood door with a little glass at top.  The distressed white shiplap (tile) in the main living area looked old and unfinished. I know that’s how it’s supposed to look but it didn’t look good at all. It just looked old and what most before pictures look like. LOL!!!! The kept the old fireplace stone which I thought looked so 1970’s with everything else new. It stuck out like a sore thumb. The master bedroom turned out okay but a little bare. The master bath was nice but I’m not crazy about the green. They went over $20k. Overall, the couple was nice and the husband even she’s a tear at the en. You gotta like a sensitive guy. That said, there was too much going on for me with this house. 

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, ByaNose said:

then they had that ugly blue tile above the stove.

That is literally the only think I liked about it! 

[ByaNose]

8 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

That is literally the only think I liked about it! 

Ugly might have been a strong word. It just wasn’t my taste. To me it didn’t go with the cabinets colors.  

[LittleIggy]

6 hours ago, biakbiak said:

That is literally the only think I liked about it! 

Me too. At least it was a bright color. 

Did they mention what they couple did for a living?

Edited September 10, 2018 by LittleIggy

[biakbiak]

6 hours ago, ByaNose said:

me it didn’t go with the cabinets colors.  

I didn’t like the cabinet or backsplash colors so I choose to blame them! 

Also, the fact that ugly as “weathered board” wall was actually tile pissed me off. It’s not just that it’s so over as a trend it’s that the fact that they are tiles it’s going to be a bitch to change. 

Edited September 10, 2018 by biakbiak

[izabella]

There is something about tile that looks like weathered wood being placed on a wall that just isn't right.  It's like painting a vase of plastic flowers.

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, izabella said:

There is something about tile that looks like weathered wood being placed on a wall that just isn't right.  It's like painting a vase of plastic flowers.

Also, I realize it’s nonsensical but if I accidentally brushed my hand against it and didn’t get a splinter it would just feel wrong!

[doodlebug]

10 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I didn’t like the cabinet or backsplash colors so I choose to blame them! 

Also, the fact that ugly as “weathered board” wall was actually tile pissed me off. It’s not just that it’s so over as a trend it’s that the fact that they are tiles it’s going to be a bitch to change. 

It made no sense at all to me.  To my mind, the reason to use tile that looks like wood is so you can have it in places where wood is not practical.  I actually have wood-like tile in my kitchen and I adore it.  I've got a couple of very messy dogs who tend to splash water all over the floor when drinking and real wood just wouldn't hold up.  There was no reason for the wall to be covered in tile, let alone fake weathered wood tile.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

 The kitchen cabinets were a nice change from white shaker

Absolutely!  Loved those cabinets. I also liked the white and blue tile, but I think I would put that in a laundry room or bathroom instead. It looked happy and cheery to me.

I also like the pebble tile for the shower. Not sure about the wide vertical strip of it ... would a horizontal listello of pebble going around the shower look good?

Did anyone notice that the garages really didn't look used or accessible when they showed the exterior of the property? There was grass growing in front of one of the garage doors.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I thought the garage doors might not have automatic opener, so they weren't used very much, or were just used for storage by the previous owners.     I bet they'll have to put in new, insulated doors, and openers to actually use them.      Also, sometimes the mechanicals are in a bay of the garage, and they might only have one usable bay.        I don't know how deep the garage bays were, and some are too shallow to park a decent sized vehicle in it.      I loved the kitchen cabinets, but hated the back splash tile and countertops, because they were so boring.     The blue tile behind the stove would have looked fine in another house, but not in a rustic mountain home.      And I found it hysterical that there was so little space that the dining table was against the wall.    I don't think I'd like eating staring at the wall like that, or having to move the table out for guests to have room enough to eat.  The one thing I disliked about the pebble tile in the shower was the green pebbles, I think it would have looked nice without that color.     

I found the couple snobby, and wonder how long they'll last in the mountains when the animals eat everything outside, or they can't anything to grow without major supplements and fertilizer.  I'm sure the coyotes, and neighbor's wandering dogs will enjoy the chickens for lunch.  

