" In world , it was literally thing adhere together with staples and tapeline . "
Everyone loves a good home renovation show…but have you ever wondered what happens to those families after the credits roll? Do those houses that were miraculously constructed overnight actuallylast, or do they immediately fall apart when the camera crew leaves?
Well, last year, aReddit threadby useru/akumamatata8080asked, “People who’ve been on home renovation shows, how’s the house holding up?”
The thread quickly went viral as people who have participated in TV home makeovers (or know someone who has) started sharing their experiences. And as it turns out, some of those homeowners don’t actually get the happy ending you see onscreen.
Here are some of the top-voted answers from the thread:
1.This person received a backyard makeover that was, quite literally,shitty:
" We were on a backyard makeover show . it was done super gimcrack and fast . They decorated it passing squeamish for the " reveal , " and then they took away all the medallion that actually made it expect near . They added a picayune pond in the backyard that was hooked up with an extension cord that would flip a breaker every time it rained . But the best part was that two weeks after the show , our backyard was very soggy and smelled like shit . It wrench out they dug up our cloaca line when they put in the pool , and sewage was going everywhere . "
— u / zach3030
2.This person’s coworker ended up shelling out $20,000 to fix her home after the camera crews left:
" A coworker got her theatre on one of those designer competition shows , and she pulled the curt straw on the designer . alternatively of getting a free makeover , she got about $ 20,000 worth of legal injury to the family . "
— u / jhvanriper
3.This person alleges that their experience in aGood Boneshouse has been anything but good:
" I bought a house featured inGood Bones . The projects to fix the house totaled double - digit thousands of dollar sign . I conjecture I was lucky to buy aGood Boneshouse before the show really took off , so the time value of my house is well beyond what I ’ve had to put into it and what I pay for it . But it ’s still been a immense pain in the ass . Not to refer all the weird design decisions that were made that I ’ve been relieve over prison term . I was n’t looking for aGood Boneshouse , and care the home was n’t at all assort with them . Mina and Karen were not helpful when I reached out to them with these problems , and I truly hope it ’s not common among their former renovations . Lesson learn on my part . "
— u / AbjectMidwest
4.This person had their childhood bedroom renovated on TV but says it “held up really badly”:
" My syndicate was on a home redevelopment show when I was a kid , in the former 1990s / early 2000s . I think it wasChanging Roomsor peradventure another show by the same casting and producers . It was one of those show where they do three rooms in the house , and mine was one of the rooms they decorate . It looked so pretty — they decorated it to look like a fairy timberland with Brobdingnagian tree murals on the walls and a night sky of stars hang from the ceiling . But it hold up really badly ; all the mural on the wall peeled off , and it looked bad somewhat quickly . I had fun shoot the show , though , and it was a nerveless tarradiddle to differentiate my friends at school . "
— u/14RainbowFish
5.This person said their friend’s TV-remodeled house was “stuck together with staples and tape”:
" ally were on a show a few years ago . It was a A-one - intense three hebdomad of filming , and the redesign looked great on camera . In realness , it was literally things adhere together with staples and tapeline . After the show , my Quaker need two weeks off work to rebuild everything decent . "
— u/12fingertips
6.This person claims they had to fix up some damage caused byProperty Brothersafter the show “just picked up and left”:
" My countertop company was hired to fix locker and countertops for a house after aProperty Brothersepisode . As I ’ve seen others comment , the show filmed around all the problem area so on the installment , it appear great . The householder were livid after the show just pluck up and leave and we were stuck make do with them . Not a fun few calendar week . "
— u / willonding
7.This person alleged a not-so-great experience whenExtreme Makeover: Home Editioncame to their town:
" RememberExtreme Makeover ? A show where they build or tremendously remake a dwelling house for a indigent person / proprietor ? They did one here in my townsfolk ( wo n’t say for secrecy ) , and my brother , a builder , was go up to serve work up a home in the dead of wintertime . Bro could n’t aid , but our Friend — the neighbors to the home base — volunteered , and the home was fill in in one week . In heavy rain and cold , they built it , and now the home has any act of trouble . The owner choke back toExtreme Makeoverto fix everything and was told , ' You let this for free ; fix it yourself . ' "
— uranium / shelbyrobinson
8.This person had another unfortunateExtreme Makeovertale:
" I work for one of the mental synthesis fellowship that were contracted to establish the new family onExtreme Makeover : Home Edition . This was like 10 - plus year ago , when the show was at the pinnacle of its popularity . in any case , it was a huge , gracious house built for a widowed mother with several kids ( father had recently exit , hence why she was on the show).Even though the mansion was ' given ' to her , she could n’t afford it after a yr or so ( property taxation , electricity , H2O , upkeep , etc . ) and put it on the market . Simply owning a dwelling house of that size is very expensive , and she could n’t afford it . "
— uracil / dryproperty
9.And this person, who claims to be a former intern onExtreme Makeover, said that the property tax hikes associated with the show caused “tons of families” to struggle:
" I interned forExtreme Makeover : Home Editionin the other 2000s . Yes , their taxes go through the roof . Tons of the families on it end up sell everything that was put in the house ( figurer , appliances , etc . ) to help pay the property taxes . "
— uranium / itsthedurf
10.This person’s father-in-law was on a construction crew for a show and said they were “told to work fast and cheap”:
