House Hunters - General Discussion

[Grizzly]

33 minutes ago, Pine said:

Denver,  isn't this a repeat?  Guy with Bull Terrier, looking for 3 bedroom in Uptown...

Yes, I remember the infernal giggling. Dog was cute.

[Crashcourse]

Those two Denver guys sounded exactly alike.

[ECM1231]

4 hours ago, Pine said:

Denver,  isn't this a repeat?  Guy with Bull Terrier, looking for 3 bedroom in Uptown...

Yes, it was, and I don't know why my DVR picked it up as new.

[Grizzly]

Alexandria, MN. She's being pretty picky for someone who is poor and has been homeless. Seeing as how they didn't get any footage of a train going by, I wouldn't worry about the railroad tracks. Guess frugal won out.

[Grizzly]

Florida to Pittsburgh. Not a direction you see often. These 2 are quite.... colorful characters. I liked the Victorian.  Really, she disliked the fruit chandelier? It looked right up her alley. The cranberry bathroom, I could live with that. Not feeling #2, I don't like split levels. But that was a very private backyard. Maybe too small for 3 dogs. Not sure I'd consider #3 to be a colonial. Making rainbows is a family affair.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Alexandria, MN. She's being pretty picky for someone who is poor and has been homeless. Seeing as how they didn't get any footage of a train going by, I wouldn't worry about the railroad tracks. Guess frugal won out.

Oh gosh, I was thinking the same thing, and immediately felt ashamed of myself for thinking that. I guess what bothered me the most was that all the homes seemed fine. I especially liked the first split level and was happy she chose it in the end, even though she complained about the "horror" of baseboard heat and in wall air conditioning.

Her negativity about those 2 things bugged me no end. Having grown up in a 1920s colonial, baseboard heat is a huge improvement over radiators. We didn't even have a single a/c growing up and when my husband drilled a hole in our living room wall to install an in wall a/c unit, I was never so happy. They were an improvement over window units, for sure.

I can understand eventually putting in central air if her budget allows, but I'd never combine it with a forced air heating system. Contractors like it in new builds because it's cheaper, but I find the air quality to be very dry. Also, I doubt MN has  long, prolonged hot summers, so why would central air be a priority?

This episode showed me that I am really behind the times. I thought the split level she chose was lovely and didn't find much fault with the other two. But then again I live in a home with no kitchen island, and golden oak cabinetry! 

Although I was annoyed with the homeowner's pickiness, I was happy she was able to purchase such a lovely home. Her son is very lucky to have the nice, entire basement to himself.

 

[mojito]

Alexandria, MN

I didn't think the woman was all that picky, especially when she liked that "custom" kitchen ("absolutely phenomenal")  that she said "literally" looked like it came from a magazine. The tired-looking blue countertops and tile floors were modern? 

I'm sure when you've experienced homelessness and lean times with your young son, by the time you can afford to purchase a home, you want to give him more. That didn't stop me from chuckling, though, when she talked about getting Jackson a space of his own. Yeah, we used to call that space of your own your bedroom, which you shared with a sibling. 

I'm happy for the woman and her son. 

Florida to Pittsburgh

There's nothing that teenagers wants more than to have their father become a stay-at-home dad. Too bad they didn't get his often asked for Victorian. Now he can't see one or both of his sons come down the "regal" staircase in a ball gown. 

Definitely not a "cookie cutter" couple.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 3/8/2023 at 4:33 PM, ECM1231 said:

Yes, it was, and I don't know why my DVR picked it up as new.

There is something odd about the "new" label on the Denver and other reruns that end up being repeats.   Denver certainly wasn't a first run episode.   I've noticed that about the Sunday night episodes, and the Wednesday set of two episodes where only one is new. 

I'm glad the Minnesota house hunter found the right house for her, and her son.   Since it's a freight only train track behind the one house, then it could be very busy.    

The Pittsburgh move from Florida was so different, with the move.  I wonder how the winter went for them? 

