House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[aguabella]

OMG!  White cabinets, Bastet?  Say it ain't so, lol!

 

The designer who did the sage green kitchen blogged that tptb were thrilled she wasn't proposing a white kitchen.  She also mentioned that her first 2 meetings were with the production company and network, in that order.  Does that tell us who the designers aim to please??

 

Several of the designers have mentioned that they don't meet the homeowners until the first day of filming, at the residence, after the design's already been blessed by tptb.  Doesn't surprise me that they all make the same, conservative (IMHO) choices.

[aguabella]

Anyone see the Denver/LA second home episode?  Thought they could have improved their access to the yard and vastly improved upon their master bath plan but other than that, the reno appeared fairly straight-forward, to me.  I hoped non-baker wife would push for the designer's cabinet selection b/c IMHO it was mid-century, not Craftsman. 

 

Yes, I get that she allowed the professional baker to implement her own choices for the kitchen.  I didn't care for the dark countertops and 3/4 mbr but those are simply my tastes, i.e. not design flaws.

 

Knew that budget wasn't a huge concern when they converted that pool to salt water.  I hope they realize that they'll have add'l, significant costs when the salt ravages that yard.  Have a feeling they don't, however.  Salt's oh, so trendy and hip, lol. 

 

They didn't say but I assumed they made that pool conversion for maintenance purposes.  What's the big deal?  Hire a pool person to take care of it while you're in Denver.  (They probably did anyway, lol.)  Yeah, yeah, the chemicals and so on.  For as much as they'll be using it - worth the extra $$$?  JMHO but I doubt it. 

 

Oh and one other thing about the budget - kinda' funny that she didn't include the hardwood floors when she broke down the budget overage.  Hmmm, sounds like we figured out the show's required construction drama!

 

Curious about her "cake pops" so checked them out online.  Expensive and strictly mail-order from Denver.  Based on that, I doubt they're relocating.  (Why increase production costs?)  Anybody else think tptb furnished the nice line about LA?

Edited February 27, 2015 by aguabella

[CocoaGoddess]

Anyone see the Denver/LA second home episode?  Thought they could have improved their access to the yard and vastly improved upon their master bath plan but other than that, the reno appeared fairly straight-forward, to me.  I hoped non-baker wife would push for the designer's cabinet selection b/c IMHO it was mid-century, not Craftsman. 

 

Yes, I get that she allowed the professional baker to implement her own choices for the kitchen.  I didn't care for the dark countertops and 3/4 mbr but those are simply my tastes, i.e. not design flaws.

 

Knew that budget wasn't a huge concern when they converted that pool to salt water.  I hope they realize that they'll have add'l, significant costs when the salt ravages that yard.  Have a feeling they don't, however.  Salt's oh, so trendy and hip, lol. 

 

They didn't say but I assumed they made that pool conversion for maintenance purposes.  What's the big deal?  Hire a pool person to take care of it while you're in Denver.  (They probably did anyway, lol.)  Yeah, yeah, the chemicals and so on.  For as much as they'll be using it - worth the extra $$$?  JMHO but I doubt it. 

 

Oh and one other thing about the budget - kinda' funny that she didn't include the hardwood floors when she broke down the budget overage.  Hmmm, sounds like we figured out the show's required construction drama!

 

Curious about her "cake pops" so checked them out online.  Expensive and strictly mail-order from Denver.  Based on that, I doubt they're relocating.  (Why increase production costs?)  Anybody else think tptb furnished the nice line about LA?

 

I also googled, and saw that not only is it a mail order only business, but there was only one whopping Yelp review on the bakery--just didn't seem all that successful to me, certainly not enough to open up a location in Los Angeles, which seems like a wasted effort, given all of the broken dreams of previous bakery owners who tried to cash in on the cupcake/cake pop craze five years ago. 

 

I have a question--the internet (meaning, here at previously) told me that HGTV gives homeowners 25k towards renovation, but I'm starting to question that. The Los Angeles family featured recently (four daughters, homeschooled) said that they had a $30k budget, and that his parents generously gave them the $30k. Then they went over another $10k and said that the parents gifted them that money too, so where does the HGTV allowance come in? 

[laredhead]

If last night's episode about the recently divorced woman and her spoiled beyond belief daughter doesn't generate a lot of comments I will be surprised.  The woman works in the central part of the state (Connecticut?) , yet the 19-year old daughter insisted that her mother spend an hour each way commuting from her job to a house on the shore where the daughter wanted to live.  The son was away at college and I think the daughter must have been in some type of school because the mother asked her about classes at some point.  The daughter was just beyond words with her entitled attitude and her purse dog.  Even though the mother said the daughter needed to be "humbled" about their new downsized living arrangements, she gave in to her on everything.  From the look of the daughter and her mannerisms, she seemed to be auditioning for some reality show about spoiled rotten children.  The mother needed to develop a backbone and explain that they could not afford the lifestyle to which they had become accustomed.  There is no way I would commute 2 hours a day to please a child.  The daughter will probably be gone w/in 2 years and there will be mom stuck in a location with a horrid commute.  The house has been damaged by Hurricane Sandy and showed signs of water damage in a couple of places, but the daughter declares it's nothing to be worried about before the walls are even opened up to expose possible damage.  Yes, I know this is all fake and the woman had probably already had the house inspected, but that was a ridiculous thing to declare if you wanted to look halfway intelligent.  At the end the mother was shown sitting on the balcony which badly needed a paint job.  Evidently, the reno budget did not extend to that area.  They also ran out of money to house the daughter in the basement in the area she staked out at the beginning of the house tour.  I should have stopped watching in the first 5 minutes, but I kept thinking the mother would put her foot down.  Not only did she not do it, she actually said the daughter was spoiled.  

