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We enjoy the shows, but they are misleading in that they: 1) lure newbie buyers into thinking they always have to bid close to asking on a home; and 2) show renovation pricing, timing and quality that is hard, if not impossible, to achieve with our usual, local bumbling contractors. My dream is to have Tommy, Norm and Rich from "This Old House" come and renovate my kitchen and bath.
Everyone stop it.... These shows are all scripted. These people have already purchased these homes. They just show additional homes for TV purposes. So the bidding wars Jas already been dealt with. Enjoy the decor and stop being so gullible.
News flash for you sparky, almost every post in this thread alluded to the scripting. You just failed kindergarten reading comprehension.
Property Brothers and the show Buying and Selling are not just in Canada. They've been in Austin for over a year. They pay $10,000 to help with a person's budget. Costs are still unrealistic and really hate that Drew doesn't have brokerage information on his signs as that's a clear violation of the Realtor's Code of Ethics, and in this area, he can only have MLS access if he's a Realtor, not just a licensed agent.
Even though I admit I love these shows, I know they are all pretty much fake. I like the Property Bros. show but you knowthe timelines to do these renos are crunched and I sure HGTV has put up cash and an extra handful of workers to get the jobs done.
When I found out House Hunters was faked my little dream of all those DIY/renovation shows was crushed
As with most of the other shows on HGTV that I enjoy watching, I mostly just watch to check out the houses in different areas of the country/world. I don't think I could possibly care less about the buyers and their soul-crushing angst over the lack of granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and double sink vanities
Construction costs are extremely unrealistic. Especially in uber-expensive Toronto. The prices for repairs that are quoted on that show are often at cost or below and aren't reflective of the actual cost that a homeowner would normally have to face for similar renovation work.
If you do a little googling, they're pretty honest in interviews of how it goes down to be on their show:
The realtor brother owns several realty agencies, and when couples who might be good fits for the show hire someone at the agency, that realtor vets them up to him - which is how you get the "Wha-??" reactions to the mansions. That portion is often shot several months in advance.
Then when they get around to fixing it up, the Brothers give them a lot of materials at cost, and most labor for free - so they save $10-$20K just in those costs, which is why it's always so much cheaper on the show than in real life. They also don't renovate everything, and/or only show the big deal stuff (fancy rooms, or serious structural issues that cut into the budget, etc.) for editing purposes. Often the horrid bedrooms that the couple originally hated, for example, aren't touched by the show, so that will be an additional expense for the homeowners.
I like the show, though. It gives some great ideas, and is one of the few HGTV shows with watchable stars. I can't believe how many people like Egypt!! She is grating-on-the-nerves awful, as are the Love It/List It stars. They make me angry every time I catch even 5 minutes of those shows.
Remember how Chris Farley would do the character that lived "in a van down by the river"? And he knew he was not "TV Friendly"??? I would love to hear the back story of how TWINS so obviously "TV Friendly" landed gigs as real estate sales / renovation business... Talk about right place / right time!
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