Edited March 13, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[letusprocrastinate]

5 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm glad the Minnesota house hunter found the right house for her, and her son.   I'm wondering if the train track behind the one house was a commuter line, so the major traffic would be Monday through Friday?

It's all freight rail. 

Amtrak does go through Minnesota but the route is north of Alexandria.

Edited March 9, 2023 by letusprocrastinate

[chediavolo]

7 hours ago, mojito said:

Alexandria, MN

I didn't think the woman was all that picky, especially when she liked that "custom" kitchen ("absolutely phenomenal")  that she said "literally" looked like it came from a magazine. The tired-looking blue countertops and tile floors were modern? 

I'm sure when you've experienced homelessness and lean times with your young son, by the time you can afford to purchase a home, you want to give him more. That didn't stop me from chuckling, though, when she talked about getting Jackson a space of his own. Yeah, we used to call that space of your own your bedroom, which you shared with a sibling. 

I'm happy for the woman and her son. 

Florida to Pittsburgh

There's nothing that teenagers wants more than to have their father become a stay-at-home dad. Too bad they didn't get his often asked for Victorian. Now he can't see one or both of his sons come down the "regal" staircase in a ball gown. 

Definitely not a "cookie cutter" couple.

Yes, some thing not quite right about being a stay at home dad to teenagers. 🙄More likely he was fired and can’t get another job or something along those lines. They were both definitely a little different.

[BAForever]

I liked MN HH- and I liked her varied choices. One thing I didn't get was why her son really wanted a basement as opposed to the green house with the lovely upstairs all for him. From a practical point, a bunch of teenage boys upstairs may not be ideal, but it was a super space. Glad she didn't pick the new build. Would have been over budget with construction needed to finish. She did well IMO.

[amarante]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

Yes, some thing not quite right about being a stay at home dad to teenagers. 🙄More likely he was fired and can’t get another job or something along those lines. They were both definitely a little different.

Definitely something more bogus back story  than usual by having him explain he is a stay at home parent to teenagers. 

Couldn’t they come up with anything that made it appear less like excusing a deadbeat. There are all kinds of vague jobs that no one would question. 
 

 

[ECM1231]

Well, FL to Pittsburgh wife was a nurse anesthesiologist and she did mention that she makes the big bucks, so perhaps there was no need for the husband to be working outside of the home and he would prefer to stay home and take care of the cooking, cleaning, errands, etc. Nothing wrong with that.

I just can't get over how inexpensive Pittsburgh was but would hate not to have a garage. I guess it's pretty common in a lot of cities not to have them. 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

You also have to worry about snow removal, some streets have parking prohibited during snow removal periods, so you have to find somewhere else to park.    I always get a kick out of the realtors explaining the 'Pittsburgh Toilet' in the basements.      Actually, that one wasn't bad, it had walls around it, and a door too, often they are just sitting out in the open basement.  

I do like seeing the older houses with the quirky details.  

[amarante]

9 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

You also have to worry about snow removal, some streets have parking prohibited during snow removal periods, so you have to find somewhere else to park.    I always get a kick out of the realtors explaining the 'Pittsburgh Toilet' in the basements.      Actually, that one wasn't bad, it had walls around it, and a door too, often they are just sitting out in the open basement.  

I do like seeing the older houses with the quirky details.  

I thought the reason for the Pittsburg toilet was so that the miners or factory workers with very dirty jobs would go straight into the basement and wash up and leave their clothing there.

Even if there wasn't a shower there would always be some kind of utility sink there

I am not sure what having a toilet without any kind of sink is helpful. It seems rather unhygienic and reinforces people who don't wash their hands automatically after toileting. 

[ECM1231]

4 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

always get a kick out of the realtors explaining the 'Pittsburgh Toilet' in the basements.      Actually, that one wasn't bad, it had walls around it, and a door too, often they are just sitting out in the open basement.  

I never heard that term. Our family home had a boiler room in the basement and the toilet was just sitting out next to the furnace. My dad relocated it within a corner of the boiler room but put up 2 walls and a sink vanity. He put in vinyl flooring and even wallpaper. It was teeny, but it did the trick as the only other bath in the house was on the 2nd floor. 