Edited March 1, 2015 by laredhead

[walnutqueen]

Who in their right minds buys and renovates a home for a spoiled 19 y/o daughter?  She gave in to her daughter's "contemporary" tastes far too much for my taste, as did the remodeler/designer.  She will rue the day the obnoxious daughter gets a life and abandons her to the 2 hour commute and a home that doesn't feel homey.

[LegalParrot81]

 

Who in their right minds buys and renovates a home for a spoiled 19 y/o daughter?

 

I thought the same thing.  What a spoiled little twit.  She could have cared less that her whining about living near the shore meant her mother would have a two hour drive everyday to and from work, which was made very obvious when she laughed about it at the end of the show.  Add to that the daughters whiny voice and I wanted to smack her with her white cabinet doors.  Until she pays the mortgage, or even contributes to it, she needs to shut up and be thankful there's a roof over her head.

 

Laredhead, spot on about Mom needing to develop a back bone, but I would bet daughter has steamrolled Mom for years and has rarely been told no about anything.

 

I did like Mom's choice of cabinet doors much more than daughter's, but wasn't a huge fan of the uber huge island.  I like the smaller better. 

[Wowzer]

Gabby, the 19 y/o daughter was ridiculous. She has the worst case of vocal fry I've heard and there is a lot of vocal fry on the HH shows. I felt for the mom last night. I don't know if she was just giving in because they were on camera and needed drama or if she really lets her daughter dictate her life. My eyes were in permanent side eye when I heard the mom was going have a long commute and live on the coast after Sandy to appease Gabby. I wonder how they are faring this winter with all of the snow storms. 

I'm glad that the mom stood her ground a little with the kitchen back splash and carbels. I didn't like them but am glad she did it. She should have been able to make it beige city, it was her house! 

I thought that the baker from last week was too dominant with the kitchen, Gabby takes the prize. Her mom created her, but she was unreal.

 

I was happy they didn't choose the 1930's house after Gabby said she wanted to paint the exposed wood white and black.  

[ChelseaNH]

Climbing aboard the "shut up, Gabby" train.  No, random kitchen designing person, you do NOT need to take Gabby's taste into consideration, especially when it conflicts with the taste of the person who actually owns the house.

[QuinnM]

And speaking for random kitchen designing person, am I crazy or did he suggest replacing the cabinets with the exact same cabinet?  It look liked the same white paneled door.  And then that horrid luminescent tile.  I guess he figured any fool that is carrying around a dog all day would think it was cool.  If she didn't like it I imagine hime saying something like, well it's what Khloe has in her kitchen.

 

Man those two fools deserve each other.

[zxy556575]

Too late now, but the mother needed to kick Gabby out and buy the damned house she wanted.

[aguabella]

I also googled, and saw that not only is it a mail order only business, but there was only one whopping Yelp review on the bakery--just didn't seem all that successful to me, certainly not enough to open up a location in Los Angeles, which seems like a wasted effort, given all of the broken dreams of previous bakery owners who tried to cash in on the cupcake/cake pop craze five years ago. 

 

I have a question--the internet (meaning, here at previously) told me that HGTV gives homeowners 25k towards renovation, but I'm starting to question that. The Los Angeles family featured recently (four daughters, homeschooled) said that they had a $30k budget, and that his parents generously gave them the $30k. Then they went over another $10k and said that the parents gifted them that money too, so where does the HGTV allowance come in? 

 

WRT the cake pops, the yelp review was from LA, praising the mail order business.  In fact, it may have been the friend that walked thru their in-progress reno once.  (Was that Dana?)  No bias there, right ???  They have no bakery location in Denver - it's delivery to Denver, too.  She probably contracts out the production to an industrial baker b/c it's so small. 

 

Had the feeling during the entire episode that her wife, the pharmacy rep, was purchasing the home.  Looks like they may have only a small Denver condo so she probably wanted the tax deduction.  And, perhaps baker wife hopes to return to LA at some point.  They never mentioned possibly opening an LA location; they merely said that might become their main home.  Makes sense, given the size of their condo plus the wife's independence as a pharmacy rep. 

 

The allowance is 30K.  I believe it's paid directly by HGTV to the vendors.  HGTV provides the designer.  The homeschooling family was a rerun.  I don't watch reruns so haven't seen it recently.  (You mean the folks who set up the phony "walking to the pool" shower scene, right?)  I do remember from when I saw it that the parents paid for some things.   

 

I pay close attention to certain things during the episodes, especially budgets.  Would have to watch it again but I don't recall a budget discrepancy.  I suspect HGTV paid for their master bathroom and they had to cover everything else.  IIRC, they did h/w floors on their lower level, the kids' bath and the master bedroom.  The designer was unusual b/c he was also a gc;  I believe he rec'd the entire 30K allowance for that bath.

 

The 30K is why, IMHO, many of the homeowners state they have a max budget of X, spend X (or almost X) on their home purchase and then state that they're going to try and keep the reno to 30K!

Edited March 2, 2015 by aguabella

[Peanutbuttercup]

I don't know, I like the cake pop/truffle couple but I thought the story about wanting a vacation home in LA was weird. My thought was that they were probably flipping the house, and they probably do that on a regular basis. The fact that the cake pop business seems embryonic/not terribly viable makes me think even more that they are flippers.

 

ETA: shut up Gabby! God! Also, I thought the whole kitchen was pretty awful. The combination of the old-fashioned antique white cabinets, swirly grey and white counters, and blinged-out, busy, glossy bright blue backsplash was just off. I wasn't crazy about any of the individual elements and putting them together just made all of them worse (for me anyway).

Edited March 2, 2015 by Peanutbuttercup

[Mittengirl]

I hate when the designer tells the homeowner to "trust me" when presented with something they don't like. I keep hoping that the HO will come back with asking if the designer will pay to have it redone to their taste if they don't like it.

My house, my money, you do it to my taste, not yours. Or Gabby's.

[CruiseDiva]

I really wanted to bitch slap that daughter right into the ocean. But the mother deserved the commute--she raised that entitled brat.

