House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[juliet73]

Mass ep:  I didn't understand a lot about this renovation.  I agree with everyone else about the half wall.  They should have removed it and done away with that dinky bench and table as well.  A large island with chair seating would have looked so much better.  Something like this:  (but on a smaller scale)

 

 

I'm glad they painted the cabinets, but I wasn't feeling the red countertops.

The bathroom vanity was a few inches too wide and the mirror was too narrow.  A bigger mirror would have made the bathroom look  bigger. Why couldn't the vanity be pushed against the wall?  That would have given them a few more inches of space around the toilet. The niche in the shower was way too low.  I understand not installing it on the exterior wall, but I didn't get the reason why it couldn't be done on the other interior wall.  I don't remember how big the guest room was, but I would have tried to install a small usable closet on another wall and completely closed up that ductwork.  

I'm not into the rustic look, but I preferred the mudroom before.  I would have just changed the lighting and put in a full glass door for extra light.  

The puppy was super cute!

Edited December 23, 2018 by juliet73

[biakbiak]

37 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

understand not installing it on the exterior wall, but I didn't get the reason why it couldn't be done on the other interior wall. 

Because of the size of the studs they used for framing there wasn’t a big enough gap but they never really explained why they chose to use that size. 

[LittleIggy]

Yeah, when I saw that big kitchen with the empty space in the middle, I thought “they can put a nice island there.” I would have kept the mud room rustic, too.

[CrazyInAlabama]

In their place, I would have bought the second house, not the third.   No garage is not a good thing near Boston.     With the house they picked I would have changed the back splash, not painted the cabinets.     ANd maybe changed the doors and drawer fronts in the kitchen someday.   Painting cabinets cab turn out OK, but the way they did it, I suspect the cabinets will chip constantly.     The added shower was OK, but that means the other bedroom is pretty useless.    I didn't like the back splash in the kitchen, it seemed so boring.    I did like the new shower tile, instead of the flat subway white so many use.   I'm also sick of the cement tile floor tiles, and hope that fad ends quickly.  The new bath vanity was so huge, and as others said, push it against the corner for a few inches for the toilet.     I didn't like the double doorways into the kitchen at all, and hate the banquettes so many are putting in.  

I don't know how the budget came out, but I didn't find the outcome all that great.  

The side wall of the new shower was framed with 2 x 3 lumber, to maximize the size of the shower.   I hated that niche. 

Edited December 23, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[sheetmoss]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

Because of the size of the studs they used for framing there wasn’t a big enough gap but they never really explained why they chose to use that size. 

The 2 x 4  framing studs on the back shower wall were turned sideways--made flat/wider,  to gain a bit more space - it saved them a couple of inches doing it that way

As for the toilet and code/spacing, my guess it's for more accessibility for somebody with physical mobility issues. 

   Not ADA complaint... but an improvement.

  

Following Code in the Bathroom

The International Residential Code is a model code that was developed by an international standards organization for one- and two-family dwellings. Most municipalities in the United States and Canada have adopted this code. Some of these jurisdictions maintain the code exactly as it was written, while others introduce changes to adapt to the needs of their constituents.

 

Toilets

Provisions are made for clearing out plenty of space around the toilet. The purpose is to ease access not only to the toilet but to other services, such as the sink and bathing facilities.

Front of Toilet: The front edge of the toilet must clear any possible obstruction – walls and other fixtures – by a minimum of 21”.

Sides of Toilet: Code states that the toilets cannot be closer than “15 inches from its center to any side wall, partition, vanity or other obstruction, or closer than 30 inches center-to-center between toilets or adjacent fixtures.” In other words, you need to provide less space between the toilet and a wall (15 inches) than you do between the toilet and another service that provides water and/or has drainage (30 inches).12

https://www.fix.com/blog/best-bathroom-design-rules/

I wonder if a taller toilet is also required too?

[chessiegal]

6 hours ago, suebee12 said:

I can't go back and watch since I have already deleted the show

Not sure how your recording device works, but I have many days to recover a show I have deleted.