My husband's house had an unfinished basement and there was a door to the oil burner. When you opened the door, there was a raised concrete platform and right on top sat the 'throne'. You could check on the water levels of the oil burner while doing your business. Again, it was the only other toilet in the house. After we married, we did go on and finish that basement and put in a full bath with shower. When we moved, my one non-negotiable was having at least a powder room on the first floor. No more going up to the 2nd floor or down to the basement when nature called. 

[Empress1]

21 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Yes, it was, and I don't know why my DVR picked it up as new.

Mine did too.

3 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Yes, some thing not quite right about being a stay at home dad to teenagers.

I remember an episode where the husband was a CEO and his wife was a “stay at home mom to [their] three dogs.” (They looked to be in their 50s so odds are good that if they’d had kids they were grown, but they didn’t mention kids.) I kept thinking, just say housewife. It’s fine.

[rhofmovalley]

My former coworker's husband stayed at home and they didn't have children. She made much more money than he had previously so they just decided she would work and he would cook, clean, maintain their home and take care of all errands. 

[chediavolo]

Does anyone know the actual reason why there is a toilet in these basements without a sink? This is vomit inducing to think about. Was there  a lot of typhoid going around? 🤮

[amarante]

22 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

Does anyone know the actual reason why there is a toilet in these basements without a sink? This is vomit inducing to think about. Was there  a lot of typhoid going around? 🤮

As I stated above, the basements have utility sinks so they would theoretically be used to wash hands or even clean off in the male equivalent of a whore’s bath.

These are in houses from the early part of the 20th century meant for the working class when some people still had outhouses and those had no sinks either  😂🤷‍♀️

By the 1950’s many people had a finished basement and would enclose the toilet and add a sink and sometimes even a prefab shower. These finished basements were pretty rudimentary and were basically intended to be a place for kids to hang out  

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by amarante

[Kimboweena]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

Does anyone know the actual reason why there is a toilet in these basements without a sink?

I would install one of these, at least.  They use the clean water from the tank.

[chessiegal]

When I was a kid, we'd visit a great uncle who owned a farm. Even though he could afford it, he was too damn cheap to install indoor plumbing. When we went to visit, my mom would bring tp because you never knew what was in the outhouse for your use.

[twoods]

The Modesto to Tennessee couple was decent. I was laughing when the background voice said they were looking for a slow pace lifestyle moving from Cali, and then they said they were from Modesto which is NOT the fast pace California lifestyle. I wonder how their teenager kids felt moving away from all their friends. And the dad is flying every other week to continue working at his hospital? I’m sure some nearby hospital needs a respiratory therapist. Sometimes I feel that these ridiculous backstories are fake.

[ECM1231]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

When we went to visit, my mom would bring tp because you never knew what was in the outhouse for your use.

Sears catalog?

[mojito]

9 hours ago, twoods said:

The Modesto to Tennessee couple was decent. I was laughing when the background voice said they were looking for a slow pace lifestyle moving from Cali, and then they said they were from Modesto which is NOT the fast pace California lifestyle. I wonder how their teenager kids felt moving away from all their friends. And the dad is flying every other week to continue working at his hospital?

Maybe the father's completing the rest of a contract.

I, too, was curious about this pace nonsense and checked Wikipedia.   I wouldn't move to a place whose population is 83% of my current city's if I was trying to get away from the hustle and bustle. And the weren't even living in Modesto, but in a city 20% smaller than Chattanooga. 

Crime, homelessness, politics, cost of living, and natural disasters are tops among stated reasons that people are leaving California. I suspect they concocted the story they did so as not to offend. 

I liked when the father walked through the saloon doors and declared that the kitchen wasn't big enough for both of them. 

That final scene of the father raking all those leaves while four able bodies watched...c'mon HH, you can stage a scene better than that. 

[Notabug]

21 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Well, FL to Pittsburgh wife was a nurse anesthesiologist and she did mention that she makes the big bucks, so perhaps there was no need for the husband to be working outside of the home and he would prefer to stay home and take care of the cooking, cleaning, errands, etc. Nothing wrong with that.