[TwirlyGirly]

I, too, believe Gabby is a spoiled, entitled brat - and wondered why her mother panders to her in the extreme. I started to think about it, and realized what probably is happening is this:

 

Mother has three kids, all of whom have reached or are about to reach the age at which they will be living on their own and have their own lives. IF she was still married, Mom would be teetering at the brink of "empty nest syndrome," and working on rekindling her relationship with her husband and planning their future. Most likely, like the rest of us, she thought she and her husband would grow old together. But now that they're divorced, her future is a big unknown and everything she thought about what that future would be like has to be abandoned.

 

Also, one of the toughest things for moms in general is accepting and moving past that feeling of "no one needs me anymore."

 

So, I can see why Mom is giving Gabby so much power. Somewhere in her subconscious, avoiding having to face a future alone (with no idea how to restructure that future in light of her present circumstances) by doing whatever she needs to keep Gabby at home where she can still "mother" her is the lesser of two evils.

 

Not saying she's right. What she is doing is selfish, although she probably doesn't realize it. Gabby needs to be booted out of the nest post haste and Mom needs to figure out what she wants the rest of her life to look like and work towards achieving those goals. Therapy would definitely help.

 

I actually liked the kitchen reno. But I'm with others who said the first cabinet choice the designer presented was identical to the cabinets already IN the kitchen. What was that about?

 

My only objection to the whole thing - including the choice of house - was that the decision should have been entirely the Mom's. I would have nipped Gabby's attitude in the bud in about two seconds flat. "Oh, you don't like the blue shingles? Well, if I decide this is the house I want, if the blue bothers you THAT much, you are welcome to buy the supplies and equipment needed to repaint them with your OWN money and put YOUR sweat and tears into the work. And that goes for anything else that doesn't meet your standards in whichever house I choose. Got it?"

 

 

[aguabella]

I don't know, I like the cake pop/truffle couple but I thought the story about wanting a vacation home in LA was weird. My thought was that they were probably flipping the house, and they probably do that on a regular basis. The fact that the cake pop business seems embryonic/not terribly viable makes me think even more that they are flippers.

 

 

 

Am not a betting person but would pretty much bet you any amount of money that the Denver/LA women are not flippers.  Could give you numerous reasons but will try to only bore everyone with a couple of high points.  Besides the general lack of RE knowledge they displayed, they purchased a home with a pool.  IMHO, no flipper would do so b/c that automatically reduces your buyer pool upon resale.  A certain number of buyers won't even tour/consider a pool house. 

 

Another note about the pool (that is, the physical pool, not the buyer pool, lol):  no flipper, again IMHO, would convert a flip house pool to salt water.  For that pool, they would have simply cleaned it up and hired a pool person to maintain it during the listing period. 

 

Overall, WRT their reno, they used nicer materials and made changes than flippers, IMHO, wouldn't bother with.  They were fixing up the home for their use, not placing lipstick on a pig to turn around and list asap.  In addition, all RE is local and flippers succeed by purchasing properties in areas they're familiar with - usually that's where they live.  These two have both resided in the Denver area for many years.  It'd be highly unlikely that they'd purchase a flip property thousands of miles away from home. 

 

I rarely look these HH participants up but did them b/c I was curious about the viability of their business.  (Hey, they hoped viewers would check out their business, right?)  In my system, RE transactions appear but for them, besides the small Denver condo, nothing was listed.  You'd normally find numerous transactions / properties associated with flippers.  So, for the above reasons plus many others, I don't believe they're flippers.  Incidentally, they never called the LA property a "vacation home";  they called it a "second home".

 

WRT the cake business, the baker wife mentioned a fairly recent battle with breast cancer while doing press.  She started this business around the time she left her previous job.  Makes sense to me that she possibly left for medical reasons but wanted to do something to further her food science career between treatments.  The bakery allows her to experiment and provides the flexibility of working from home.  BTW, flippers need capital so the business' possible lack of viability actually makes it less likely that they're flippers, i.e. not more, IMHO. 

Edited March 3, 2015 by aguabella

[biakbiak]

The designer and the daughter in the CT episode were both beyond annoying and deserved each other. Neither of you are paying the bills so you can both shut the hell up about what you like. His initial choices were awful in my opinion and his initial backsplash was beyond hideous. I didn't mind the final choice except I thought it was much too busy for the section by the stove where it was such a large section of tile. His "sure you have to make your client happy but it's important to leave your mark" attitude was annoying; um, no if you don't like the finished product just ask the client not to mention that you were the designer or quit your only requirement should be to make the client happy even if it's not to your taste. It's always been the case that the designer was hired by the network but I feel like in the first season or so of this show they actually tried to please the client; whereas in these newer episodes it seems they want the designer to cause drama.

 

I really hope the mother actually wanted to live at the beach and her daughter just took one for the team because buying a Sandy damaged home a two hour commute from where you work because your petulant annoying 19 year old daughter wanted to be close to the water is beyond stupid. I also love when they were talking about how awesome the beach as they were sitting on a blanket in sweatshirts on a rocky stone filled beach, how relaxing!

Edited March 3, 2015 by biakbiak

[aguabella]

I pretty much agree with everyone's analysis of Carla & Gabby's situation.  Early on during the episode, Carly said, "As a single mother ...".  In response, I shouted, "No, no, no!".  That's the crux of the problem, IMHO - Carla needs to see / define herself as a single/divorced woman with 2 adult children.

 

Prior to her divorce, Carla relished her role as a wife with a huge CT home, entertaining her large Italian family.  Bottom line, I believe she bought the beach house and expanded the kitchen in order to (partially) continue that role.  Ok, I'm divorced but at least I have the cool pad and can invite my f&f in to show off!

 

WRT Gabby's behavior and entitled attitude, the primary person responsible (besides Gabby, obviously) is the one staring back at Carla in the mirror, i.e. Carla herself, IMHO.  That's the child you raised, the one you deserve, the one you created by repeatedly demonstrating (to her) your lack of a backbone.

