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Who actually pays for all the materials, labor and advertisement for the design shows?
Is it actually free to the homeowner? Pay taxes when work is completed?
At the end of the show they run all those credits that no one reads. They post the fact that materials were donated in exchange for the free advertising. Any product that is not credited will have tape over the name. Ever see the very obvious very bright yellow Dewalt tools being used and they have tape over the name? Becauae Dewalt did not pay the owners of the show but the contractors use the product anyway.
This Old House has always had materials donated as well as a good portion of the labor. On these HGTV shows the host fails to disclose this. It is disclosed in the credits that no one reads.
HGTV is for entertainment value only. The prices they tell the audience is not realistic. And for this reason, HGTV has done more harm to the construction industry, contractors and remodelers then even the economic depression has. As a professional I love many of these shows just as much as the layman but I do get some good laughs when I see how they are doing things. I know it's not done that way but it is being done that way for the TV.
Please watch for the entertainment value and maybe you can pick up some good tips and ideas. I can assure you, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. I know also because I worked on Habbitat for Humanity projects with cameras behind my back. I know what went into these homes and when I watched it on video after it was edited for TV I wondered if this is the same project that I was on.
Want some real life construction drama? The real raw bare bones thing? Watch Holmes on Homes. That is real life. Real prices. Real homeowners. Real people. That is a real smart man and I wish I had him on my team.
I LOVE Holmes on Homes. And then we went and put the damn Ditra down when we redid a guest bathroom ourselves!! Had to order it online, the HD folks didn't know what it was, but several people there asked a lot of questions about it. By the time we finished that project, Ditra was on the HD store shelves.
Between John Bridge and Mike Holmes, Schluter has gotten a TON of saturation!!
We had paid a design place to remodel our master bath in our first home, and it was a disaster. Never, never again paying anybody to do work I can figure out how to do myself. I care a lot more about how it looks and how it functions and how it doesn't fall apart than any contractor ever, ever will. Holmes on Holmes is probably harsh, but it sure fits with all of my experiences with big projects with contractors, so it's fun to watch.
We really like Renovation Realities, too, because we've been there. It's really hard to work on a project with my husband. We want to kill each other.
But I can never wait to start the next one! I think I'm going to pick up a carpentry hobby!!
And Renovation Realities is fabulous. It counters all their other programming because it shows real people and how hard it really is with no help.
A couple of weeks ago I watched an episode where two people were holding up something that they could not put down and the guy forgot to get something crucial. They never showed how they resolved it, but obviously the camera guy or gal went over and handed it to him.
Lauren Lake from the Spice Up My Kitchen makes me want to take up boxing a punch the living daylights out of her. And her "designs" are about as bland as they come, they're practically builder/model home 'upgrades' that are so generic it's criminal. Talk about LACK of spice in the kitchen...
Vern Yip is very hit and miss personality wise with me, sometimes he bugs the crap outta me other times not so much his designs are safer than I'd like personally.
If I had tons of money I'd fly Candice Olson down from Canada and have her work out my entire house with me....she rocks.
David Bromstad, he's cute, he's colorful...
Genevieve Gorder is super adorable, reminds me of the actress who played "Penelope" (Desmond's long lost love) on Lost .
Sandra Rinamato has balls, I like her, I don't care what people say about her, she's quirky and she doesn't put up with BS and she deals with the total morons everytime!
Sandra Wong from House Hunters....WHY WHY WHY is she even on TV? She's sooooooooo bad at it.
er um...I think it is Suzanne Wong? Anyway, I pretty much agree with your entire post except Wong used to really bug me, but she has grown on me.
You know who I miss? The one with the short red hair that did the $500 makeover in a day with the redesign at the end of the show. She hosted the HGTV house giveaway once or twice too.
Carter is cute...I don't really care for his design style though.
Like you, I would hire Candace in a NY minute if we were lucky enough to get her and if we could afford her, which I'm sure we couldn't. I love her use of fabric, especially when dressing windows.
Who actually pays for all the materials, labor and advertisement for the design shows?
Is it actually free to the homeowner? Pay taxes when work is completed?
I remember finding Candace Olson's website/blog once and they said that all the built-in's are provided to the homeowners, but all the furniture and accessories are options which the homeowners can elect to purchase otherwise it goes back.
I really like Holmes on Homes too! We need new shows, all the shows seem to be from 2005 or 2006. I would love to have him remodel my home and have Candace design it!