I just can't get over how inexpensive Pittsburgh was but would hate not to have a garage. I guess it's pretty common in a lot of cities not to have them. 

 

Nurse anesthetists (CRNA) can make a couple hundred thousand a year working full time, especially if they're in a hospital taking call and doing some nights, weekends and holidays.  Maybe he doesn't work because he doesn't need to and she doesn't care.

Every time she talked about painting a mural, hanging up wallpaper or painting the walls bright colors, I cringed inwardly. The final shot of their living room crammed full of huge pieces of furniture was chaotic and unappealing, IMO.

Quote

 

18 hours ago

Does anyone know the actual reason why there is a toilet in these basements without a sink? 

Back in the day, Pittsburgh was a very blue collar city with a lot of factory workers, especially in the steel mills and such.  Most of the workers got really filthy at work and would come home and go directly to the basement and change and wash up.  The basements were built with doors to the outside and no walls around the toilet which was usually near the laundry tubs and washer so the guy could clean up, put his work clothes in the washer and change into clean clothing.

Originally, the whole thing was just a basement, but, as time passed and people started wanting finished basements, they enclosed the toilet and perhaps moved the laundry tubs away to make room for the rec room.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Notabug

[rhofmovalley]

This is superficial but I wish Pittsburgh wife had worn something nicer than that sweatshirt for filming. Maybe to her that was a nice outfit but I wanted to take her shopping for comfortable yet stylish clothing. Not all those baggy pants and shapeless tops. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

22 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I always get a kick out of the realtors explaining the 'Pittsburgh Toilet' in the basements.     

That's one reason I watch this show--I like finding out how "other places" do things.  Every once in a while you get a nugget like the Pittsburgh Toilet.

2 hours ago, Notabug said:

Nurse anesthetists (CRNA) can make a couple hundred thousand a year working full time,

I've always known of them as nurse anesthetists, but noticed that she called herself a nurse anesthesiologist--maybe because it would be easier for the viewers to understand?

I can't remember their budget, but it seemed low for someone with that kind of pay.  But they were also choosing not to have the husband work, so maybe they were fine with not having the "most" house they could possibly afford.

On 3/9/2023 at 10:16 AM, letusprocrastinate said:

It's all freight rail.

Not quite all, but certainly the vast majority.  And on those freight rails, for 50 years the law has said rail operators must give priority to passenger trains, but they don't do it and (or probably because) the law has no enforcement mechanism.  So Amtrak's famously miserable on-time schedule isn't entirely their fault.  I file this under the category of "who knew?"  (Kind of like the Pittsburgh Toilet.  😀 )

https://www.amtrak.com/on-time-performance

My interest was piqued when I was on an Amtrak train creeping along at a walking pace with my destination's skyline sooooo close, and the conductor moaned about freight trains.  And it's not just Amtrak--I was on a commuter train in Chicago  stuck sitting still, and the announcement said it was waiting on freight traffic. 

On 3/8/2023 at 10:33 PM, Grizzly said:

Seeing as how they didn't get any footage of a train going by, I wouldn't worry about the railroad tracks.

Where I'm currently staying in my RV, there's a train track about 50 yards away (not at all uncommon in the RV park world).  I have a big window that has a great view of a portion of the track, and I like watching the trains go by.  I see a lot of CSX trains.

So the other day I hear the train coming and I glance up and there's a CSX locomotive but it doesn't look like the ones I usually see--this one was beautiful blue and gray, really sharp looking.  And the cars behind it, about 6 or 8 of them, were similarly painted and each car had a person's name on it, in yellow. 

Turns out it was the CSX Office Car Special, which CSX executives use when they go looking at facilities and recruiting clients.  I'm guessing the names on the cars were the executives'.  And it turns out it's a big deal to see it, or a big deal among train enthusiasts, anyway. 