 

It appeared the seller flipped that house, placing some significant lipstick on the pig to wash away the memory of Sandy.  The kitchen reno appeared new.  (The difference between the existing cabinets plus the designer's initial suggestion was quality, IMHO.)  It was definitely large enough for a single woman in her situation.

 

Instead of expanding the kitchen and gutting it to continue the illusion of the happy family in the big house, IMHO Carla could have painted or glazed the existing cabinets, changed out the hardware, added an inexpensive backsplash and (possibly) replaced the solid surface countertop, although it appeared perfectly fine.  Or, if the cabinets look awful IRL, retain the countertop and cabinet boxes but replace the cabinet fronts.

 

The "office" could double as both an office and butler's pantry, with counters for potluck serving, to facilitate entertaining.  Alternatively, that space could also accommodate a regular pantry and/or provide basic storage.

 

What was wrong with the existing, gleaming h/w floors?  Not the latest, most updated color to show off to the big family and wealthy, pre-divorce, moneyed friends?  Or, did they refinish them b/c the kitchen was gutted and the floor space under the peninsula disturbed?  By retaining the existing kitchen, there's probably no need to incur that expense, either.

 

After living in the space for a few years, if her lifestyle continues to include extensive entertaining and she truly needs the space, she can always gut the office and update the kitchen at that time. 

 

Carla could use the $$$ saved to create a master bath sanctuary for herself in a similar fashion, i.e. not gutting it, unless necessary.  As she goes through these life changes, that'd be the better use for the funds, IMHO.

 

Any additional, overall budget savings could be used to create a larger than normal repair reserve.  Home inspectors are not required to open walls or other inaccessible spaces so future repairs may be very costly.

 

The above would be my suggestions, my .02 to Carla, assuming she'd already purchased the home, if/when I talked with her.  Otherwise, because she's experienced a life change, it'd be better for her, IMHO, to rent while she charts a new course for her life, going forward. 

 

Who knows?  Perhaps she'd prefer to move to another area, travel, return to school and/or change careers???  Why commit to another home and mortgage payment?  (Am guessing her ex-spouse is responsible for the kids' college expenses, BTW.)

 

P.S.  Like all of you, the designer annoyed me.  The gc/remodeler too, BTW - 

Edited March 3, 2015 by aguabella

[MsChicklet]

Well, we not only got a renovation, but a heaping helping of codependency and steel-cable apron strings.

 

Carla said she worked in the middle of the state. Which could mean places like Hartford, Middletown, UConn Medical Center in Farmington, New Britain. If so, buying a house in Milford was about the dumbest thing she could have done. That commute is going to be a drag.

Edited March 4, 2015 by MsChicklet

[aguabella]

I agree, Ms. Chicklet, had to wonder if the marriage/divorce/kids robbed Carla of a few brain cells.  She didn't come off as a great actress to be faking it when she expressed surprise that they were doing the floors.  Was amazed when she said, "What goes there?", pointing to the eat-in kitchen area.  Say, what???  Well, Carla, did you see the center fixture with a hanging light attached?  Yep, you need the designer jerk to suggest that you replace the eat-in area with ... an eat-in area!

 

Tried to check out a few photos the other day but neither the designer nor the remodeler updated their social media for HHR.  They should have - even though the reno was unnecessary IMHO, except for a few minor details, the final result was nice.  Maybe, just maybe, designer jerk isn't as smart as he believes.

 

If Carla's lucky, the divorce will force her to grow a pair and Gabby will move out.  Hopefully the RE market in that area will stay strong / improve so she can get her $$$ out of that place and start a new life.

[biakbiak]

The eyebrows, my god the eyebrows on the Sommerville wife! I adored the accents, my sister lives in Sommerville and even though neither her or her husband grew up in Mass we think it would be awesome if my niece got the accent!

[Porkchop]

I live in central Massachusetts and you could buy a similar house to the one in Somerville for about $250,000, maybe less, in my area (Greenfield, Athol, Gardner, Fitchburg, Leominster). All you city folk ought to head west on Route 2 ... the farther out you go, the less expensive the real estate. I was amazed at the asking prices on those Somerville houses. They did do a great rehab though ... good for them!

[peggy06]

All the paneling in that 2-flat in Somerville- weird! I felt like I was in a summer cottage in the woods. It seemed so out of place.

[NYGirl]

I loved the Somerville family.  I really enjoy the episodes more when the participants are so likeable.

 

I liked the house and what they did.  It always annoys me on both HH and HHI when clearly the family needs 3 BRs and the realtor only shows them 2 BR places.

 

The only thing I didn't like was the table in the corner!  It looks so small with no room.  And now they gave up their dining room to make the 3rd bedroom so where are they going to entertain?  Also there was that whole wall the designer put yellow wall paper on...couldn't it be used for something?  Did I miss something?

 

Do you think that designer was pregnant?

 

Just catching up on TiVos and I watched the 2 guys buying in Ct from a couple of weeks ago.  My God that guy was such a drama queen..throwing hissy fits over everything.  He's got the right partner though..he was able to calm him down.  I really loved the kitchen although it was the same old but with a different floor.  I did like the blue accents.

Edited March 8, 2015 by NYGirl

[biakbiak]

And now they gave up their dining room to make the 3rd bedroom so where are they going to entertain?

 

They had a dining table in the living room which was big enough to be both.

[chessiegal]

I have a question on the Mass episode - when they were demonstrating to the couple that the small eat-in table in the corner in the kitchen would work, the table top looked to be mid-chest height, too high for a table to eat at (for me, anyway). Is that the way the table ended up? I didn't pay close enough attention to the reveal.