[msmarjoribanks]

6 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Yeah, when I saw that big kitchen with the empty space in the middle, I thought “they can put a nice island there.” I would have kept the mud room rustic, too.

That's what I thought too.  I don't understand why they didn't mention island, at least to explain why it wasn't workable for them.

[twinks]

You can watch it on you tube.

[ByaNose]

Just watched the young Massachusetts couple. I thought they were kind of cute and seemed happy with each other. The husband looks like he could be an actor or a J Crew model. The kitchen renovation turned out nice. I applaud them for painting the cabinets. It did brighten up the kitchen. I deleted and then undeleted the episode because I wanted to look at the kitchen counter. I still can’t decide what color it is or what kind of product was used?! The pony wall thing was ridiculous. They had plenty of room to make a huge island out of it and gain more storage space. Maybe, islands aren’t their thing. The 2 entry way does ease traffic. The house I grew up in had 3. With 7 people in the house on a normal day it was needed. LOL!!! The shower turned out nice but the niche was wayyyyyy too low. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that low. Mine is at chest level under the shower head and I don’t even like that. Luckily, I have one on the other side at the same height. The sun room looked nice and much brighter. I’m glad they painted it but I would have gone all white. I’m all about bright, bright, bright. Overall, they did a good job and did all of the painting (from what shown) by themselves. They always say painting is the best investment but they always leave out it’s a pain in the a**. Too much prep work. LOL!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year y’all. 

[irisheyes]

On 12/23/2018 at 2:47 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

In their place, I would have bought the second house, not the third.   No garage is not a good thing near Boston.     With the house they picked I would have changed the back splash, not painted the cabinets.     ANd maybe changed the doors and drawer fronts in the kitchen someday.   Painting cabinets cab turn out OK, but the way they did it, I suspect the cabinets will chip constantly.     The added shower was OK, but that means the other bedroom is pretty useless.    I didn't like the back splash in the kitchen, it seemed so boring.    I did like the new shower tile, instead of the flat subway white so many use.   I'm also sick of the cement tile floor tiles, and hope that fad ends quickly.  The new bath vanity was so huge, and as others said, push it against the corner for a few inches for the toilet.     I didn't like the double doorways into the kitchen at all, and hate the banquettes so many are putting in.  

I don't know how the budget came out, but I didn't find the outcome all that great.  

The side wall of the new shower was framed with 2 x 3 lumber, to maximize the size of the shower.   I hated that niche. 

I wonder if these HH’s ever experience buyer’s remorse when looking at the decoys, because that 2nd house fit them and their wants so much better. Her disdain for any house that didn’t have at least 2 full bathrooms was annoying. If you have a half bath for guests, who cares if there’s only one full bath when it’s just two of you?  Rather than spending a ton of money and rendering another room in your house basically useless, make the downstairs bedroom your master until you can save up enough money to do a proper master suite (and pay for a decent architect who will be able to fit a decent shower in without having to cut off the trim of the window. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I bet there are a lot of the house hunters who see the decoy properties, and wish they hadn't bought the one they did.     However, I'm sure many decoys are VRBO, or Airbnb, or simply belong to someone who allows filming.     

[Pickles]

The Denver episode on tonight. The wife's voice. Ack. Kind of like Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse? They have a $900k budget, but are living with one of the wife's coworkers which is "awkward". If your housing budget is almost a million dollars, can't you rent a place to live while you house hunt and not live with a coworker??

[CrazyInAlabama]

Is the designer the woman's relative?   Same looks, same awful voice, same rotten taste. 

I'm so glad the vintage house with authentic tiles was a decoy, because those fools wanted to make it vintage by ripping out everything that made it vintage.

Most of what they wanted to do to the last house was absurd.     They didn't need to gut the bathroom, just because her royal highness wanted to spend money needlessly on new wall tiles.   The baths would have been great as is, with ripping out that awful carpet, and tiling it like the bath.     