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/train-enthusiasts-chasing-rare-train-make-stop-in-youngstown-as-it-passes-through/

Makes me think having a track visible from your house might not be the worst thing in the world.  At least the kids might look up from the screen every once in a while, although these days they'd probably be recording it with their phone to get viral footage of the latest derailment.

On 3/9/2023 at 1:50 PM, BAForever said:

One thing I didn't get was why her son really wanted a basement as opposed to the green house with the lovely upstairs all for him.

If I were the mother of said boy, I'd be worried that he's grooming me to let him live in my basement well past any presumed expiration date.

[pdlinda]

27 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

If I were the mother of said boy, I'd be worried that he's grooming me to let him live in my basement well past any presumed expiration date.

From what I saw, that would be a mutually agreed upon situation.

[chediavolo]

48 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

That's one reason I watch this show--I like finding out how "other places" do things.  Every once in a while you get a nugget like the Pittsburgh Toilet.

I've always known of them as nurse anesthetists, but noticed that she called herself a nurse anesthesiologist--maybe because it would be easier for the viewers to understand?

I can't remember their budget, but it seemed low for someone with that kind of pay.  But they were also choosing not to have the husband work, so maybe they were fine with not having the "most" house they could possibly afford.

Not quite all, but certainly the vast majority.  And on those freight rails, for 50 years the law has said rail operators must give priority to passenger trains, but they don't do it and (or probably because) the law has no enforcement mechanism.  So Amtrak's famously miserable on-time schedule isn't entirely their fault.  I file this under the category of "who knew?"  (Kind of like the Pittsburgh Toilet.  😀 )

https://www.amtrak.com/on-time-performance

My interest was piqued when I was on an Amtrak train creeping along at a walking pace with my destination's skyline sooooo close, and the conductor moaned about freight trains.  And it's not just Amtrak--I was on a commuter train in Chicago  stuck sitting still, and the announcement said it was waiting on freight traffic. 

Where I'm currently staying in my RV, there's a train track about 50 yards away (not at all uncommon in the RV park world).  I have a big window that has a great view of a portion of the track, and I like watching the trains go by.  I see a lot of CSX trains.

So the other day I hear the train coming and I glance up and there's a CSX locomotive but it doesn't look like the ones I usually see--this one was beautiful blue and gray, really sharp looking.  And the cars behind it, about 6 or 8 of them, were similarly painted and each car had a person's name on it, in yellow. 

Turns out it was the CSX Office Car Special, which CSX executives use when they go looking at facilities and recruiting clients.  I'm guessing the names on the cars were the executives'.  And it turns out it's a big deal to see it, or a big deal among train enthusiasts, anyway. 

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/train-enthusiasts-chasing-rare-train-make-stop-in-youngstown-as-it-passes-through/

Makes me think having a track visible from your house might not be the worst thing in the world.  At least the kids might look up from the screen every once in a while, although these days they'd probably be recording it with their phone to get viral footage of the latest derailment.

If I were the mother of said boy, I'd be worried that he's grooming me to let him live in my basement well past any presumed expiration date.

I’d be worried as to why he insists on living in the basement. Just do a quick Google search.😳

[laredhead]

StatisticalOutlier, thanks for the info on the train.  I wish the video had shown more of the train.  I'll head down the Google rabbit hole in a few minutes and check it out. 

[cinsays]

5 hours ago, Notabug said:

Nurse anesthetists (CRNA) can make a couple hundred thousand a year working full time, especially if they're in a hospital taking call and doing some nights, weekends and holidays.  Maybe he doesn't work because he doesn't need to and she doesn't care.

Every time she talked about painting a mural, hanging up wallpaper or painting the walls bright colors, I cringed inwardly. The final shot of their living room crammed full of huge pieces of furniture was chaotic and unappealing, IMO.

Back in the day, Pittsburgh was a very blue collar city with a lot of factory workers, especially in the steel mills and such.  Most of the workers got really filthy at work and would come home and go directly to the basement and change and wash up.  The basements were built with doors to the outside and no walls around the toilet which was usually near the laundry tubs and washer so the guy could clean up, put his work clothes in the washer and change into clean clothing.