I think the shows evolve to match the current environment, for instance, you don't see "flipping" shows anymore. I think "Real Estate Intervention" is a really good example of that, and Mike and Sabrina really strike the right notes for the situations.
Taniya Nyack, while I'm sure she's a high-energy person for real, seems marginally manic and wanting to become a bigger star with all her bouncy histrionics. It's annoying.
I find Lisa LaPorta extremely thoughtful in how she presents plans and situations to homeowners. No condescending anything.
I admit, for most of the "design to sell" and other similar shows, I watch the beginning and the end. As much as the hosts try, it's not too interesting to watch paint dry.
I love the idea of a landscape show focusing on xeriscaping!
Also love "International House Hunters." It's so interesting to see very different styles of rooms, facilities and housing in general. Sure beat seeing yet another bathroom the size of my former studio apartments that is decorated like a high-end Las Vegas brothel.
I'd love to see a show on small houses. (Small Space Big Style seems to be gone, and was rarely about houses). I had my house custom designed in 2001. It's about 1300 sq.ft. and not a square corner to be found.
So I finally found my way over here! Sorry that it took so long, sophialee!
Who do I want to slap?
Usually that guy that fixes up places in the home to rent out. He's incredibly talented but I get the feeling that in public school he was the hall monitor. Sometimes he gets that look on his face like "I'm going to tell!"
But I felt horrible for him, last night. He fixed up an upstairs apartment for an older lady and she got upset about the engineered floors and stormed out. We never saw her again! Yikes!
He had to do the big reveal with the appraiser. Even the lady's daughter didn't come back.
He really handled it well, and I now have a lot of respect for him.
Genevieve! I can remember when she put moss on a bedroom wall in Trading Spaces. REAL moss. She was a riot to watch, but I wouldn't have let her ten feet from my house, back then. It makes me think that they liked the designers doing weird things, although Vern has always been consistent.
I guess that Genevieve evolved or went to rehab.
I loved This Old House. I get the magazine. I interviewed Norm Abram. He's very, very quiet and humble. A heck of a guy.
I also like If The Walls Could Talk, or something like that.
I'm into Real Estate Intervention, right now. Mike and Sabrina are fabulous. The guy on the first episode was something else. He didn't want to say what kind of offer he had. Do you know he still hasn't sold that house? His wife looked like she was going to divorce him.
the moss person WAS HILDI on trading spaces---gen usually did more conservative styles with a mix of colors----like vern yip but not as a mentor
carter still reminds me of a bumbler---do like moving up --doug's show--do you think the home owners are encouraged to complain about each other so much??
I remember finding Candace Olson's website/blog once and they said that all the built-in's are provided to the homeowners, but all the furniture and accessories are options which the homeowners can elect to purchase otherwise it goes back.
I really like Holmes on Homes too! We need new shows, all the shows seem to be from 2005 or 2006. I would love to have him remodel my home and have Candace design it!
Mike Holmes and Candice Olson would make an awesome combination in a remodeling project. I'd love to have them work on my house, too!
The redhead who used to host the Dreamhome Giveaway of which I am a huge fan ( i still reside in DH 09 in Sonoma somehere in my mind) is Joan Stephend and isn't she the design on a dime gal? I am not a fan of that show, but I really really miss her as the Dreamhome Give Away hostess. I wanted to slap the tall icy blonde they replaced her with, can't reacall her name, because I liked Joan better and oh its Monica Pederson, seems a tad snarky.
I love David Bromstads personality but her tends to over do the designs by about 10%, but I love to watch him do custom artwork for clients.
I also am irritated by Miss Tatiana, and her bratty personality and high pitched voice. But still I watch, because she is an operator, which is interesting.
I actually love Suzanne Wong(house Hunters), its not like she has to carry the show. I find her gracious and soothing. I heard she would be replaced by Starr Jones. AAArgh!! Thank goodness Starr did not get to gobble little Suzanne- that show is all about the buyers, their agents and 3 Homes.
A hidden gem is Chico on Devine Design, Candace's crazy electrician. He has subtle double entendre humor that is worth watching, and he's not afraid to wear pigtails to add to the merriment! Go Chico!!
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And then we went and put the damn Ditra down when we redid a guest bathroom ourselves!! Had to order it online, the HD folks didn't know what it was, but several people there asked a lot of questions about it. By the time we finished that project, Ditra was on the HD store shelves. 