I love how the couple had a destination wedding and only a few could come.  My guess is they had a destination wedding to get a vacation, and to get a lot of gifts without having to spend for guests.    Then they have a big reception at their house to rip off people for more gifts.      If I hear the word barn door again, I'll scream.     How much closet space does that squeaky voiced fool need?     

There is nothing wrong with the kitchen.    Have them refaced, with new doors, and drawer fronts, and do the back splash over the granite.     I can't believe they ripped out thick granite back splash like that, and had some amateur do it too.      

The poor husband just wanted a rain shower, and they can't figure it out with a bunch of fake drama?   How about fir strips on the ceiling, put the rain shower head in, and put up green board or tile, and fix where they ran the pipes up from the current location?       

Edited January 6, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Pickles]

I need to stop commenting while this episode is in progress, but oh well. So, now the new neighbor lady is coming over to help the wife paint the kitchen cabinets and replace the kitchen backsplash. This is a new neighbor in your new neighborhood? What kind of neighbor would do this for someone who just bought the house?

[MsTree]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

I need to stop commenting while this episode is in progress, but oh well. So, now the new neighbor lady is coming over to help the wife paint the kitchen cabinets and replace the kitchen backsplash. This is a new neighbor in your new neighborhood? What kind of neighbor would do this for someone who just bought the house?

Someone who offered to do it for half the price ;-)

[CrazyInAlabama]

I don't even know how the budget came out, because I DVR the show, but what do you want to bet they hit up family, and friends to sponsor certain upgrades?      I hope they're happy with the kitchen cabinets when they start chipping, because I don't think I would go with the next door neighbor telling me how to do a quick update on my kitchen.   

[Pickles]

They went $30k over their $100k budget. I didn't think the dark blue exterior paint was a good idea. It will really fade. It was kind of laughable too, when the designer said installing the rain shower in the master bath was way over their budget. It was $300-$500. Didn't they install a $9k vanity and a $1200 tub? Peanuts compared to those prices.

[biakbiak]

11 hours ago, Pickles said:

This is a new neighbor in your new neighborhood? What kind of neighbor would do this for someone who just bought the house?

I thought the fact that a new coworker let them stay with him with no end in sight weirder.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

It was kind of laughable too, when the designer said installing the rain shower in the master bath was way over their budget. It was $300-$500.

I know! I was like, come on. General counsel in the tech space and a consultant surely have a spare $500.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loathed that woman, with her squeaky voice, trendy taste for items like the bar, bathroom with fixtures, and finishes that will be outdated very soon, and the generic 'update' on the kitchen, and then she whines about $500 for his rain shower head, when it was the only thing he wanted in the entire house.   That was less than 1/2% of the remodeling budget, and he only wanted one thing.      The kitchen looks like every spec. house kitchen in the last ten years.      The basement bar top looks like a do it yourself project.    100k budget and 33k over.     The basement decor like that huge globe thing is ridiculous.    The tree stumps in the bathroom, and those hanging green things were hideous, but they matched her awful taste.

I love (OK, I'm mean) that from living in that area, I know the the UV rays are much stronger at that altitude, and the dark paint outside will immediately start fading, with big variations depending on how much sun  it gets on each wall.        

[izabella]

The squeaky Mouseketeer voice drove me mad.  I never have problems with people with vocal fry, but the high-pitched squeak really grated.  As did the reno.  The outside of the house did not need to be painted, so that was a waste of money and it didn't look any better.  I thought it looked worse because the dark blended with the rooflines and angles and there was no definition.

The bathroom tub also didn't work for me.  The tub they put in looked tiny to me.  Maybe the husband would never use it, so it was just for her.  But she'd still mostly be sitting up, not laying back in it.  The kitchen cabinets were a nice quality wood and didn't need painting, but fine.  More extra work and money for very little return.  Were those the same countertops that were in there before or did they change them out?  I didn't like those with the white, but if they were the same, I didn't notice when the cabinets were wood-tone.  I didn't think there could be countertops that didn't go well with white, but they just didn't.