Originally, the whole thing was just a basement, but, as time passed and people started wanting finished basements, they enclosed the toilet and perhaps moved the laundry tubs away to make room for the rec room.

especially after the husband insisting in the beginning he wanted something regal

[Notabug]

6 minutes ago, cinsays said:

especially after the husband insisting in the beginning he wanted something regal

So the throne in the basement is perfect for him!

[chessiegal]

Pittsburgh: Y'all made me look. That was a different episode, between the HHs and the houses. Nothing cookie cutter about any of them.

I've taken Amtrak's Crescent from DC to New Orleans and back 3 times. If you're on an Amtrak train for over 26 hours, there is about a zero percent chance you will be on time. Only one delay was not waiting for CSX trains. We were in our compartment, all packed and ready to get off in NOLA, could see the city from our window, but the signals into the station were not working. We sat there for over 2 hours.

[Hedgehog2022]

On 3/9/2023 at 12:03 AM, ECM1231 said:

Oh gosh, I was thinking the same thing, and immediately felt ashamed of myself for thinking that. I guess what bothered me the most was that all the homes seemed fine. I especially liked the first split level and was happy she chose it in the end, even though she complained about the "horror" of baseboard heat and in wall air conditioning.

Her negativity about those 2 things bugged me no end. Having grown up in a 1920s colonial, baseboard heat is a huge improvement over radiators. We didn't even have a single a/c growing up and when my husband drilled a hole in our living room wall to install an in wall a/c unit, I was never so happy. They were an improvement over window units, for sure.

I can understand eventually putting in central air if her budget allows, but I'd never combine it with a forced air heating system. Contractors like it in new builds because it's cheaper, but I find the air quality to be very dry. Also, I doubt MN has  long, prolonged hot summers, so why would central air be a priority?

This episode showed me that I am really behind the times. I thought the split level she chose was lovely and didn't find much fault with the other two. But then again I live in a home with no kitchen island, and golden oak cabinetry! 

Although I was annoyed with the homeowner's pickiness, I was happy she was able to purchase such a lovely home. Her son is very lucky to have the nice, entire basement to himself.

 

I lived in Minnesota for two years...summers were awful... heat and humidity that equaled any other place I had lived growing up including Kentucky and Arizona. The lakes only created a breeding zone for mosquitoes...and they were huge! We used our wall unit AC alot...couldn't have survived the summers there without it.

[CrazyInAlabama]

For the first time in a long time, House Hunters Renovation is new.  Homes in Southern California, where a budget of almost a million with renos means a fixer upper.  

A 1941 home, that would scare me with the possible issues, like galvanized plumbing, bad electrical, asbestos tile, or insulation,  lead paint, and whatever other structural issues could be hidden behind the walls.   That house also is on septic, so another issue.   So, the 1941 farmhouse is the one they pick.  $749k list, bid $780k and get the house.   I think their $95k budget will be way too little.   Why does the wife want a French country kitchen, in a 1940's farmhouse that's in L.A.?  They do have an advantage, husband's dad is supposed to be a contractor. 

Just like the previous episodes, here comes the designer that has ideas the homeowners keep nodding, but it's obvious that they've never met in real life before.   Husband pushes back at very dark green Shaker kitchen cabinets.   I hate Carara marble (however you spell it) counters, they are high maintenance, and can stain.  I don't like the designer's stove alcove idea either, or her super dark back splash selection. 

Reno took 4 to 5 months, even with outside contractors.   I loathe the kitchen super dark green cabinets, and why did they do marble counter tops?   Actually, I really don't like their choices.    The shower niche issue was they picked a penny tile, and the husband did the shower, and niche. Some of the edge tiles by the niche, wouldn't lay correctly, so wife called the contractor to rip it out, take the niche out, and put the tile back.    A total waste of money, because the wife wanted the niche.  If they kept the wall flat, the husband could have finished the tile, and they would have saved a bundle.   

