I've spent the last 3 days watching HGTV...

[Moxie]

I finally decide to paint my kitchen cabinets so I've spent too much time listening to HGTV. I wonder, is it on the application that you have to be spoiled and entitled to be on any of their shows or is it just a coincidence??? 

 

And, FYI, you can get 3000 sq. ft. with a nice yard in a nice neighborhood for $200,000 in most of the Midwest.  Sell that million dollar cottage and come on over!! 

 

Shoot, you might even be able to find GRANITE and STAINLESS STEEL at that price here!!  Although, some of us are still stumbling along with our laminate counters.  So sad. 

[Seasider]

No kidding, down south, too. I am shocked at what some small, no yard homes are selling for in the markets those shows visit. I could have beachfront property for those prices.

[MomtoCandJ]

I could have a private island for some of those prices as well.

[Annie G]

When I turn on HGTV my entire family starts shouting demands. Granite Countertops! Open Concept Floor plan! Stainless Steel Appliances!  En Suite! 

Large Back Yard! Walking distance to shopping! Move in ready!

 

If you're inclined to play a drinking game, you can get tipsy by the first commercial break  because you WILL hear all of the above before then. By whiny  prospective homeowners. 

[Moxie]

When I turn on HGTV my entire family starts shouting demands. Granite Countertops! Open Concept Floor plan! Stainless Steel Appliances! En Suite!

Large Back Yard! Walking distance to shopping! Move in ready!

 

If you're inclined to play a drinking game, you can get tipsy by the first commercial break because you WILL hear all of the above before then. By whiny prospective homeowners.

That's another thing--when did the master bathroom become "en suite"?? Was it around the time zigzag became chevron?? Or was it when denim turned into chambray??

[candicane]

I recall one that confused me was mentioning the bathroom by how many "pieces" it had. 5-piece bathroom? It was only on the more recent episodes that I heard that one, though.

 

I don't mind the asking for an en suite, I want one too so I don't have to share with guests anymore. But the rest are ridiculous. Like the requests for master bedrooms that are twice the size of a regular room. Or a regular room being "too small" for a nursery!

Or the hatred of carpet. They always want hardwood floors. I get it, hardwood is nice, but so is carpet. Just not in the bathroom, ew.

[JonesinIndiana]

Some of what they 'demo' is better than I have! It seems like such a waste when they throw it in the dumpster when there are salvage places and Habitat for Humanity that would take it. And yours truly. :D

 

I love HGTV, especially Addicted to Rehab. She buys condemned properties and restores them beautifully.

[OneStepAtATime]

Sometimes I don't mind things that end up being removed. Sometimes I don't like the new choices. But I can't stop watching. Today I watched Flip or Flop and they redid the landscaping in the front yard. I know what they did looked good, but honestly as someone that is all for low maintenance I didn't really mind the rock bed thing that was replaced with sod and an assortment of plants.

 

I often wonder if they could save money by salvaging pieces that they demo. I see whole walls get knocked down and I'm like, "could they have saved the windows??"

 

Yes and yes.   Some of the stuff they hate and rip out I'm like darn!  I would have taken that!  What do you mean it looks ugly?  :)

 

And I definitely like the idea of reusing a lot of the material.  I know on some shows they do retask stuff or donate to Habit for Humanity.  But some stuff they just demo.

 

[Baseball mom]

I love to watch but get mad too.  :laugh:

"oh that closet is WAY to small" ....It is bigger than my bathroom and all the closets in my house combined.

"the kitchen cabinets and counter tops are horrible.  They will have to be replaced"...... those are the same cabinets and counters in my kitchen now

 

I do love rehab addict.  I wish she could come redo my house :thumbup1:

[Princess Ariel]

...And the hatred of "popcorn" ceilings.   Better not come to my house! I have a few!  Not really a huge priority for me.

[Lara in Colo]

why the hatred for popcorn ceilings?  I've seen that as well but I don't know the reason-- other than they are hard too paint--- but that is what-- once every 5-10 years?

 

 

[Alessandra]

lol!

 

Anyone else ever see a decent size closet and the tenants go, "this is too small." I'm like HA! You should come to my house.

Just like being advised to turn that 'extra closet' into a home office, craft space, etc. EXTRA closet, I wish....

