Should I Stay Or Go (formerly Stay Or Sell) - General Discussion

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

After reaching the limits of their current houses, homeowners look to the advice of real estate and home renovation experts Brad and Heather Fox. The Minnesota-based couple presents its clients with two options - renovate their current home to maximize the space they already have or buy another property that can be customized.

It's Love It or List It but we know if they're staying or going before the renovations begin.  

This takes place in an area I kind of know so I try to see if I recognize anything.  In the test pilot they did last year, I did recognize a store they visited.

Anyone watching? 

[Grrarrggh]

I didn't like what they did in their first episode, painting over all that lovely wood and making it one gigantic room. I'll keep watching but I am more than a bit sick of shows with: a white married couple where the man is in charge of construction and the women design and they both seem to think open concept is the only concept that exists. 

[Door County Cherry]

It's their clients that wanted open concept so I can see why they went with it.

But yeah, HGTV definitely had their formula. 

[QuinnM]

I’m definitely watching since this is the city I live in.  I like that the clients pick the house AND the renovation decisions.  So far nice jobs on the whole.  I’m taking notes of where she sources these things and will be doing a little shopping.

[suebee12]

I really like this show...the hosts are quirky but fun! One of the interesting things for me is the weather! I have never lived farther north than VA so all the cold is chilling! Ok, that is a little punny but true. When they showed it was -23, I shivered...then they said it warmed up and it was 3! That is warming up? I do like most of their designs and they are designing for someone specific so that makes it more interesting! And @QuinnM, if I lived in the area I sure would check out some of her special places! (Well, maybe not if she told me where she got her earrings....fuzzy balls do not earrings make for me!!!)😉

[QuinnM]

On 9/14/2019 at 3:10 PM, suebee12 said:

I really like this show...the hosts are quirky but fun! One of the interesting things for me is the weather! I have never lived farther north than VA so all the cold is chilling!

They mentioned in a local interview that HGTV was keen to have them film in the winter.  They (HGTV) thought that was a major player in the stories.  So good to see they were right.  We do renovations in the winter.  People will plan exterior work so that they have the shell weather proof before it gets bad.  Then they really hit a lot of things like demolition of outside retaining walls and tree removal while the soil is frozen and there is less damage.  It is a delicate dance.  A lot fo masons build these elaborate scaffolding set ups so they can work year round.

Edited September 15, 2019 by QuinnM

[Grrarrggh]

For the foster mother's hose I was sad, but not surprised, that they made the outside of the house grey even though the owner made sure to say how much she loved yellow. Especially as there were already a bunch of neighbouring houses that were grey. 

[ShellyD]

Mr SD and I are enjoying watching the perils of renovating in the snow (we don’t get all that much in Texas, don’t ya know). 😀

Like the couple and they seem at ease in front of the camera. The wife’s earrings are interesting. 

I was happy to see that the foster mom still had yellow in one of the bathrooms. 

[jaimesommers]

I didn’t like the first episode, but I stuck with it and am glad I did. I’m enjoying seeing a cold, wintry city instead of the usual places, I like the hosts (but not Heather’s pom-pom earrings!), and it’s nice to see the clients deciding which house to pick as well as some of the design choices. I’ll keep watching!

[sheetmoss]

Everytime I see Heather's pom-pom earrings, I think how much my cats would like them

[Door County Cherry]

The only thing I don't love about the fact that they filmed in winter, and it might just be a "thing" to me since I lived through the same weather they did and kind of recognize it, is that they're repeating the same storms over and over in each episode.  In every other flip house show, there's at least the impression that they're working on one house and then they move onto the next and so on and so forth.  

Of course, that's not what logically happens.  They're likely all dealing with multiple houses at a time.  But here, I keep thinking that we're seeing some of the same storms.  And I wonder if they had to film on days when even businesses closed. 

[Vivigirl10]

The foster Mom episode was the first one I've watched.  I liked it.  The flipping couple were normal and calm, and the outline of the show didn't seem to contain any unnecessary hijinx or drama.  Such admiration for a single woman welcoming multiple fosters into her home.  

Obviously, she took the kids with her to her parents for the duration of the reno.  Wonder how they followed the rooming guidelines (and all the other rules, I'm sure) in the parents home?  Maybe they have an excessively large house that could accommodate them...who knows.  It seemed like a straight forward move would have been the simpler choice. 

[suebee12]

39 minutes ago, Kiki620 said:

It seemed like a straight forward move would have been the simpler choice. 

Yes, it would have been much easier with the other houses but it all came down to her neighbors who helped her out without asking, like when they came over and put the beds together! The one thing I wondered about was the playhouse. When building it, didn't anyone think about moving it and getting it in the back of the house? I felt like I was watching an episode of Texas Flip n Move!