Edited September 11, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[CruiseDiva]

On 9/9/2018 at 11:39 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I like that their $100k budget ended up $120k, and they didn't even add the other bathroom they wanted. 

But they got that accent wall of fake weathered wood tile! And the fancy blue patterned tile over the stove! And the pebble tile for the shower floor and a strip of it up the shower wall! 

Those items added unnecessary expense to their budget and no doubt there were other things they could have saved on with less expensive options. The one thing they should have splurged on was a decent dining table and chairs.

[msmarjoribanks]

On 9/9/2018 at 10:39 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Another boring, monochromatic kitchen, and more hipster jerks.  I hated the kitchen back splash tile, it was so blah.      I hated the blue patterned tile behind the stove.   I wonder how their huge garden will do after they get the first water bill, and see it will cost them a fortune to raise veggies.   The water bills in some areas are huge, and they might be sorry they wanted a big yard or acreage to take care of, unless they're on a really well producing well.   

I love how all of the house hunters want an old house, and then are shocked at having to do a replumb, rewire, add a decent electrical panel, and find asbestos and mold.     I thought the kitchen/dining  tile wall was nice, since I have a similar back splash tile, but it was certainly cheaper, and less work than a reclaimed wood wall like they wanted. 

So they really want the MIL suite with separate entrance for rentals, right?  Or do they want to get a live in nanny for their future kids?    

 Bet he won't think the deer are so cute when they eat his entire garden.  Or the day they find coyotes ate their chickens.    I want the video when he comes face-to-face with a bear someday too.  

I love the woman's remark about the barn being smelly.  I wonder if she's going to be able to stand country living?     I guess chicken poop doesn't bother her.    I can't believe they had that many chickens in that small area, and in a rental house. 

So they have a huge kitchen, a couple of bar stools, and the table is shoved against the wall because the dining area is so narrow?     The master closet after wasn't really any more space than the smaller original closet.      

I like that their $100k budget ended up $120k, and they didn't even add the other bathroom they wanted.   I wonder if they'll ever add the extra bathroom, because my guess is the engineers told them how much the septic could accommodate, and that it would need a major overhaul or replacement if they add another bath.  

I think you are right about the MIL suite.  Otherwise I just found the focus on that quite puzzling -- get a guest room, when you have kids have them double up when your MIL stays, no biggie.

Mostly quoting this because my dad and his SO bought a big old house in the country together (it's actually pretty cool, although I think it's impractical) because they are both super into gardening, and they got shocked by the world's highest water bill (okay, slight exaggeration, but it was crazy high -- I pay almost nothing, especially given the amount of rain we got this year and I have a tiny Chicago lot, so I had no idea).  Basically they are in the country not too far from Portland and this was an exceptionally hot and dry summer and they watered with abandon.  My dad -- no kidding -- said "well, I thought there might be a discount for larger amounts."  No, the opposite, of course.  They were lucky and now have a well.

They also both love this family of deer that apparently grew up around the property this year (have been watching them since they were a mother and two tiny fawns), yet also consider deer their nemesis because of the plants.

They are doing most of the cosmetic work on the place themselves and aren't bothered by all the old place stuff that people on House Hunters always complain about (small closets, no open floor plan), but the people who lived there before did a kitchen remodel (didn't get to the rest of the house) and it's hilarious, like every HGTV element.

[LittleIggy]

New Jersey: Nice couple. I liked the renovation except for the dark floors. I can understand them wanting to match the woodwork, but it was too dark for my taste. And another white kitchen...

[twinks]

49 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

New Jersey: Nice couple. I liked the renovation except for the dark floors. I can understand them wanting to match the woodwork, but it was too dark for my taste. And another white kitchen...

Agree. They actually had a vision and no drama. Enjoyed this episode.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I liked the house, but hated the dark floors.    My neighbors have really dark floors, and they all wish they had the medium brown ones I have because mine don't show every bit of dirt.

[LittleIggy]

9 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I liked the house, but hated the dark floors.    My neighbors have really dark floors, and they all wish they had the medium brown ones I have because mine don't show every bit of dirt.

And they have three little kids! Keep the Swiffer handy!