[Pickles]

I think they kept the kitchen countertops. I thought the kitchen cabinets looked fine and did not need painting. What in the world was that huge globe thing in the basement?? The wife claimed they had 100 people coming to their house for their wedding party. I cannot even imagine. Did not look like 100 were there for filming. lol. The wife's voice drove me insane.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They kept the original cabinets, and counter tops, and just pried the solid granite back splash off and replaced it with generic, while subway tile.     And the next door neighbor painted the cabinets, and it looked like they weren't primed either.     They also used the usual brushed chrome or nickel metal rod cabinet hardware too.

I hate the free standing tubs.    Hard to clean, over priced, and in this case,  too small.   I hope nothing ever goes wrong with the tub pipes, or they have to move the tub to get access.  

Edited January 7, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[absolutelyido]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

The squeaky Mouseketeer voice drove me mad.  I never have problems with people with vocal fry, but the high-pitched squeak really grated.  As did the reno.  The outside of the house did not need to be painted, so that was a waste of money and it didn't look any better.  I thought it looked worse because the dark blended with the rooflines and angles and there was no definition.

The bathroom tub also didn't work for me.  The tub they put in looked tiny to me.  Maybe the husband would never use it, so it was just for her.  But she'd still mostly be sitting up, not laying back in it.  The kitchen cabinets were a nice quality wood and didn't need painting, but fine.  More extra work and money for very little return.  Were those the same countertops that were in there before or did they change them out?  I didn't like those with the white, but if they were the same, I didn't notice when the cabinets were wood-tone.  I didn't think there could be countertops that didn't go well with white, but they just didn't.

The really dumb part was that there was plenty of space for a longer tub. Instead they put in that ridiculously short tub and filled the empty space with ridiculous tree stump tables. I'm not sure if they were trying to save money, but they should have held off on painting the outside of the house if they wanted to spend more inside.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The whole kitchen was underwhelming.    I just read one of those hints on MSN about 50 decor fads that are outdated, and that bathroom, and kitchen covered at least 10 of them.    The kitchen looked like a cheap flip house in the after, and the cabinets went from nice wood, to looking like cheap stock cabinets, and I doubt the paint job will hold up either.       The granite looked like the builder grade they use on spec houses, and it's the type that many house hunters look at and say the entire kitchen is a gut job.   

 I was totally underwhelmed at the tile, and vanity in the bath too.   

Edited January 7, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[ByaNose]

Denver - I thought the kitchen turned out well. I’m not sure I’m buying the random new neighbor doing it but what do I know. The bathroom didn’t turn out nice at all. I didn’t like the floating vanity with the no drawers and the free standing tub was so small. I thought they were going to keep the length but get rid of the 80’s & 90’s surrounding. I thought the rain shower was going to be thousands of dollars the way the designer was talking. What’s a couple of hundred extra bucks. The basement turned out well but they probably could saved a boatload of money on a different countertop. It looked very custom. I thought the outside paint job was nice and I’m sure like all paint it will fade in time. Don’t they all?

The one thing I thought was neat is I recognized the contractors son, Ben. He was on Survivor: Nicaragua in 2010. He didn’t win but made the jury. He looks exactly the same and knew it was him but googled him just to make sure. Stalker much? LOL!!!

[LittleIggy]

Her voice was both squeaky and creaky! 😱 

Shouldn’t they have had that reception before moving from SF? I can’t believe a bunch of people traveled from SF to Colorado for a post-wedding reception.

Yeah, the living with a co-worker was weird. I’m sure Denver has extended stay hotel options for people relocating to the area.

I don’t know why they didn’t remove that wall with the arches to expand the master bedroom. It would have made a nice sitting area.

Subway tiles. 🙄

Ben the contractor’s son was cute.

[Mittengirl]

3 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

 

I don’t know why they didn’t remove that wall with the arches to expand the master bedroom. It would have made a nice sitting area.