[Above The Rowan]

I am obsessed with HGTV - House Hunters in particular. I'm watching an episode right now and realized my big peeve with this show is when single folks take a friend along --- Shut up, person who won't be payin the mortgage!

 

I really feel like people who go on this show often have no idea of how demanding their "wish lists " are. If a property has 199/200 items on your wish list, DON'T FUSS ABOUT THE ONE IT DOESN'T HAVE.

 

My partner and I yell often watching HGTV.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I LOVE Fixer Upper.  Her style is amazing!  Comes on late Thursday nights.

[JulieA97]

I am addicted to HGTV.  I can't resist or turn away.  Love It or List It, House Hunters, House Hunters International (my way of traveling the world :D ), Property Brothers.  Love them all. 

 

We are starting to look for a new house as ours is way too small and we have outgrown it.  I am now paranoid that any house we buy will have bad wiring, bad plumbing, water leaks, all kinds of damage they find in every single episode of Love It or List It. 

[PrincessMommy]

I was just having a conversation about unrealistic buyer demands yesterday with friends..

 

I think shows like that make it harder for sellers.   Buyers seem to want a brand new house when they look at existing homes, and then chop down the price if their "eye candy" isn't there already.  I'm all for replacing ratty things (carpeting, roofs, broken cabinets), but I hate this attitude that someone *must* have granite or they'll look somewhere else.

[Ottakee]

Dh and I laugh at how a newly married couple with no children MUST have four bedrooms and at least 3 bathrooms, and a media room and .....................

 

My goodness, when we first got married we lived in a small one bedroom apartment in the lower level of his parents' house===complete with a BIL that would walk through at some "inopportune" times.  We had orange linoleum in the kitchen, brown shag in the living area and green linoleum in the bedroom...........and guess what.............we are still happily married 21 years later.

[idnib]

OK I just watched an HGTV show for the first time after reading this thread. Yeah, some pretty entitled people. 

[OneStepAtATime]

What I find really entertaining/annoying/disturbing depending on the couple/show is when a couple is on polar opposite ends with what they want and absolutely feel their needs should take precedent. 

 

I remember one couple where the husband wanted a large older country home on acerage, separate rooms (not an open floor plan), at least 3000 square feet, no carpet, just hardwoods.  She wanted a new townhouse, carpet, in the middle of town, with an open floor plan.  And they couldn't agree on anything, including colors, layout, style, nada.  And they were really pretty rude to each other.  I had to leave before the end so I have no idea how they resolved it but I kept wondering how they could both be SO picky and SO polar opposite and SO rude and still remain married (the last one being a sort of a deal breaker for me especially if combined with the other two).  And yet I watched until I absolutely HAD to leave because I was so fascinated by how utterly entitled they both felt and how utterly unwilling to compromise they both were....

[StaceyinLA]

I go through phases of watching because I get so frustrated. Some of that stuff is so staged I can't even stand it. I like the love it or list it, but it so annoys me the way they talk to one another, or the way the homeowners talk to the girl doing the remodel (can't think of her name - she just always has that deer-in-the-headlights look after they chew her out). It drives me nuts.

 

I do love House Hunters International. It is helping me choose my retirement home. ;-p

[OneStepAtATime]

I go through phases of watching because I get so frustrated. Some of that stuff is so staged I can't even stand it. I like the love it or list it, but it so annoys me the way they talk to one another, or the way the homeowners talk to the girl doing the remodel (can't think of her name - she just always has that deer-in-the-headlights look after they chew her out). It drives me nuts.

 

I do love House Hunters International. It is helping me choose my retirement home. ;-p

 

I agree HHInternational is great!  The kids love it, too.

[LucyStoner]

It's totally staged and edited. On house hunters, they often film 1-2 of the walk throughs and decision making scene AFTER the couple has put in their offer, had it accepted and are proceeding with the purchase.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Did you see the episode where the woman needed a room for their turtles???  Every decision was based around what was best for her pet turtles.  I found that episode a little strange.

[Seasider]

It's totally staged and edited. On house hunters, they often film 1-2 of the walk throughs and decision making scene AFTER the couple has put in their offer, had it accepted and are proceeding with the purchase.