I really like this couple and think I would like to be friends with them...a bit crazy but deep down good to the bone!

[sheetmoss]

Yikes, the pom-pom earrings are breeding - the HO on the last  eppy was wearing them

[Frost]

I'm absolutely thrilled that this show has dropped the obligatory "crisis" that is discovered part way through the renovation that will blow the budget and timeline completely out of the water!  And that should have been caught by any professional inspector/builder worth their salt.  In the five episodes I've seen, there's only been one surprise and that seemed like something you legitimately wouldn't find until the walls were torn out.   

Of the 5 shows so far, only 1 has chosen to move.  I'll be interested to see if the trend evens out or stays so heavily weighted to renovating their existing home.

I'm from the Twin Cities so it's fun to see something filmed here.  I'm glad they're focusing on winter filming.  It definitely makes it different from other HGTV shows.

[sheetmoss]

Normally I'm not a fan of open/backless staircases, but I liked the one they installed in the latest eppy with the thicker treads/stairs and longer more comfortable rise.

Best part It, also looked like a child couldn't go through them either

I'm sure when the hubby watches he'll cringe with his constant "yeahs"

Edited October 5, 2019 by sheetmoss

[car54]

I liked the latest home they did but I did not think it looked like a home for people with two littles--maybe these people are just extremely tidy--but babies seem to come with a lot of "stuff".

I liked the floating stairs with the wood slat wall, but did they have any kind of railing or do you just grab one of the slats as you climb up?

[Frost]

I liked it too, but I don't think it was a good fit for the neighborhood, stylistically.  The houses on either side of it looked quite a bit smaller and were definitely more traditional.  I don't personally mind if houses don't match.  I think it makes the neighborhoods more interesting, but I wonder if their neighbors feel the same way?

Because the Twin Cities is already built up, the only way to have "new" houses is to tear down the old ones and it's a big trend here.  McMansions are going up in established neighborhoods and it spikes a trend and suddenly whole blocks are torn down.  It's a conundrum.  It can be seen as revitalizing an area, or pricing out some families, or destroying historical homes for the sake of convenience. 

In this instance, I don't think the house qualifies as a McMansion and they obviously didn't want to tear the original house down.  I'm just wondering if will spark a 'tear down' mentality for the neighborhood. 

[car54]

I have thought that about most of the houses they've done--they seem to be in modest neighborhoods-often not that much bigger than the owner's original home--and boom--they put a second story on it that makes it tower over the neighboring home.    I'm in a suburb of Boston and it's the same here--in my town, there are a lot of older historic homes, and then some that are post WWII-1960's builds and then they put up new homes that are just huge in the midst of them.  

I actually liked the very modern hipster look of the house itself--but it will definitely stand out on that street unless some neighbors follow suit.  From the outside it looked like one of the homes the guys on Boise Boys might do.

[sheetmoss]

1 hour ago, Frost said:

I liked it too, but I don't think it was a good fit for the neighborhood, stylistically.  The houses on either side of it looked quite a bit smaller and were definitely more traditional.  I don't personally mind if houses don't match.  I think it makes the neighborhoods more interesting, but I wonder if their neighbors feel the same way?

Because the Twin Cities is already built up, the only way to have "new" houses is to tear down the old ones and it's a big trend here.  McMansions are going up in established neighborhoods and it spikes a trend and suddenly whole blocks are torn down.  It's a conundrum.  It can be seen as revitalizing an area, or pricing out some families, or destroying historical homes for the sake of convenience. 

In this instance, I don't think the house qualifies as a McMansion and they obviously didn't want to tear the original house down.  I'm just wondering if will spark a 'tear down' mentality for the neighborhood. 

In one of the camera pans, there was  a modern style reno/new build house across the street, so I think the block is in transition

[CruiseDiva]

22 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

In one of the camera pans, there was  a modern style reno/new build house across the street, so I think the block is in transition

I like it that they discuss the return on investment with the homeowners. In some cases their current houses can be over improved for the neighborhood and the homeowners will never get their money out of them if they decide to sell.

[Door County Cherry]

On 10/11/2019 at 10:34 AM, CruiseDiva said:

I like it that they discuss the return on investment with the homeowners. In some cases their current houses can be over improved for the neighborhood and the homeowners will never get their money out of them if they decide to sell.

Yeah but so far, I think most of the houses they've renovated so far have been in desirable neighborhoods that are experiencing a lot of renovations. I have a friend who laments about all the tear downs and massive houses which are being built in her neighborhood but I think this recent episode showed why some have to be torn down. In fact, I had to laugh when the homeowners said that the house wasn't worth what they paid for it.  That location-a few blocks from a popular lake, mature trees, close to boutique shopping and some good restaurants-is a location where most people are buying the lot and not the house.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I have a bone to pick with this show, and others.    Tonight's new episode, they've used the contingency, and then more too.    Then they talk about conserving money, and go to a custom tile shop for a lot of custom tiles, and buy flooring that is so expensive I can't believe there wasn't a cheaper alternative.     Either they get the custom items free, or they get very reduced prices, and aren't admitting it.    