" FIL is a declarer . His team help with a soma for a nursing home makeover show shooting inLas Vegas . He said they were told to mold fast and flash , which throws timbre out the windowpane . There would also be moment where the work party would land up something , then the producers would add in the ' volunteer ' to hammer the last nail and work as if they did the project . "
— u / jayelach
11.This person says they worked on an HGTV show and had to come back later to fix the “dangerous” tile work:
" bathymetry and remodeling troupe I work for did bathymetry for an HGTV show about 10 years ago . We did the hookups for the new washing way . The homeowners picked some fancy Moroccan roofing tile for the floor at some upscaleNew YorkCity dress shop , and the host of the show decide it would look safe without grout … which went about as well as you ’d expect . motion-picture photography wrapped , and we were called back out a few workweek later to replace the fancy tile that had immediately chipped and become dangerous with some tiresome tile . Had to signalize NDAs , etc . "
— u / Awdra
12.This person claims to be a former crew member onTrading Spacesand said the quality of construction was “crap”:
" I worked forTrading SpacesonTLCin the other 2000s . I’d be VERY surprised if any of the turd they did is still holding up . "
— u / Uakaris
13.This person said their sister got a rather impractical home makeover and took most of it down when the cameras left:
" My sis ’s master bedroom got a makeover on a ' surprisal your better half ' show . The decorator was going for an ' Arabian nighttime ' romanticistic vibe , but it ended up pretty eldritch - looking , with all the closets hide behind one thousand of drape material . They took it all down and painted the way a neutral color within month . The show also engage the roof fan out and replaced it with a giant tree branch wired up with blink lights . Not too long afterward , half the light went out and it was too hot in the room without the fan , so that got put back as well . On the bright side , it did n’t cost them anything and was a play experience , and they got a couple of new furniture pieces out of it , but in the end , they did n’t keep any of it the same . "
— atomic number 92 / RealLivePersonInNC
14.This person shared their family friends' unfortunate experience getting their home redone on TV:
" Some household friend were on one of those shows . Their boy was 6 - ish years old and really into trains , so he got an deadly train - themed way , double-dyed with a drive - on railroad train that chug slow on a track around the way . It was majuscule at first , but he outgrew it really quickly and was humiliated by his caravan elbow room within a few years . The paint on the outside of the theater started chip off within weeks and the house looked HORRIBLE , with bragging chunk of flake - off blusher . "
— uracil / frp1995
15.This person stayed in a hotel room made over by the team ofHotel Hell:
" I stayed in a room that was made over onHotel Hell . It was poorly done . The paint lines were dire , and some of it was on the roof . The decorations they used seemed like just really cheap stuff . They did n’t touch the out - of - appointment bathroom , but they did n’t put that part on the show . The hotel also did n’t keep the fancy linens in that elbow room because I ’m sure it was a bother to wash and keep cartroad of one special set of linens . fundamentally , it looked large on camera , but in person , it did not look professionally done . "
— atomic number 92 / I_am_pyxidis
16.This plumber says they worked on an HGTV show, and said they’d never buy a home renovated on TV:
" I plumbed a house that was produce an HGTV remodel . Long story little : They cut more turning point than the contractors already want to , and that ’s say a muckle . I would never corrupt a household redo on one of those shows . "
— u / Azzpirate
17.This person’s friends had their backyard redone on TV, and it turned into a disaster:
" friend were on a backyard renovation show … they put SO many plants in . With them being full - metre workers with a family , the upkeep was simply not possible . look dreadful within the year . "
— uracil / LordRandle
18.This painter claims they had to fix two different “shit” paint jobs fromLove It or List It:
" I ’m a painter and know two unlike duet who were onLove It or List It . Painted rooms looked good enough for camera , but shit in someone . Had to repaint all renovated areas . "
— u / datderdewdo
19.On the bright side, not ALL the stories were negative. This person had a great experience onListed Sistersand said HGTV even helped pay for some unexpected costs:
" I was onListed Sisterson HGTV about three years ago on Season 2 . It ’s been great . The quality of oeuvre keep up and is still jolly fashionable . I moved , so I Airbnb the house now , and the HGTV aspect seems to sell it well . Nothing bad to say at all . HGTV chipped in for some repairs as well , since my ceiling fell in during the restoration . "
— u / jhaislip
20.This person said their experience with HGTV was “life-changing”:
" Awesome , lifespan - change experience . The HGTV host chose the better room to renovate . The brother who actually do the work came back on an off - shoot calendar month and did another way . Wife staged the house like a boss when we sold five years later . Made a lot . move to a quiet town and bought land and a much bigger house . Have n’t watched a home renovation show in years , but that experience was fun and helpful . "
— uranium / fallriverroader
21.This person saysLove It or List Itdid a great job on her friend’s home — but alleged that the drama was very fake:
" My acquaintance was onLove It or List It . She said that they did enceinte - quality work at a fraction of what it would have normally cost ( the homeowners on this show have to pay for the renovations).She did say that her household were tell to be all dramatic and have little argument about the redevelopment to add spice to the show . "
— u / ylzz
22.And this person said her friend’sExtreme Makeoverhouse has “held up super well,” even with those legendary tax increases:
" Extreme Makeovercame to my townspeople in like 2013–14 and did a demolition and new build of a house for my family protagonist . Luckily , they had the means to keep the house ( dimension taxation conk WAY up).It ’s still a really dainty house , and a few multitude I know have even gotten marry there . The house held up super well . "
— uranium / largeiced_milk
TL;DR: Home renovation shows might notalwaysend in disaster…but if you get an offer to appear on one, you should probably proceed with caution.