I am not surprised. Anyone who's dealt in a hot real estate market knows that you can't leisurely browse one property a day and take a week to decide which one to offer on. My last hot-market house was under contract in less than an hour, and within that first hour there were three with escalation clauses.

[fraidycat]

 

 

Or the hatred of carpet. They always want hardwood floors. I get it, hardwood is nice, but so is carpet. Just not in the bathroom, ew.

Nope. Carpet is not nice. Ever. It is nasty, disgusting, dirt collecting, foot oil absorbing, off-gassing grossness.

 

The first time you live in complete hard floor house (wood/tile) and realize that sweeping Every.Day., sometimes twice per day is possible or even necessary, is the day you realize just how disgusting carpet really is.

 

Or, at least, I did.

[candicane]

Nope. Carpet is not nice. Ever. It is nasty, disgusting, dirt collecting, foot oil absorbing, off-gassing grossness.

 

The first time you live in complete hard floor house (wood/tile) and realize that sweeping Every.Day., sometimes twice per day is possible or even necessary, is the day you realize just how disgusting carpet really is.

 

Or, at least, I did.

 

I understand from that standpoint, but I prefer carpet especially in the bedroom. It just seems cozier.

[Katy]

why the hatred for popcorn ceilings?  I've seen that as well but I don't know the reason-- other than they are hard too paint--- but that is what-- once every 5-10 years?

 

Popcorn ceiling hatred is two fold - partially it's ugly and flakes off when you clean & paint it.  Mostly it's that even through the early 90's you can assume it contained asbestos.  It might have been banned in the late 70's, but contractors were allowed to use up what they'd already bought, just not buy more of it. So if you buy a house with popcorn ceilings you can either assume it's asbestos and look into removing it yourself OR you can get it tested and risk finding out that it IS asbestos and have to pay for professional remediation or you'll have a difficult time when it comes to selling because you'll have to disclose your home contains hazardous materials.

 

If there aren't popcorn ceilings and there's no visible asbestos pipe insulation or old linoleum floors there's a much lower chance your house contains asbestos.

[creekland]

It's totally staged and edited. On house hunters, they often film 1-2 of the walk throughs and decision making scene AFTER the couple has put in their offer, had it accepted and are proceeding with the purchase.

 

I knew it was staged.  I'm actually thinking it's some of the suppliers (granite countertops, stainless appliances) that write the scripts...

 

We watch HH and HHI along with Beachfront Bargain and Caribbean Life - oh, Hawaii and Island Life too.  We're not really looking at the houses or condos, but rather, what one can get for the $$ and whether the area they are in looks like one we would want to visit.  When we rent and if we were to ever buy, it's the view that sells us.  We really wouldn't even need to see the inside - just the lanai(s).

 

It was the same way when we bought our farm.  We briefly looked at the house, then walked the property.  When we returned the seller (FSBO) asked us if we'd like to see the house again.  I looked at hubby and asked him if the house even mattered at all.  We both agreed that it didn't - and bought the place.  Neither of us could even remember the inside much.

 

We still have much of the original carpet/floors, the oven still works - and hey - it's stainless (likely from back in the 30s - 60s), there's one SMALL bathroom with one small sink, and very, very little closet space.  We did upgrade the wiring, one carpet, paint all around, and added a dishwasher + fridge.  Recently we've also redone pipes.

 

We love it. The land, the view, the stocked pond (we stocked it), the fields, woods, and personal campsite along the creek... it's been a perfect place to live and raise boys.  When we sell, the next person who buy will need to have similar property values as we do.

[Desert Strawberry]

I miss Trading Spaces. Small budget, clever designs, practical designers, generally pleasant people. 

I'm not interested in watching people shop for a dream house. We have a shack we are fixing up on a shoestring budget. I could use some ideas.

[trinchick]

I also like the one where couples redo a room and spend the half hour insulting and demeaning each other, Renovation Realities. It's always nice to see the bitchy complaining one hit herself/himself with a board or get cut when they smugly wham a hammer through an unwanted wall sized mirror .

 

This is my very favorite show ever! Some of the couples work really well together, but most of them not so much. It is a great antidote for any DIY urges I may have. Neither DH nor I is particularly handy, nor do we work well together. We can't even manage a two-person kayak, much less a kitchen reno!