[car54]

My thing is that if they are contractors as well as designers why they are not doing more through inspections--they knew there was an issue with the most recent tear down so why not look more thoroughly into why before committing?

In terms of finishes or materials, I suspect because they do involve the owners in the final designs, that when more money is on the line, they go back to them and say---you can either have your fancy tile, and it costs $x,00 and we go over budget, or we need more money, and the people go borrow more or whatever.   

If it was someone with less money, like the single foster mom, I bet she would compromise on something attractive but less costly.   

I am not sure about sponsors donating, etc--I'm sure that happens, especially with well known shows, but this show is a first time one so I'm not sure if they get freebies.

[Frost]

15 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Tonight's new episode, they've used the contingency, and then more too.    Then they talk about conserving money, and go to a custom tile shop for a lot of custom tiles

That bothered me too.  I love that Heather is showcasing craftsmen and artisans around the Twin Cities, but in this case, the hand created tiles seemed ridiculously impractical considering the couple were hit with a leaking roof and massive subfloor problems in that house.  

I would have been very impressed with the show if Heather had done a talking head about having to compromise her design vision due to unforeseen costs and explaining how she had recreated her 'look' for less using mass produced tiles and flooring.

Again, love the artisan touches, but sometimes reality bites and what a breath of fresh air it would be for a designer to admit that!

[sheetmoss]

Boo Hiss - last eppy said new but was a repeat.

Quote

Tonight's new episode, they've used the contingency, and then more too.    Then they talk about conserving money, and go to a custom tile shop for a lot of custom tiles

Usually, If they're featuring a business, the HO is getting a $ break or it's gratis for the advertisement.

That said, the probably had to pay taxes on the tile if it was a freebie

Edited October 18, 2019 by sheetmoss

[MsTree]

On 10/15/2019 at 6:46 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I have a bone to pick with this show, and others.    Tonight's new episode, they've used the contingency, and then more too.    Then they talk about conserving money, and go to a custom tile shop for a lot of custom tiles, and buy flooring that is so expensive I can't believe there wasn't a cheaper alternative.     Either they get the custom items free, or they get very reduced prices, and aren't admitting it.    

Exactly!! And then there's the neon sign. Did they really need that? Because after the novelty wears off, how often are they gonna keep it lit?  Some of the designer priorities are absurd!

[suebee12]

7 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

Boo Hiss - last eppy said new but was a repeat.

I was pretty sure I had seen this one before because of the neon and the hanging chair but some parts seemed new....wonder if they added some things and presented it as new? I really like this show and hope that it is renewed.

[Grrarrggh]

Is it me or is nearly every house they do painted the same colour outside???

[Door County Cherry]

I thought it was new.  I know they did a test episode last year but I don't think they reaired it as part of this season.

20 hours ago, MsTree said:

And then there's the neon sign. Did they really need that? Because after the novelty wears off, how often are they gonna keep it lit?  Some of the designer priorities are absurd!

I just have to hand wave that kind of thing.  They're clearly trying to replace Fixer Upper and I think one thing Joanna Gaines always did was add something "personal" to the house.  And that's one thing Heather has been doing as well.  She's either refurbishing a family heirloom or, in the absent of that, she's buying something "meaningful" to the couple. Hence the neon sign which I doubt will become a permanent fixture unless they put it in the basement. 

Also apparently part of the formula is having the "wrong" thing delivered--the wrong colored siding, the wrong colored windows, the wrong colored shower tile....etc.  

[car54]

On the last episode, I wish they'd kept more of the natural wood---maybe the beams and I'd like to have seen some kind of natural wood outside---I'm a little bored with all the black houses.

I liked that it seemed like they used some of the owner's own stuff (or at least it seemed like they did).  I can never think how it would be to move into a home with ALL new stuff and none of my stuff--or they take out all the staging stuff and put in all my old stuff.

The one thing I liked a lot was the way they stained the wood wall in the master that dark green--it was different and  it added something new to all the wood.    

[QuinnM]

This March they are opening a store in Minneapolis featuring a lot of the artisans that they use on the show.  I shall make a point to visit and report back. 😉

[deirdra]

How many times have they ordered things like windows, siding, garage door without triple checking that they were the right size and colour before having them installed in their absense?  Repainting the siding (in cold weather!) to cover up their mistake means the owners lose the maintenance-free factory finish that they were paying a premium for.

I cringe when she doesn't wear proper eye and foot protection on the job; they should be setting a good example for viewers.