Edited March 13, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

WTH? This Chicago episode is marked new with today’s air date. Nub-uh, absolute rerun.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Sunday "new" episodes are recent reruns.   And the former Monday new ones (two 30 minute episodes shown together) weren't either, but they're rerunning those one night too, maybe Saturdays?    And some of the other "new" ones are recent reruns too.    

[stewedsquash]

@CrazyInAlabama I didn’t watch the whole episode of HHreno you wrote about above, just skipped to the reveal. I liked what they did! I was expecting 80’s version of French country and instead we got, well nothing French from what I have watched of HHI France episodes, ha. I might go back and watch to see what the issue was with the shower niche. I liked that they didn’t do an oversized bathroom. 
 I too was fooled by the Chicago episode. I kept thinking I know I saw these people eating pizza before! I know I have! I deleted it.

Edited March 13, 2023 by stewedsquash
Chicago ep

[chessiegal]

I have my DVR set to record new episodes. If I'm watching something else, I don't watch them when they air. I will go back and watch an episode if the discussion here makes me curious, like the Pittsburg couple. After about a week, I delete all the "new" episodes without watching. So once in a while a mislabeled new episode is really new to me. The Chicago episode was evidently one of them. 😄

[Lady Lucy]

I knew immediately that the Chicago woman (with the realtor sister) was picking the mid-rise that was under renovation. Was it because I'm brilliant? No. Because all her packed boxes were piled up in the living room and there was lots of furniture, most visibly ghost chairs, pushed against the walls while she was viewing the apartment and whining she just wants something turnkey.  I was shocked, shocked when those ghost chairs (actually bar stools) were at the counter in the final reveal. Very blatant, HH.  

Edited March 13, 2023 by Lady Lucy

[Dehumidifier]

On 3/11/2023 at 9:23 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

  The shower niche issue was they picked a penny tile, and the husband did the shower, and niche. Some of the edge tiles by the niche, wouldn't lay correctly, so wife called the contractor to rip it out, take the niche out, and put the tile back.    A total waste of money, because the wife wanted the niche.  If they kept the wall flat, the husband could have finished the tile, and they would have saved a bundle.   

Since the niche was already constructed I thought they should have tried again with a solid color tile where any slight issue wouldn't be as noticeable. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Dehumidifier
missing a letter

[Grizzly]

Providence, RI. No way did I think Worcester was that close to Providence so I had to look it up. 39 miles, so Auntie could babysit.

#1 was good. But gosh, #2. I don't usually like white kitchens. I'd buy that house just for the kitchen. For #3, the built-ins in the main were great but skylights-big no! In my bedroom, I have the shades pulled and black-out curtains thumb tacked around the edges. 

Glad their happy with their choice.

[StatisticalOutlier]

From the Minnesota formerly homeless lady episode:

On 3/9/2023 at 12:03 AM, ECM1231 said:

I especially liked the first split level and was happy she chose it in the end, even though she complained about the "horror" of baseboard heat and in wall air conditioning.

To be fair, that air conditioner installed in the wall in the entry way of that house was heinous.

For some reason, I've been focusing on the air conditioner units lately, and I have to say that the Providence episode illustrates how much better mini-splits look compared to window units or window units that have been installed in a hole in the wall.  They don't look good, because they're still a piece of machinery on a wall, but I wouldn't hate having to look at them, like I would the alternatives.

Then again, if the choice is between sweltering and a unit in a hole in the wall, I'd take the cool air.  But I'd wish it didn't have to be that way.

I've also been noticing circuit breaker panels.  Sometimes they're in a highly visible location, and I think that's so unfortunate.  I wonder why people don't at least paint them, or better yet, put a painting in front of them--the placement might be awkward, but I'd prefer that over a big gray panel.  Or paint it in a way that says, "Yes, this is a tragically conspicuous circuit breaker panel and I'm choosing to embrace its existence."

I can see having it exposed in a house that's for sale (although even then I'd want to make it look better because the buyer is liable to bristle, too), but I see it even in the houses we see on the show that aren't for sale.