[laredhead]

I liked the Somerville episode, but I think I would have sacrificed the kitchen table area and served meals on the dining room table in order to have more cabinets and a full size washer and dryer in the kitchen.  The type of stacked washer & dryer they showed doesn't hold a lot of laundry.  My grandmother's house was too small to have an eat in kitchen and all meals were eaten on the dining room table.  Why save that space for just a few times a year when you are living in a small space.  The microwave could have been placed on a shelf just below one of the upper cabinets by taking the bottom half of the upper cabinet and turning it into a shelf.  That way you don't have to open a cabinet door everytime you use the microwave as was shown in the reveal.  My son has a set up like that and he likes it because he doesn't have to bend down to use the microwave. 

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I loved the Somerville family.  I really enjoy the episodes more when the participants are so likeable.

 

 

 

Me too!  Absolutely so sweet and unassuming.  To me, all of the places were DUMPS, but the wife kept such a positive attitude.  The kids were adorable (they need a baby sister too, to make it extra cute), and I loved how family members and firefighters helped with the work.

 

I'd love to take much more time to figure out the space of that kitchen and the entire unit.  I agree that if you don't have room for an eat-in kitchen, either open the space up (probably too expensive), or eat in the dining room. The nook was cute and cozy, but once those boys get bigger, I just don't think it will work for the entire family.  The table top was at a normal height in the end, for the person who missed it.

 

 

but I think I would have sacrificed the kitchen table area and served meals on the dining room table in order to have more cabinets and a full size washer and dryer in the kitchen.

 

and

 

The microwave could have been placed on a shelf just below one of the upper cabinets by taking the bottom half of the upper cabinet and turning it into a shelf.  That way you don't have to open a cabinet door everytime you use the microwave as was shown in the reveal.  My son has a set up like that and he likes it because he doesn't have to bend down to use the microwave.

 

Yes!  I have a feeling that the designer is not an expert in kitchen design.  I loved the colors of the cabinets and counters, very "on trend", but I don't think it went well with the yellow paint on the walls, and I love yellow.

 

I thought the wife was cute with her design ideas.  Good for her for trying some things that she saw online.

 

Regarding the Denver/LA episode, I liked that as well, although the kitchen was too modern in the end for me.  They both seemed very nice, although it seems as if the baker gets her way more often than not.  And that is fine if it works for them.  Just noticing the dynamic.

[Totale]

We lived in Somville (yer gateway to Meffa) for 20 years and so had to watch this - amazing to see the kind of crappy floor through apartments we lived in back then are now renting for 1800 a month, and the shabby buildings they're in cost half a mil.  Make no mistake, the camera hides it some but those "living" and bedrooms are small, for the bedrooms a real big one would be 14' square and the living rooms and kitchens aren't much bigger.  My biggest headscratcher was the so-called designer - does she not own a tape measure?  She didn't "expect" the chimney to be where it was when they finished demolition?  She was surprised at how little room she left to get by the cabinets to get into their breakfast nooklet? 

[laredhead]

Totale, I believe the apartment they were going to live in was only about 1200 sf, so 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom was not going to provide spacious rooms.  I wasn't impressed with the designer's plans.  If that blank wall she left in the kitchen was shared with the living room they could have opened it up and made an eating bar, but maybe it did not.  At any rate, I think another designer could have probably reconfigured the kitchen to be more user friendly.  Love the term "nooklet".

[biakbiak]

The blank wall did not open to the living room. The wall where all the cabinets and stove was relocated to was the wall that opened to the living room. Perhaps they didn't want an open floorplan.

[Bastet]

Perhaps they didn't want an open floorplan.

 

I don't think you're allowed on HH if you don't want an open floor plan.

[aguabella]

I had two words for the Boston/Somerville designer:  Exposed Brick!  Guess gf skipped class that day at design school.  Does she design in colonial-crazed Boston???  (Yes, she was pregnant.)  And, a few more words, as follows, lol:

 

Overall, IMHO that place was a large apartment and with their family of 4, I can't see them lasting more than 3 years there.  Those boys will only get bigger;  I can't imagine how they did cooped up this winter, in fact.  I would have done nice upgrades for them but saved some $$$ b/c eventually it'll be their rental when they move into a sf home. 

 

Another word:  storage.  That kitchen was just too small for a family of 4.  They barely fit into the nook, now.  It gave me claustrophobia, watching them squeeze into it on camera.

 

They needed the back wall space so I would have taken the cabinets all the way around, even if only 1/2 cabs fit, leaving the exposed brick as a post.  (One note, however, they would need a partial wall behind the post, on that one side, for some utilities where she'd placed the nook.  That might accommodate a small kitchen desk or pull-down unit, across from a run of 1/2 cabs.)

 

I would eliminate the huge mother of a frig, using a tall, apartment sized frig.  It could be boxed in adjacent to the post, leaving the brick visible on the front side or placed just down from the d/w in that cab run.  If by the post, that'd prob leave room for a tall, narrow, pull-out pantry.  With the way gf designed it, I'm sure they're using a pantry in the basement!

 

Alternatively, with the frig in the cab row, they could place large pantry cabs in that space.  (They need them!)  Or, those cabs could be turned around, facing the stack laundry unit on the back wall and also used for laundry supplies.  The back side of those cabs (if/when turned around) could be painted with chalkboard paint as a message center and fun drawing area for the boys.

 

To save $$$, I would place the stove almost in the same place but in a full cab row on that back wall.  I'd eliminate the fancy $$$ hood and sub in an updated stove with the exhaust hood/microwave over top.  The back wall of narrow cabinetry (behind the post and 1/2 wall) could include a clothes folding counter and/or simply storage for items used less frequently. 

 

WRT the microwave, I'm sure they placed it in that bottom cabinet for the kids.  Agree that a microwave shelf would be better.  Designing it as a rental, however, expecting mostly adult tenants, I believe the micro/hood is the best option to save space.  Alternatively, if space permits, they could install a narrow, center island and place the microwave on the outside shelf of it, facing the long wall so the kids could access it that way.