That wall was load-bearing, so they opted not to remove it.  I would think just getting rid of the arches (squaring-up the openings) would have made it look better - less dated.  Of course, I liked that wall, so what do I know?  Remove the arches and put in some open shelves and you have a nifty little sitting area or a place for a small desk.  Or a little nursery area (weren’t they talking about having kids?).

 

What was that globe thingy?  It looked like a composting bin I saw in a gardening catalog, but one doesn’t usually compost in ones basement.

 

Please tell me they didn’t pay for those logs in the bathroom.  I had a tree cut down a few years ago, could have made 8-10 of those tables if I had know people were dumb enough to buy them.

[laredhead]

After reading all of the comments about this episode, I finally watched it, and I totally agree with everyone who has commented.  First, $500 for a rain shower head plumbing job is nothing.  They spent $4,600 on vanity cabinets, and one of them looked like one you can buy at Home Depot.  I'm sure they paid a pretty penny for the floating one in the master bath, and it did look nice, but I'm not sure I would pony up $4,600 for vanity cabinets in bathrooms.  With regard to the exterior paint color, blue is not my favorite, but it's their house.  However, the painter said it would seen fade because of the sun exposure.  Tip to renovators - listen to the professionals before selecting paint colors.

Free standing tubs are a fad - IMO.  If they aren't heated, the water is going to cool off fast, and in areas where water is not plentiful, I wonder how much they are really used.  Also, I always wonder how you clean behind them because most are set so close to the wall that you would have to get down on your hands and knees to clean the floor around them.  I wish barn doors would go away.  I think a nice pocket door would have been more attractive.

The kitchen was not an improvement.  Again, bring in a professional for color advice.  That stark white subway tile that everyone had/wants was very stark contrast to the dark granite.  That paint job on the cabinets isn't going to hold up either, again my opinion.  Painting cabinets is a labor intensive job, and the the figure quoted on the screen was $800.  I have had cabinets painted by professionals, and the prep was intense and both times the cabinets were sprayed with two coats of very good paint.  It cost more than $800 for sure.  She could have left the cabinets the color they were, and changed the backsplash to something lighter, but not white, and I think the effect would have been more pleasing.  

[Pickles]

I am also so sick of the barn doors. Unless you are living in a converted barn, the barn door look is very clunky. I agree that pocket doors look much better. Won't the barn door look be out soon and then all of those doors will start to look very dated. I don't think a pocket door ever would go out of style.

A dark blue exterior is going to fade much more noticeably than white or a light tan. 

[LittleIggy]

9 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

That wall was load-bearing, so they opted not to remove it.  

It was the wall between the bathroom and that space that was load bearing not the wall with the arches. The designer said they couldn’t expand the bathroom out because of that.

The bathroom countertop was $8000, I believe.

Edited January 7, 2019 by LittleIggy

[Empress1]

I couldn't figure out the neighbor thing. I mean, they just moved to the city so they don't know her or her work. They may have seen her kitchen but who knows how well it's actually holding up? And $800 is ridiculously low - the labor involved in sanding down all those cabinets is more than $800. And why would the neighbor agree to do it for so cheap? Is she started a contractor business and wants the HHR exposure?

It irked me when she said that after living in the house for a few weeks they NEEDED to change the kitchen. They absolutely did not. The kitchen was fine. The appliances were new. Her husband didn't say a word about the kitchen. She WANTED to change the kitchen, but it was by no means a necessity.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Did they actually sand down the cabinets?    The one shot looked very shiny to me. 

I thought it was hysterical that they took a nice kitchen, and turned it into a cheap, builder grade, trendy kitchen that's already past it prime.   And the tree stumps in the master bath were hideous.   

[biakbiak]

46 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

thought it was hysterical that they took a nice kitchen, and turned it into a cheap, builder grade, trendy kitchen that's already past it prime.