[VaKim]

Nope. Carpet is not nice. Ever. It is nasty, disgusting, dirt collecting, foot oil absorbing, off-gassing grossness.

 

The first time you live in complete hard floor house (wood/tile) and realize that sweeping Every.Day., sometimes twice per day is possible or even necessary, is the day you realize just how disgusting carpet really is.

 

Or, at least, I did.

And heaven help you if you get a flea infestation!

My nephew commented one time that he wondered who in the world ever came up with the bright idea of throwing something made of fabric on the floor where it can't be taken up and washed, and would be walked on all the time.

[Desert Strawberry]

When we were house hunting we preferred hard floors, but expected we might have a change out some of the flooring. In the post-Hurricane Katrina market, with our miniscule budget, we were happy if the house had any flooring, intact walls and a solid roof. 

Obviously, we are not in the same league as these buyers, but even if we were, it seems like ripping carpet and laying flooring is a relatively minor upgrade.

[Ottakee]

This sounds like dh and I.  We were outsted by a highway project 3 years ago and really wanted to stay in our same area.  We looked at quite a few houses but honestly there were very few in our area with the 5 acres we needed for our hobby farm.

 

Then one morning this listing hit the internet at 6am.  I messaged a friend (who was also being ousted) about it and she said it was a nice area for horseback riding, etc.  The listing was for 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths (reality was 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths) but it has FIVE acres.  The realtor got us in the house by 11am, we checked with the township on zoning by 11:45, put in an offer by noon, and had it accepted by 1pm...............later that night I asked dh, " does our bedroom have a private bath?"  Honestly we weren't sure until we did the inspection and could see it again :-)  It had acreage, location, and price.  The house was negotiable.

 

 

It was the same way when we bought our farm.  We briefly looked at the house, then walked the property.  When we returned the seller (FSBO) asked us if we'd like to see the house again.  I looked at hubby and asked him if the house even mattered at all.  We both agreed that it didn't - and bought the place.  Neither of us could even remember the inside much.

 

 

[Lady Marmalade]

Our whole family is addicted to HGTV.  Twice this week I've found DS in my bedroom sitting on my bed watching Property Brothers. 

 

I know that House Hunters is completely staged, but International gets more interesting with some of the locations.  Not too long ago there was an episode where they went to Easter Island to find a property.  Oddest thing ever- houses don't sell on Easter Island.  They have laws that only natives can own property and they pass it down to their family.  So this couple looks at three properties to rent, and in the end decide on none.  They decide to stay in their current home which she will own forever as a native.  What was the point of that episode then?  It was really strange.

 

Fixer Upper on Thursday nights is my current favorite!  We want Chip and Joanna to find us a house and fix it up for us. 

[DawnM]

Would it really be TV if people weren't whining?  

 

How exciting would it be to watch a show where everyone commented on how lovely everything was?

 

I can be paid to whine......I can whine with the best of them!

 

I want a large pool, heated, a theater room with the walls built for the best acoustics, a very large kitchen with a huge pantry (large enough for a 2nd fridge or stand up freezer), 5 full bedrooms, a rec room basement, and I can find some other things to whine about......just give me a second or two.

 

[Lady Marmalade]

Nope. Carpet is not nice. Ever. It is nasty, disgusting, dirt collecting, foot oil absorbing, off-gassing grossness.

 

The first time you live in complete hard floor house (wood/tile) and realize that sweeping Every.Day., sometimes twice per day is possible or even necessary, is the day you realize just how disgusting carpet really is.

 

Or, at least, I did.

 

No, no, no.   We moved into all hardwoods- vinyl tile in kitchen and one bathroom.  Never again!  So much dust in the house all the time.  I have to sweep daily, mop very often, and the baseboards need to be frequently cleaned as well. 

 

Personally, I'd rather have the carpet that I know is dirty and holds all that dust, but I can clean it when I get to it.  I don't absolutely have to stay on top of it. 

 

But the absolute worst thing is the NOISE.  We had my entire family in our home for Thanksgiving and the noise was insane.  As soon as we could we bought a remnant and threw it down on the living room floor which helped a lot with the noise in the house.

 

Our next home will be carpeted.

[Butter]

I once suggested a show to HGTV on empty nesters downsizing their homes and years of accumulated stuff.  I still think that would be a popular show.