Edited February 5, 2020 by deirdra

[Frost]

Any new episodes in the works?

[Door County Cherry]

On 2/5/2020 at 2:30 PM, Frost said:

Any new episodes in the works?

They're opening a new store in the Twin Cities and a local program interviewed Heather Fox.  They asked about the show and based on her response, it sounds like they were supposed to film in the late winter here but then Covid hit.

She mentioned she was told HGTV is likely going to repackage the shows/add some content that never made it to air and will air them in the fall--potentially with a title change.  

So that's the latest. 

[Door County Cherry]

FYI, Starting tomorrow (or today depending on where you are) HGTV is going to start airing the repackaged show I mentioned earlier under the title "Should I Stay or Go?" 

I haven't seen it but from what I've seen from interviews, it sounds like there will be new footage/interviews and a focus on the artists they've worked with.  The reveals will be the same, though.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

Definitely a rerun.    I remember this episode very well.    They were supposed to put in a three car garage, but that would be 7 inches over the set back line, and there is no guarantee about getting a variance approved.    However, why didn't they do a tandem on the outside, so it could be used for a workshop or whatever the husband wanted it for?    Or a double tandem, with four spaces?  

[CrazyInAlabama]

This "new' episode has to be another rerun.   I remember the 2 story chicken coup storyline, and the mix up in the window frame colors.  

[Door County Cherry]

22 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

This "new' episode has to be another rerun.   I remember the 2 story chicken coup storyline, and the mix up in the window frame colors.  

They all will be projects already covered but with some new footage.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I must have missed the big reno on the Mid Century Modern when it played before.   That was a great remodel.  

The second episode was really good.    I remember the woman who had the elected council seat, and would have had to step down if she moved outside of the boundary.   The first alternate house was too big a project, especially since the interstate across the street capped the house value.       The second house kitchen was hideous.  All of the basement and bathroom carpet was disgusting.    I'm glad the couple kept their original house, and remodeled it. 

Until I started watching this show, I didn't realize the housing costs in the twin cities were so high.   

Edited November 15, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[QuinnM]

Until I started watching this show, I didn't realize the housing costs in the twin cities were so high

All of these homes are in the city.  Many of them blocks from a lake or 50 miles of bike trails.  Most of them with significant backyards.  So it is a little misleading.  If you drive out to even the first ring suburbs it becomes more and more reasonable.  However, all of these houses stand up against -10 to 100 degrees.  So there are costs to the original build and to any renovation.

Townhouses within .5 miles of downtown cost as much as that families home.  I do tell people that are talking about relocating to not expect Texas prices.  

[Grrarrggh]

10 hours ago, QuinnM said:

Townhouses within .5 miles of downtown cost as much as that families home.  I do tell people that are talking about relocating to not expect Texas prices.  

They should expect Texas prices, but Texas city prices. The Twin Apples are cities, if you move to rural Minnesota you'll get rural Texas prices. 

[Door County Cherry]

14 hours ago, QuinnM said:

All of these homes are in the city.  Many of them blocks from a lake or 50 miles of bike trails.  Most of them with significant backyards.  So it is a little misleading.  If you drive out to even the first ring suburbs it becomes more and more reasonable.

Not all of the homes are the city proper.  The Kingfield home (second episode on Saturday with the the woman representing her precinct) was definitely in Minneapolis proper. (For those not in the area, it's in the "uptown" area and only a few miles from downtown Minneapolis.)

The mid-century modern home, however, was in Golden Valley which is a suburb just to the west of Minneapolis.  The first episode (of this series, at least) was in Plymouth which is a suburb even further out west. 

Homes can be pretty pricey there too.  Whether or not a home is more affordable in the suburb depends all on the suburb.  I've been looking at homes and, with rare exceptions, a small livable house is going to go for at least $250K.  Odds are, anything under that is going to be a fixer upper.  Hell, the $250K houses probably are too--they've just done surface fixes on them to make them look pretty while they're probably on a sink hole or something.  

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I like the couple where he's a videographer, and she's a designer, and they're expecting their second baby.     My cable guide says the couple are Ben and Lauren.      I know the current house is too small, but they really decorated everything nicely.       Watching this show reminds me why I don't think I could live somewhere that is snowy, and cold again.    I freeze every time they say it's a high that's below zero.  

My understanding is that because of the noise of heat or air conditioning, they have to turn the heat / ac off during filming, so I'm guessing that's why the hosts, and the clients are standing there wearing outdoor gear, but indoors.   

Edited November 22, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Door County Cherry]

22 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I like the couple where he's a videographer, and she's a designer, and they're expecting their second baby

That was the first episode?  I LOVED their reno.  

[johnmarks124]

Spoiler

If you need to sell your second-hand items, consider listing them on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, or visit local consignment shops for quick sales.