I guess that’s a matter of opinion. I don’t like white kitchen but I thought it was a vast improvement to the original where I thought the cabinets looked cheap and dated, particularly the color and hardware.  While not to my taste I thought they did a good job because it made it something she could tolerate and was tiny fraction of the budget. I bet that if they hadn’t done it she would have been itching to remodel in a year or so and now I bet that’s been extended for awhile.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the rerun of HHR in Franklin, TN, where they buy a house with known foundation issues, spend $8k on one part, and then are surprised to find out they have to spend another $10k, plus need another, longer support beam in the ceiling.       I can't believe anyone bought a house with bad ceiling issues, and bad foundation issues, and are surprised at the costs involved.     I know most of the drama on these shows in phony, but what were they thinking?   

[MsTree]

Anyone else think those painted tiles are going to eventually fade, especially with continued washing and/or scrubbing?  Unless they were somehow glazed off camera, I don't see that pattern lasting too long.

Edited January 13, 2019 by MsTree

[Pickles]

6 hours ago, MsTree said:

Anyone else think those painted tiles are going to eventually fade, especially with continued washing and/or scrubbing?  Unless they were somehow glazed off camera, I don't see that pattern lasting too long.

The California episode last night. I was surprised she painted those tiles. She did say it saved them $1000. I do not like the black/white geometric tiles that seem to be popular now. These homeowners did a lot of the projects themselves. It would be exhausting. I thought they picked the right house, since they wanted to be close to the beach.

[biakbiak]

I wish we had gotten a better tour of the house or better blueprints because I thought the kitchen took up way too much of the first floor and the sitting space by the fireplace was awkward.

The way they vaulted the ceilings made for some weird spaces between the ceiling and cabinets that I hated and will collect dust. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The way you have to treat the painted tiles she did is you paint them, install them, seal them, and then grout, plus they need resealing periodically after that.    It would have been better to get commercial tiles, with a matte glaze, and then grout that doesn't need sealing.     I'm sure her painted tiles will be replaced very soon, or have to be resealed constantly.

The tile store I've used several times only has one rack of cement tiles, and they don't sell, plus one that looks like a patchwork quilt look with various patterns combined on one, and that only sells for outdoor use on walls, and doesn't sell much either.     So I think a cement look that is really sealed will be the ones that will sell, without having to do so much work to keep them from fading.   Plus, in my opinion, those hand-painted tiles she did aren't Spanish style at all. 

I was totally underwhelmed with the kitchen vault.     They certainly needed to fix the structural issues in the roof, and the construction, but a nine foot ceiling would have looked much better, especially if they put additional storage space on top of the cabinets to close the gap between cabinet top and ceiling.     There must have been a better way to get that hot tub in the back than dragging it through that one space, and risking the roof edge.  The hysteria over the bathtub was ridiculous, it was supported under all four legs, and was OK, it certainly lasted for many years like that.    

What did they expect in a house where much of it was that old?     I wonder if they checked the popcorn ceiling for asbestos?    

They weren't so worried about grass for the kids apparently, since they put in that huge hot tub back in the tiny backyard too.  

The third house railing on the deck was very dangerous, and the fact that neither parent mentioned it told me that it was just a decoy.  If they wanted to save money on the remodel, then they should have save a few thousand on brass fixtures, and hardware.   I'm totally over the white wall cabinets, and gray island. 

I wonder if the mold removal by the homeowner was legal, and effective? 

Is there a real dining room?   Or just the nook off of the kitchen?    The tile in the entry look so busy.   

Initial budget $125,000, after totaled $150,000  And they still have to add another bed, and bath upstairs, and reno the other bathroom, so here's the next $100k coming I bet.  

Edited January 19, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[sheetmoss]

Did they say what the California couple did - if so I missed it

[aguabella]

On 1/7/2019 at 8:25 PM, biakbiak said:

I guess that’s a matter of opinion. I don’t like white kitchen but I thought it was a vast improvement to the original where I thought the cabinets looked cheap and dated, particularly the color and hardware.  While not to my taste I thought they did a good job because it made it something she could tolerate and was tiny fraction of the budget. I bet that if they hadn’t done it she would have been itching to remodel in a year or so and now I bet that’s been extended for awhile.