 

For the eat-in, I'd do either a narrow center island and/or open up part of that first wall to the d/r to accommodate a peninsula.  (Leaving the stove on the other side allows more room for a peninsula.)  They didn't say but I have a feeling they didn't open it up for $$$ reasons - it must be load bearing.  The peninsula prob eliminates the load-bearing issue and that'd give the kids a breakfast area.  It'd probably seat 2-3.  

 

Agree with previous posters, family dinners can be served in the d/r or possibly at the center island, if installed.  I'd prob use a significantly smaller table, however, b/c of the breakfast area.  Also, b/c that room's their only living space, it'd be nice if it was a little more open.)  If they entertain, a d/r table with leaves would work.

 

Would have been nice to hear the details about why the long wall couldn't be utilized and the possibility of either open concept or a peninsula.  It's not that I'm so enamored of open concept - just considering the desires of future tenants.  If they make the place feel more spacious, they can prob score higher rents.

 

Although I agree about the stackable laundry unit being too small for their family, I suspect they share a full-size in the basement with their downstairs tenant.  The stackable will be attractive for future tenants. 

 

BTW, if they'd used an apartment-sized frig, they could always maintain a freezer in the basement, together with their pantry (lol), and take it along to their sf home.  Tptb, IIRC, didn't air any shots of this unit's basement so I have a feeling they might have had the subsidiary kitchen and common laundry area already in place!

 

Had the f/f husband ever seen HHR?  He said the shaker-style cabs were NOT cookie-cutter, lol??  She prob cheaped them out by using paint-grade.  The grey/yellow's a classic combo and not white (lol) so that was nice.  Just concerned they can't stain them, if desired, in the future.  His chandelier would be even more visible if placed over a center island or simply in the center of the room.  They can always sub in another light fixture b4 showing the place to tenants, if he'd like to use it in their sf home.

 

Hope their rental unit stays leased up so they can move fairly quickly and afford something in Somerville to meet the residency requirement.  I truly believe his wife and boys will go nuts in that place for more than a few years.  7 years, uh, no way!  For this episode, I didn't believe her expressed desire for a sf home was the designated, producer-driven conflict. 

 

Anyway, JMHO.  Yes, it's more than two words, lol!

 

ETA:  had a few thoughts about the bathroom.  They prob could have saved at least some $$$ to apply towards the kitchen.

Edited March 12, 2015 by aguabella

[NYGirl]

You put a lot of my thoughts into words aguabella.  That episode brought so many questions and so little answers.  It was so frustrating.  I would hope for a Where Are They Now episode on them in the future.

[aguabella]

We lived in Somville (yer gateway to Meffa) for 20 years and so had to watch this - amazing to see the kind of crappy floor through apartments we lived in back then are now renting for 1800 a month, and the shabby buildings they're in cost half a mil.  Make no mistake, the camera hides it some but those "living" and bedrooms are small, for the bedrooms a real big one would be 14' square and the living rooms and kitchens aren't much bigger.  My biggest headscratcher was the so-called designer - does she not own a tape measure?  She didn't "expect" the chimney to be where it was when they finished demolition?  She was surprised at how little room she left to get by the cabinets to get into their breakfast nooklet? 

 

Agree, that was simply ridiculous, Totale.  Couldn't tell if it was the designated faux-drama.  After noticing it through the roof, the chimney's exact location is (typically) easily determined by checking it out in the attic or basement.  Or, get permission to enter the tenant's space and verify the fireplace's location - uh, duh! 

 

And, for this unit, it had to be at the end of / in front of that counter unit that was sideways, eventually replaced by the stackable w/d and frig.  Also, it appeared those units were almost mirror images of each other, except for the upper floor bump-out.

 

What's that - about 12 different ways to determine the chimney's location?  I could give gf a break b/c I'm not 100% sure if the production company supplies the measurements to these designers or how it all happens.  (Wouldn't you insist on inspecting the space and/or measuring it before presenting your plan to tptb?)  That said, her statement that the post's location would totally screw up her design plan was also ridiculous! 

 

And, if you were the designer, wouldn't you also insist that the faux drama not make you look like an idiot, lol?

Edited March 13, 2015 by aguabella

[aguabella]

You put a lot of my thoughts into words aguabella.  That episode brought so many questions and so little answers.  It was so frustrating.  I would hope for a Where Are They Now episode on them in the future.

 

Thanks, NYGirl!  Agree, it would have been nice if they'd explained a few more things.  I visited the designer's website, looking for answers.  She had a few add'l photos but nothing about those walls or her design decisions, naturally.  At least the photos helped me estimate some measurements so I could determine that my suggestions would be feasible.

 

Yes, they were such a nice family that it'd be great to see them again.  Don't believe they'll last long in that place.  If the HHR process didn't wear them out, it'd be terrific to have them on again when they do their s.f. house!

 

ETA:  I'm sure Designer Gina's too busy that month to handle the filming schedule, lol!  Incidentally, someone above may be correct about her experience with kitchens - wasn't looking for them but didn't notice any kitchen design pics featured on her website.  She had pics of prob at least half a dozen other renos.

Edited March 14, 2015 by aguabella

[laredhead]

Did anyone see the latest episode last night with Miggy, the diver with Homeland Security?  That is a really interesting profession.  What a wonderful, supportive family she has and it was fun to see some of the family working with her at the house.  Even though her mother had some pretty firm ideas of what she wanted Miggy to buy, they still have a close relationship after all was said and done.  That house was a mess though.  Wow, what a fixer.  They probably used gallons of Kilz on those bright colored walls before they could be painted.  if she had sacrificed one of the bedrooms, she might have been able to get the huge master bath she wanted, but if she wants to sell the house in the future, having only 2 bedrooms would probably be a detriment no matter how nice the master bathroom is.  Everytime I see a show from California, I am in shock at the outrageous prices for houses that look almost like teardowns, IMO.     

[MsChicklet]

It was a refreshing change to see someone who wasn't going balls-to-the-wall on a kitchen renovation. That looked like a laminate or vinyl they were installing in there, and, while she did a nice job on the kitchen, Miggy wasn't willing to break the bank.

