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I know! I tend to think of Canada and the US as very similar. But on Property Brothers, Property Virgins, and other Canadian HGTV shows, these young couples in their 20s are buying houses that are 500,000-600,000 and they have jobs like "IT manager" and "administrative assistant." And the houses are usually pretty disappointing for that huge price! I guess Canada's inflation is even worse than ours.
I know, right? I am selling my house and having a hard time of it. IMO it's a nice little house. Small but nice. Ocean view, corner lot! BUT it's 60 years old and needs some work. My husband died before he could get around to it all. Whatever, I keep complaining that buyers can't see the "potential" of this nice little place. DUH.
I'm sure it is a nice little house.
The people of today have become so HGTV brainwashed that if the fridge is not stainless the milk will not stay cold.
It is unfortunate that these people shown on TV making these ridiculous statements, "like I hate the ceiling fan"...etc....are giving potential buyers these crazy notions that these are valid reasons for not buying a home
Now in your case, you say you have an ocean view, that is always going to be there, your refridgerator is not.
I know I can buy another fridge, if need be, but i know I cant just place an order for an ocean to be in front of my windows.
so obviously the ocean view would be the selling point...that a sensible person would recognise.
The people of today have become so HGTV brainwashed that if the fridge is not stainless the milk will not stay cold.
I bought this sweet 2 bed bungalow just over three years ago. By then I was well versed in Holmes on Homes and DIY. My poor realtor probably was about to go crazy, every house we looked at I was looking at tearing down walls, looking under the carpet for hard wood, checking windows for air leaks, and re-designing the kitchen.
The inspector showed me an outside faucet and said the city requires a water back-up gizmo in case it floods. I gave him a look, looked down the street that slopes down for three blocks and told him it wasn't going to flood here. Still don't have that gizmo, but discovered the ground pushes up antique screws and nails.
Seems many of those Property Bro's people should be on Property Virgins... for some experience.
So as I have complained earlier I find the show annoying because if Jonathan was such a pro he would have caught a lot of issues before renovating. Yes, I know its scripted but its stupid. The other night I could sleep and reruns were playing. A young couple buys a house and then Jonathan notices the kitchen sink isn't draining properly. Turns out the plumbing is shot to the street. Really? No one turned on a faucet before buying? So replacing the sewer pipe wiped out quite a bit of the budget. Stupid things like that make me dislike the show.
So as I have complained earlier I find the show annoying because if Jonathan was such a pro he would have caught a lot of issues before renovating. Yes, I know its scripted but its stupid. The other night I could sleep and reruns were playing. A young couple buys a house and then Jonathan notices the kitchen sink isn't draining properly. Turns out the plumbing is shot to the street. Really? No one turned on a faucet before buying? So replacing the sewer pipe wiped out quite a bit of the budget. Stupid things like that make me dislike the show.
I saw that episode. What I want to know is why that one homeowner (who is on national television) couldn't wash his greasy hair?
Every time they showed him he looked like he just woke up out of bed.
Lots os shows filmed in Canada - to avoid the US SAG union rules and expenses. I can't blame them but I would prefer to watch something done in the US.
Property Virgins - I'm so sad Sandra is gone and I hate her replacement, even if it is shown more in US cities. Too bad.
So am I. I loved her and quit watching the show entirely because of her departure.
I really want to like this show, I really do... but I can't. I really like the designs and decor they come up with. That's about where my enthusiasm for the show ends. My many issues include (as some other posts have said):
1. Like another post said, where the hell to couples in their 20s in Canada come up with a budget of $600K-$800K to purchase a house, then dump another $40-60K into it, albeit only on the inside and usually confined to the kitchen and living area? Can Toronto real estate be compared to Martha's Vineyard, Beverly Hills, the Hamptons or what? And most of them don't strike me as rocket scientists...
2. To extend off of point 1, and as another poster observed, the reno is confined to the interior and usually to a kitchen / living area. The homes are usually eyesores themselves - in the Midwest some of the crap they are selling in Toronto for $500K could be had here for $100K or less. Bad landscaping, no curb appeal...really? You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. The FIRST thing on my agenda would be to get the outside of the house in shape, which by the looks of most of the houses would cost more than the interior reno projects that are being done. Maybe that's just me... my house is 1900 sq. ft, full finished basement, 2 car garage, in ground swimming pool (5 years old), covered patio, great neighborhood, updated all around, etc. It appraises for $207,000. I'm not bragging, but I look at those houses and cringe when people drop nearly a cool million on what I have.
3. When the actual reno takes place, hammers are flying, drywall is being crushed, cabinets are torn up, walls taken down, you get the picture. They inevitably find issues they hadn't expected - knob and tube wiring, a hidden furnace run, leaking pipes. My favorite find was a badly damaged ceiling that was covered with a drop ceiling - they were surprised to see damage! Did anyone ever think to maybe lift up of the drop ceiling tiles to look?? That would have taken about 5 seconds to do. Better yet, the reno team may have knew about the damage, and "finding" it on the show just makes more dramatic TV. And, there is never any mention of the hazards of renovation. I'm definitely not an expert or a contractor, but there's quite a bit of evidence amassed concerning building material containing asbestos and lead paint, but they seem to just let the sledgehammers fly...
I know many other posts mentioned most of this stuff, and I know it's supposed to be entertainment. At least Holmes on Homes appears to address true problems and features homeowners who appear genuinely distressed about their situation. I've done searches on Holmes and can find very little negative about the show, so I'm a fan. The only thing I could really find was a YouTube video by one of his competitors in Canada that claimed Holmes was not a home inspector - I don't think he ever professes to be a licensed home inspector, but his inspections evidently are MUCH better that the local licensed guys you find in the yellow pages. I'm tired of trying to find REAL reality TV these days...
I agree with the poster above. Yes, I too think, these youngins' are definetely not rocket scientists, where do they get 600K, for a first time house? Beats the hell outta me....
One thing I really can't stand is kicking walls, bashing around a sledge hammer, "laughing and giggling", as a middle age man that has done many a demo's, it just makes me cringe.
You just don't walk in and bash away, you need a plan, and a schedule....
I love when they say OK, lets remove this wall....some walls are load bearing, you just can't rip on down because you fell like it.
morons, total morons.
plus, sorry, the property brothers are ugly. I just don't feel this program
Where are my kitchen cousins, more pleasing to the eye.
The thing that annoys me most about the reno is the fact they always have a little budget, have to give up doing certain things because of unexpected building issues, but will always buy brand new furniture and accessories! Can't they just work with pieces the owners already own?
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BUT it's 60 years old and needs some work. My husband died before he could get around to it all. Whatever, I keep complaining that buyers can't see the "potential" of this nice little place. DUH.
Really? No one turned on a faucet before buying? So replacing the sewer pipe wiped out quite a bit of the budget. Stupid things like that make me dislike the show.
I loved her and quit watching the show entirely because of her departure.