(And I can say this because my own house is 100% perfect with no niggling little items that would ever put off anyone or that I choose to overlook myself.  😀 )

[Hedgehog2022]

On 3/9/2023 at 10:14 PM, twoods said:

The Modesto to Tennessee couple was decent. I was laughing when the background voice said they were looking for a slow pace lifestyle moving from Cali, and then they said they were from Modesto which is NOT the fast pace California lifestyle. I wonder how their teenager kids felt moving away from all their friends. And the dad is flying every other week to continue working at his hospital? I’m sure some nearby hospital needs a respiratory therapist. Sometimes I feel that these ridiculous backstories are fake.

There had to have been another reason for such a drastic move for this family...the house they picked was a rickety mess. The cinder block walls and dated kitchen and bathrooms were a huge turnoff let alone the isolated area they chose to live in! It's not in Chattanooga and not even in a suburb...they never mentioned once what the schools were like out in the boonies and how the kids would get to their schools. Ripping teens and tweens from their friends and schools seems like a risky move to make and maybe not the wisest thing to do.

[ECM1231]

4 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

To be fair, that air conditioner installed in the wall in the entry way of that house was heinous.

Unfortunately, I deleted the episode so I can't go back to refresh my memory about how it looked.  In our first home we had a brick masonry first floor, which my husband had to drill through to put in the wall unit. The only place that worked was in our living room and we got a unit large enough to cool the first floor. My husband put a nice oak frame around the wall unit, which was fairly flush with the wall and didn't really stick out.  I still think in wall units are 100 percent better than window units. For one thing, if you have a window unit, you can no longer open the window and can't get any cross ventilation on a day that doesn't really call for a/c. 

I'm not familiar with the mini splits, although they've been around for a while. In our current home we lived here for about 10 years before putting in 2 zone central a/c. I love it! 

[amarante]

I guess the issue of whether an AC unit in the wall is a horrible eyesore really depends on what one is used to.

I grew up in the Northeast and most homes do not have central air and installing central air would be very expensive because most of them don't have any kind of duct system.

I also grew up with radiators and actually prefer that heat to hot air heat through my central HVAC system. With a radiator it is a nice constant source of heat. With hot air heat it tends to be not be as constant. I also don't find radiators to be that intrusive - but again it really is something that visually I am used to.

We had wall units installed in our home - not window units and they were relatively innocuous as well because they don't protrude that much into the room and they don't particularly impact room set up either. Our units were always below the window where you wouldn't have furniture anyway and just kind of blended in.

One major fan of the A/C units below the windows was my dog. He hated hot weather and when he would come in from a walk in the summer he would dash to the A/C unit and cool himself off. It was kind of the antithesis of the cat who basks in the sun. My father would jokingly ask him to move so that others could get some cool air 

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

For some reason, I've been focusing on the air conditioner units lately, and I have to say that the Providence episode illustrates how much better mini-splits look compared to window units or window units that have been installed in a hole in the wall.  They don't look good, because they're still a piece of machinery on a wall, but I wouldn't hate having to look at them, like I would the alternatives.

Yes, that's what I have; I did not want to mess with putting the duct work for central air into a 1938 home, plus I like being able to control each unit individually.  But I hate window units in windows, and dislike the ones installed into a cut-out in the wall.  So, after a lot of research and seeing how common they are in other parts of the world, it was clear the mini split system was for me.  The indoor units are not attractive, certainly, but they're up at the top of the wall just below the ceiling, so with appropriately-placed wall art, it's easy to make it so they're not distracting.  Some people even paint them.

[ECM1231]

3 hours ago, amarante said:

One major fan of the A/C units below the windows was my dog. He hated hot weather and when he would come in from a walk in the summer he would dash to the A/C unit and cool himself off.

Aww😍

[kirklandia]

On 3/9/2023 at 9:01 AM, chediavolo said:

Too bad they didn't get his often asked for Victorian

Florida to Pittsburgh couple. He wanted Victorian, and he wanted open concept. She wanted mid-century modern, and she wanted rooms that were separated. Seems like they got their signals switched. Maybe that's how they ended up with the mid-century colonial!

Edited March 17, 2023 by kirklandia