 

I agreed with her on the glass doors to the pool area in the master bedroom. No way as a single woman living alone would I have had that.

[laredhead]

MsChicklet, the countertops were quartz and the floors were laminate in both the kitchen and living roon.  Her designer gave her some good advice as to the two patterns and how they would look against each other. 

[MsChicklet]

I liked the designer's advice, especially on the flooring. The original planned flooring was way too busy/grainy. And they kept the plans for the kitchen simple rather than blowing out walls and moving stuff around, etc.

[abby1000]

I liked Miggy. She did not freak out too much about the issues that came up, she had sensible plans for her reno, she asked for advice from the pros, and her family was awesome. What  refreshing break from the usual over the top drama.

[ChelseaNH]

Miggy's mom was driving me nuts during the house search, though.

[aguabella]

Miggy's mom was driving me nuts during the house search, though.

 

"How much you gonna pee?", lol.  Sorry - couldn't resist.

 

Best line I've heard on HH - maybe ever?

Edited March 16, 2015 by aguabella

[aguabella]

It was a refreshing change to see someone who wasn't going balls-to-the-wall on a kitchen renovation. That looked like a laminate or vinyl they were installing in there, and, while she did a nice job on the kitchen, Miggy wasn't willing to break the bank.

 

I agreed with her on the glass doors to the pool area in the master bedroom. No way as a single woman living alone would I have had that.

 

First off, they gave us another likable house hunter and family on HHR so that's a good trend!

 

Agree, MsChicklet, that Miggy saved a few pennies on certain materials but overall, IMHO, she did go "balls-to-the-wall", to borrow your phrase!  60K?  Too much, IMHO. *

 

Although her professionals also seemed very likable, I wasn't sure they gave her the best advice, although we don't know what tptb edited out.  First off, most importantly, I was concerned that she overpaid for the home.  When the realtor said she was probably walking into the garage but found the 3rd bedroom instead, she told Miggy that the listing was submitted incorrectly.  Not necessarily, IMHO.

 

Many houses of this age have add-ons to increase their square footage.  It's usually a garage reno and in 90% (statistically) of the cases, it's my understanding that they're non-permitted and thus, illegal.  So, technically, the house may have been properly listed as a 2/2.  BTW, they showed a quick shot of the garage towards the end of the episode so it wasn't the garage.

 

Even if it wasn't the garage, it still may have been illegal.  In CA, for homes of that age, they typically, again in my understanding, built homes over a crawl space.  Makes it much easier to relocate plumbing.  Those guys were jackhammering through a slab on grade, the method used for new homes today.  So, that's another clue that the 3rd bedroom may have been an add-on.

 

Besides that, even taking into account the large pool, that yard seemed slightly small for that age home.  (You can often correctly guess a home's age from the lot size, lol!) 

 

What's the point?  Well, IMHO, the realtor should have had someone check permits.  The city, if they discovered an illegal room, could have forced Miggy to rip it all out.  Yes, it's fine now b/c we all know, or technically assume, that Miggy's work was permitted, inspected and up to current code.

 

But, if Miggy was purchasing 2 bedrooms plus 1 illegal bedroom, bottom line IMHO, she only purchased a 2 bedroom home and the price should have reflected that.  Because she did the work properly, we assume, she'd be entitled to any equity increase resulting from her renovation to make the house a 3/2.

 

Next question:  who ratted her out to the bank?  Frequently, the bank f/c departments don't have much specific knowledge of the properties.  they have scads of case files so they want to process them and remove the dead weight, previously written-off assets off their books. 

 

The way these rooms typically cause problems, BTW, is when a buyer's appraiser discovers the situation and the bank won't finance the home as a 3 bedroom so the appraisal comes in much lower than expected, lower than the contract price .  That'd be Miggy's bank, however, not necessarily the liquidating bank. 

 

We don't know what happened, here.  The typical garage step-down plus the lack of a garage (!) makes garage renos obvious.  Sounds like this room was seamless so the appraiser probably noted it as a 3 bedroom.  Doesn't mean the bank f/c officer reviewed that or noticed it.  The appraisal would have been commissioned and technically belong to Miggy. 

 

This property, I assume, would have easily appraised.  We don't know, however, how it was priced.  Technically, homes are priced on the overall square footage, i.e. not the number of bedrooms.  Was that room's area included??  Unfortunately, we'll never know!  And, was this just some HH drama?  Anyway, for many reasons, I was surprised when they indicated she paid 70K more, 22% more!  

 

So, overall, that was my biggest concern - that Miggy possibly overpaid for the property.  The add'l 70K tacked on to the purchase price exceeds her total reno cost!  Yes, we know she probably financed that but anyway ... 

 

 

*More on the reno later.

Edited March 16, 2015 by aguabella

[KLovestoShop]

I can tell you all, that after an extensive renovation of my master bathroom, I'm totally convinced that HHR is either getting ALL their products at cost, or they pay nothing for labor or they are downright fudging on the costs of renovating these houses. There's no way on God's green earth that these homeowners get everything they claim, with such small budgets. Even on Fixer Upper, a show I like because I really like the couple who do the renovations, I simply cannot believe they get all the things done for so little money. When people like the obnoxious mother and the spoiled brat daughter get appliances, a huge center island, new flooring, fancy backsplash, upgraded countertops and glazed cabinets, plus all the plumbing and electrical and everything else, how did they get all that for a relatively small budget? I know what my bathroom cost, and it's a whole lot smaller than a big kitchen, and my costs weren't small.

I just wish they'd be totally upfront with the real costs on all these renovation and fixer upper shows.