(Denver episode, basement bar, add'l wedding reception):

Agree, not necessarily my taste but an improvement.  She was definitely doing that kitchen!  Imagine hosting their reception with a (slightly) used kitchen ...  lol

In spite of the multiple entertainment zones, the basement appeared poorly planned and/or unfinished.  Everybody see the appliances on the back wall?  Why not install appropriately sized units under the bar (out of sight)?  A TV blaring, adjacent to the bedrooms?  An over-sized globe?  Whatever -

[aguabella]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:50 AM, Pickles said:

I am also so sick of the barn doors. Unless you are living in a converted barn, the barn door look is very clunky. I agree that pocket doors look much better. Won't the barn door look be out soon and then all of those doors will start to look very dated. I don't think a pocket door ever would go out of style.

A dark blue exterior is going to fade much more noticeably than white or a light tan. 

Cheap and easy to throw up a barn door.  Unless and until home buyers stop buying them, I believe we'll see more of the same.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wondered what last night's California couple did for a living too, because I never noticed it being discussed on the show.     Of course, I've missed information like that before on other episodes, and I sometimes miss the actual budget, vs. estimated budget, and the over runs on other episodes too. 

[aguabella]

On 12/23/2018 at 10:10 AM, juliet73 said:

Mass ep:  I didn't understand a lot about this renovation.  I agree with everyone else about the half wall.  They should have removed it and done away with that dinky bench and table as well.  A large island with chair seating would have looked so much better.  Something like this:  (but on a smaller scale)

 

 

I'm glad they painted the cabinets, but I wasn't feeling the red countertops.

The bathroom vanity was a few inches too wide and the mirror was too narrow.  A bigger mirror would have made the bathroom look  bigger. Why couldn't the vanity be pushed against the wall?  That would have given them a few more inches of space around the toilet. The niche in the shower was way too low.  I understand not installing it on the exterior wall, but I didn't get the reason why it couldn't be done on the other interior wall.  I don't remember how big the guest room was, but I would have tried to install a small usable closet on another wall and completely closed up that ductwork.  

I'm not into the rustic look, but I preferred the mudroom before.  I would have just changed the lighting and put in a full glass door for extra light.  

The puppy was super cute!

Nice photos, juliet73, although not really my style.  Not sure that house had the footprint for that arrangement.  If mine, I would have installed a narrow island with breakfast bar and moved the TV to the basement!

Good question about "understanding" the renovation.  I think that can be explained by their budget.  40K wasn't sufficient for the projects undertaken, to me, although it's not a property to over-invest in.

I pulled the listing.  Sometimes viewing the previous owners' set-up helps.  Instead of 4 bedrooms, IIRC, they used the downstairs "bedrooms" as a dining room and study / TV room.  (The property was vacant when toured during the episode.)

Given the usage, subject to the comps, I'm not convinced an appraiser would classify the home as a "4 bedroom".

PM me, guys, if you'd like to check out the listing.

[aguabella]

On 12/18/2018 at 10:33 PM, sheetmoss said:

When I posted that, what i meant was, if their budget is $50k out of pocket, you're getting an add'l $30k appearance fee, so maybe that's why people splurge?

I just look at the HO's working w $30k more over stated. In other words -  a $50k reno becomes $80k

There was a past episode where the HO didn't use a designer because I believe he did that for a living, so in the end he mush have paid himself.

The "appearance fee" is included in the total renovation cost.  They're 1099'd for the designer and contractors' fees + any materials, etc.  For all the major participants, an HHR episode is a barter transaction.  BTW, barter transactions are taxable.

Sure, the buyers might have a (psychological) "wealth effect" but there's no pot of cash to sink into their renovation.  Likewise, the professionals aren't paid for their services.  They'd charge their time to marketing / promotion.

You're referring to the LA cabinet maker, right?  He wouldn't have received cash from the production company for either his services as a designer/contractor or his appearance as a home buyer. 

Edited January 13, 2019 by aguabella

[aguabella]

On 12/19/2018 at 9:45 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

They used the 30 day rent exclusion on Extreme Home Makeover (with Ty Pennington, the show name might not be totally right), and the production company rented the property for 30 days, and anything the 'renters' did to the house in that period wasn't taxed.     

