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I just don't get the point of making these renovations seem less expensive than they really would be. Why not show the realistic costs for people?
Even in a caption - like "average 'retail' homeowner cost of doing a full-gut bathroom remodel with new tile shower, new vanity, new dual sinks, tile floor - $25,000"
I saw a show the other day where they walked into a smaller kitchen (no space for a huge island) and said "oh, full gut, new cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances - $15,000." They can't have even been counting the labor costs of their own employees, you'd be hard-pressed for that to be material alone, even at contractor rates. To pay someone else to do it, you'd be looking at $30,000-$40,000.
Last edited by PNW-type-gal; 08-08-2017 at 10:59 AM..
Reason: typo
I just don't get the point of making these renovations seem less expensive than they really would be. Why not show the realistic costs for people?
Because, it's about getting people to buy the materials and products used in the shows. It's product placement and advertisement. If they stated that this job came to $45,523.47 to renovate a small bathroom, people would freak out and never would consider renovating their homes. The products "purchased" on the site are at some sort of dealer, wholesale, contractor price, which is not the same for you and I.
Thankfully I didn't have to do a total kitchen remodel. I just improved on what was already there and lived with the layout as is. That saved lots of money. We replaced the counters, the backsplash and the flooring. The cabinetry is a nice maple that we have no desire to replace. We replaced a few fixtures. And that was it. Under $10k. We'll probably change out the appliances down the road.
Because, it's about getting people to buy the materials and products used in the shows. It's product placement and advertisement. If they stated that this job came to $45,523.47 to renovate a small bathroom, people would freak out and never would consider renovating their homes. The products "purchased" on the site are at some sort of dealer, wholesale, contractor price, which is not the same for you and I.
I suppose you're right. That's probably what some guy in the advertising dept. thinks of as "good strategy". Personally, I think they could have more realistic shows and get just as many viewers. and people would still do just as many renovations.
Keep in mind that prices of labor and materials will also vary by region of the country. And of course some of these shows are from Canada, so there's another stumbling block in trying to figure out costs. The "estimates" ought to be called "our shot in the dark" or "ballpark figure".
You know, I watched a lot of these HGTV shows and grew up watching This Old House with Bob Vila, too. I thought I was ready for home ownership and would know what to look for when house hunting.
Well, we found a house that looked pretty good. I could tell they did a couple minimal makeovers to polish the house up and make it look nice. I liked what they did, though, so it was fine. Besides, the inspectors would find all the corners they cut, right? They'd find any problems, right?
Nope.
Basement leaks. The "warranty" on the basement was a joke, work done by another scam artist.
Every single electrical outlet was replaced and one outlet crumbled away when they went to replace it. It was apparently about to burn down the house. Somehow the electrical inspector didn't find any problems like that.
The laundry room leaks like a sieve where the sill board has completely rotted / been eaten away. This was right behind a loose piece of baseboard molding stuff which, by the way, was also rotted and termite damaged.
None of the outdoor lighting works. In fact, one of the light outlets has a broken off bulb in it. One of the two light poles do not actually have electrical running to them, and the second one was always on. When our electrician tried to fix the "always on" pole, he discovered that the wiring wasn't done right. Instead of rerunning it right, we opted to leave it off. Cheaper that way.
The bathroom walls appear to have been crumbling sheetrock that was just tiled over.
There are pieces of finishing trim missing all over the kitchen, or put up without being cut properly. Seriously? They couldn't even be bothered to measure or cut anything at an angle?
The attic access openings are nothing but thin pieces of plywood with large openings for dirt, dust, mould, fiberglass, insects, animals, etc. to get into the house. Yay.
The vinyl siding has holes in it. They were supposed to patch those, but somehow it wasn't done, even though it was a conditional for purchase.
But hey. At least the I-beam in the basement is intact (knock on wood), and the roof and windows are pretty new.
I would be calling that home inspector ASAP. They usually carry liability insurance for when they miss major stuff. Either that or a Real Estate attorney. Of course, this all depends on how long you have lived in this house.
Just under a year. I've been bugging my mother (the actual home owner) to do so all year now, and even gave her the name of a recommended attorney. She has the info. It's up to her now. :/
You know, I watched a lot of these HGTV shows and grew up watching This Old House with Bob Vila, too. I thought I was ready for home ownership and would know what to look for when house hunting.
Well, we found a house that looked pretty good. I could tell they did a couple minimal makeovers to polish the house up and make it look nice. I liked what they did, though, so it was fine. Besides, the inspectors would find all the corners they cut, right? They'd find any problems, right?
Nope.
Basement leaks. The "warranty" on the basement was a joke, work done by another scam artist.
How would the inspector have known the basement leaks if there were no leaks during the time of his inspection? Did you think to ask the previous owner if the basement has ever leaked?
Every single electrical outlet was replaced and one outlet crumbled away when they went to replace it. It was apparently about to burn down the house. Somehow the electrical inspector didn't find any problems like that.
You hired a specific inspector just for electrical? From the inspections I've seen, they don't take the covers off. They just test to make sure the outlet itself works.
The laundry room leaks like a sieve where the sill board has completely rotted / been eaten away. This was right behind a loose piece of baseboard molding stuff which, by the way, was also rotted and termite damaged.
How did you not see the rotted board during your own walkthrough.
None of the outdoor lighting works. In fact, one of the light outlets has a broken off bulb in it. One of the two light poles do not actually have electrical running to them, and the second one was always on.
Did you not try the lights during your own walkthrough?
When our electrician tried to fix the "always on" pole, he discovered that the wiring wasn't done right. Instead of rerunning it right, we opted to leave it off. Cheaper that way.
The bathroom walls appear to have been crumbling sheetrock that was just tiled over.
How would an inspector notice this if the bad sheetrock was indeed tiled over? They aren't going to remove tile during their inspection
There are pieces of finishing trim missing all over the kitchen, or put up without being cut properly. Seriously? They couldn't even be bothered to measure or cut anything at an angle?
Did you not notice the trim pieces missing during your own walkthrough?
The attic access openings are nothing but thin pieces of plywood with large openings for dirt, dust, mould, fiberglass, insects, animals, etc. to get into the house. Yay.
Did you not notice this during your own walkthrough?
The vinyl siding has holes in it. They were supposed to patch those, but somehow it wasn't done, even though it was a conditional for purchase.
Why did you close on the house if there were still holes in the siding? Can you even patch holes in vinyl siding?
But hey. At least the I-beam in the basement is intact (knock on wood), and the roof and windows are pretty new.
-T.
You are so quick to blame the inspector when it sounds like you walked through the house yourself with a blindfold on.
Well, there was water in the basement. The seller lied and told us it was because they'd just mopped the floor. Besides, they had a "lifetime warranty" on the basement work they were having done. The guy was coming next week to "finish" it. Yes, we fell for that.
Yes, we had a separate inspector for electrical. We tried the lights, but didn't think to test the outdoor lights since they are supposed to just "come on" at night. Also didn't think to open up the light pole and see if it even had electricity running to it.
The rotted board was behind a loose piece of floor trim. I didn't exactly want to yank it back and risk unnecessary damage to a house that wasn't mine. Yes, I noticed it was loose and damaged. I didn't realize it was completely rotted behind it. I figured an inspector would catch if it was really a problem.
Nope, didn't notice the attic access when we did our walk-through.
And regarding the holes in the siding, I have no idea. My mother is the one who closed on the house. This is my first house, so I guess I just had an over-inflated view of the responsibility of the inspectors.
But hey, I guess it's all my fault, right? The seller had nothing to do with it. Shame on me for trusting people.
-T.
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