[Annie G]

I once suggested a show to HGTV on empty nesters downsizing their homes and years of accumulated stuff.  I still think that would be a popular show.

 

 

What a great idea!  I would watch that if the people would promise not to whine.  

[Jerico]

We don't have cable but i did catch an episode a few weeks ago. It made me sick. A couple found a nice house but it wasn't nice enough so they put a good 100,000 just into renos before they moved in. I understand if things were broken, or moldy, or ruined but all of it was fine and then completely wasted.

[idnib]

Would it really be TV if people weren't whining?  

 

How exciting would it be to watch a show where everyone commented on how lovely everything was?

 

I can be paid to whine......I can whine with the best of them!

 

I want a large pool, heated, a theater room with the walls built for the best acoustics, a very large kitchen with a huge pantry (large enough for a 2nd fridge or stand up freezer), 5 full bedrooms, a rec room basement, and I can find some other things to whine about......just give me a second or two.

 

 

You're gonna need a whine cellar to store all the whine.

[fraidycat]

No, no, no. We moved into all hardwoods- vinyl tile in kitchen and one bathroom. Never again! So much dust in the house all the time. I have to sweep daily, mop very often, and the baseboards need to be frequently cleaned as well.

 

 

But the absolute worst thing is the NOISE. We had my entire family in our home for Thanksgiving and the noise was insane. As soon as we could we bought a remnant and threw it down on the living room floor which helped a lot with the noise in the house.

 

.

The bolded illustrates my point, exactly.

 

We have different priorities.

[DawnM]

Only if it is done in real teak and not that crappy cheap mahogany.   Mahogany is so 2010.

 

Dawn

 

 

You're gonna need a whine cellar to store all the whine.

 

[Happy]

Did you see the episode where the woman needed a room for their turtles???  Every decision was based around what was best for her pet turtles.  I found that episode a little strange.

 

I'm working with buyers right now who are shopping for a place for their RV, boat, and goats. The fact that they have three children who need bedrooms doesn't seem to influence them as much as the RV parking. It's hard to find a place for their goats to live--within a decent commute for his work.

 

Many real life buyers figure out pretty soon just what their budget can and can not afford....but they all drool over updated kitchens and baths, hardwoods, and pretty décor.

 

Buying a house can be scary...

[Prairie~Phlox]

Oh my, I watch HH almost every night, I saw the guy yhat wanted a spot for an RV & the one where the guy wanted a bus to convert to an Rv, I felt bad for that lady, plus, he kept saying all of the things he would change in the house. I like Love It or List it as well and Property Brothers.

[Kathryn]

I (and other neighbors) wish the people who just rented the house next door to us had looked for a place with room for their RV. This isn't it so they have two cars just parked in the front yard.

[Lavandula]

House Hunters annoys me to no end. Every single time there's 2 closets, someone makes a joke about the wife using both of them. Ha ha! Women have more clothes! Good joke. It's totally not as if women are expected to look different a lot of the time when men can wear the same clothes a lot and no one will notice. Nooooope. Good one guys. Please repeat that every episode. 

[Above The Rowan]

The "womanly closet" stuff makes me and the hubs giggle a lot. In our place, my wardrobe takes up 1/4 of our closet, probably not even that much. The rest is allllll his. Same with dresser drawers.

[AmandaVT]

I like HH too and HHI even better. I will say watching HH has made me NOT want all of the things on buyers wish lists. I want an older home with character, good bones. I would like rooms, not an open floor plan. I'm good with some carpet. I don't want a cookie cutter house that looks like every other house on the block. 

 

We watched one show on there about buying an island. That was entertaining. I can't imagine buying an island.  There was a really cool house hunters remote places - the people were looking to buy a treehouse in Costa Rica. Made me want to go live in a treehouse!

[Moxie]

I have seen some big closets where the wife said, "where are you going to put your clothes? This is mine"... and I think she was serious.

 

They say that all the time!!  It is almost as funny as, "Don't you know what causes that?" said to a pregnant woman. 

[Moxie]

HHI kills me.  How goofy do you have to be to move to an island/a little Mexican village/downtown Beijing and want an American house with a mud room, a laundry room and 6 bedrooms??  Stay in America, fool!!