Uh, sorry but there's no 30 day rent exclusion.  I believe you're referring to the 14 day rent exclusion.  Unfortunately, I don't believe these renovations qualify. 

The exclusion requires a lease / profit motive.  Improving a personal residence and/or tax avoidance doesn't constitute a profit motive, in my opinion.   

Never saw EHM but IIRC their tax scheme was actually studied and formal opinions were published.  The practice was described as "shady".  I haven't reviewed them recently but believe they used the same reasoning and reached the same conclusion. 

Didn't many of the EHM participants lose their properties to f/c due to increased operating and maintenance costs, including utilities and property taxes?  Besides their income taxes on the renovation?

Edited January 13, 2019 by aguabella

[CrazyInAlabama]

Maybe it was 14 days, on that show.    On the Extreme Home Makeover show, they did the remodels very quickly, I think they claimed a week, and that was covered by the exclusion.  I bet that loophole for TV shows doing remodels was closed after this.  

Some lost their homes because they used them like ATMs, and refinanced, sometimes for stupid reasons.   I remember one man that moved his family south from NYC, had the house redone, and it was totally paid off, and there were funds for the kid's colleges.      Then they refinanced the house at least once, or twice, to start a construction company.   He had zero building experience, and of course the business went down the tubes, and I think there was something about the college funds too.     Then the house went.      Others couldn't afford the utilities, taxes, and their living expenses.    I think almost all had mortgages paid off, and still managed to lose the house.     There were a lot of strange cases after being on that show.

[aguabella]

12 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Maybe it was 14 days, on that show.    On the Extreme Home Makeover show, they did the remodels very quickly, I think they claimed a week, and that was covered by the exclusion.  I bet that loophole for TV shows doing remodels was closed after this.  

Some lost their homes because they used them like ATMs, and refinanced, sometimes for stupid reasons.   I remember one man that moved his family south from NYC, had the house redone, and it was totally paid off, and there were funds for the kid's colleges.      Then they refinanced the house at least once, or twice, to start a construction company.   He had zero building experience, and of course the business went down the tubes, and I think there was something about the college funds too.     Then the house went.      Others couldn't afford the utilities, taxes, and their living expenses.    I think almost all had mortgages paid off, and still managed to lose the house.     There were a lot of strange cases after being on that show.

It wasn't a loophole available to these participants.  The 14 day exclusion is intended for homeowners to rent their homes out occasionally, e.g. once a year during a college big game, for a major event, e.g. the Olympics, etc.

Renovating your home doesn't constitute a lease to the production company.  For tax purposes, the renovation constitutes a prize and is fully taxable.

If these homeowners tried to claim that exclusion, it wouldn't surprise me if they rec'd a large tax bill several years after filing their return, including 3 years of penalties and interest.

[qtpye]

7 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

Did they say what the California couple did - if so I missed it

 

6 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I wondered what last night's California couple did for a living too, because I never noticed it being discussed on the show.     Of course, I've missed information like that before on other episodes, and I sometimes miss the actual budget, vs. estimated budget, and the over runs on other episodes too. 

I was wondering how they afforded such pricey homes.  It seemed like she was a sahm and he looked like he might be a trust fund kid. It was also weird because occupations are usually the first thing mentioned on HH shows. There was also no talk of commutes or space for a home office, so a good chance they are independently wealthy.

[LittleIggy]

California: It looked odd for the entrance (not calling it a “mud room”!) to open almost directly into the kitchen.  Ugh, on the kids sitting in the middle of the island with their feet all over it. Again, I’m tired of so much white. I watched an HGTV show Saturday night called “Bought at First Sight.” The H/W flippers bought a 1915 Craftsman that had the original wood trim, beams, and built-ins. The wife painted them all white and replaced the fireplace mantle and frame with a white and black tile. 😱 What a travesty.

Edited January 14, 2019 by LittleIggy