[aguabella]

I can tell you all, that after an extensive renovation of my master bathroom, I'm totally convinced that HHR is either getting ALL their products at cost, or they pay nothing for labor or they are downright fudging on the costs of renovating these houses. There's no way on God's green earth that these homeowners get everything they claim, with such small budgets. Even on Fixer Upper, a show I like because I really like the couple who do the renovations, I simply cannot believe they get all the things done for so little money. When people like the obnoxious mother and the spoiled brat daughter get appliances, a huge center island, new flooring, fancy backsplash, upgraded countertops and glazed cabinets, plus all the plumbing and electrical and everything else, how did they get all that for a relatively small budget? I know what my bathroom cost, and it's a whole lot smaller than a big kitchen, and my costs weren't small.

I just wish they'd be totally upfront with the real costs on all these renovation and fixer upper shows.

 

Wouldn't surprise me, KLovestoShop, if tptb receive some promotional consideration when they negotiate the 30K fixed contract for the main project.  The designer's provided to the homeowner free of charge and tptb most likely receive a deal there, too. 

 

Anything over and above the 30K, however, must be paid by the homeowner.  Plus, at the end of the day, they'd receive a 1099 (and tax bill) for not just the 30K but the retail value of all goods and services received. 

 

You're referring to CT's Carla and Gabby, right?  The mother and daughter?  Not sure which expenses you mean.  No, agree, tptb don't provide enough of a cost breakdown.  Don't know if appliance upgrades would be included in their total kitchen or if tptb receive promotional consideration there, too. 

 

Bottom line, I typically assume that the production company/network covers the main project, e.g. kitchen for Carla.  Any additional projects or repairs other than the 30K/initial project, assuming again, must be covered by the homeowners.

 

Yes, it'd be terrific if they provided more information but unfortunately, I can't see them doing it.  They're no longer either producing and/or airing Design on a Dime or Design to Sell, budget reno shows, right?  Perhaps their advertisers aren't lining up to pay higher ad rates for that type of programming.

 

P.S.  WRT Fixer Upper, I believe their TX location explains everything.  Labor's typically one of the highest line items if not the highest, correct?  If we had a labor rate analysis, TX might compete for the lowest rate by state.

Edited March 18, 2015 by aguabella

[aguabella]

MsChicklet, the countertops were quartz and the floors were laminate in both the kitchen and living roon.  Her designer gave her some good advice as to the two patterns and how they would look against each other. 

 

Not a big deal, laredhead, but I noticed the workmen installing some type of linoleum floor tiles in the kitchen and eat-in areas.  I believe they used laminate everywhere else.

 

I noticed it for a couple of reasons.  First, I was floored (oops, pun unintentional) that she didn't DIY that.  Second, from a RE standpoint, that was a very small home and IMHO it would feel significantly larger with consistent flooring throughout.

 

Well, with any luck, she can locate the same laminate pattern and thread it in at resale time.

 

ETA:  Tried to double-check on the designer's website but she didn't have photos.  Did verify it, however, for the reasons listed above, prior to deleting the episode.

Edited March 20, 2015 by aguabella

[aguabella]

I agreed with her on the glass doors to the pool area in the master bedroom. No way as a single woman living alone would I have had that.

 

I believe security is a personal issue and everyone should feel safe in their own home.  So, I respect her choice of the window.  That said, if she's that concerned, why not buy in another neighborhood?  If it'd be too expensive, continue renting until you can afford it.  Or, as a single woman, buy in a condo or other pud that has security.

 

WRT the door v. window issue, if someone wants to break in, they'll do it.  That window was nearly to the floor.  Sorry, it didn't appear secure to me.  In fact, IIRC, she had a slider on the eat-in area, just down from that window.  If she was that concerned about doors and security, why not remove that?

 

From a design standpoint, I wouldn't have chosen another slider.  How about one of the nicer, decorative, metal security screen doors plus some type of windowed, secure door?  That way, she would have two layers and a sturdy door frame between her bedroom and the pool area.  She wouldn't have to walk all the way around to get outside and the screen door would provide nice airflow on hot summer nights. 

 

WRT the issue that came up on purchasing the same type of window to coordinate with the slider, I agreed with her designer.  I would have purchased the same type.  Looked disjointed to me - as if a repair had been cheaped out at a later date.  Guess it had, sorta', lol.

 

IMHO, the best thing she can do to protect her home is install motion detector lights around the entire perimeter and just do a few other simple things.  Besides detecting motion, the better lights can time on and off at appropriate times during the day and night.  She didn't have tons of shrubbery so that's good.  If her front and side-yard landscaping matures, she'll need to keep it trimmed back. 

 

If she's still worried, she can consider a few other options, e.g. a security service or alarms.  Besides the lights, a barking dog motion detector might be a great choice for that pool area, set up by her back gate. 

 

Doing the small security things will make her neighbors' properties more attractive to criminals.  Unfortunately, that's the best way, again IMHO, to secure your own property.  Major knock on wood ...

Edited March 20, 2015 by aguabella

[biakbiak]

I don't know if I have hated a kitchen renovation on any HGTV show more than the CT couple tonight.

[laredhead]

Biakbiak, I'm not sure if it's the worst one I've seen, but it was not appealing to me either.  It looked thrown together.  I'm not a fan of banquettes because I'm short and always have to have a pillow behind me to be comfortable sitting on one, and if you have more than two people sitting at them, someone is always stuck in the middle and getting out is an ordeal.  If you like them, fine, but they are not for me.  I did like that the homeowners stepped in and did a lot of the upgrades themselves and that the husband seemed to be pretty handy.  I also liked their concern with using natural materials and recycling, but I wouldn't have gone so far as to declare vinyl products as totally unacceptable and ugly.  Perhaps that particular floor was not to the HH's liking and wasn't the most attractive, but I've seen some vinyl floors that are very attractive.  Some homeowners maybe not be able to spend the $$ that some natural products cost, so I wouldn't turn my nose up at all manmade products.  All in all, their renovation turned out well and the setting for the house was very pretty.  I can overlook the kitchen because the couple was nice to each other and worked well together unlike some we have seen on this show.