During stay at home I have become a huge fan of these type of shows, I actually am going to look into getting my Real Estate license. My current favorite reno show is Home Town with a close 2nd being Good Bones, I also watch Bargain mansions and Fixer Upper, I don't really like Windy City which should be my favorite because I like watching reno on older homes but the chick is just off putting. I also like to watch the buying shows House in a Hurry and House Hunters along with Lakefront Bargain Hunt, island life and Behind the Gates. Anything I am missing? I have some questions about the estimates and pricing if anybody knows these things. Do these shows just ignore the cost of furnishing or is that factored into the price, I know some shows let you know they are staged but some don't address this.
There were 2 on BBC America that the wife and I really liked; "Location, Location, Location", a run-of-the-mill house hunting show that had two really good hosts (Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer) that made it stand out and "Homes Under the Hammer" where they'd pick 2 or 3 unique properties for sale at auction. They'd talk to the buyers about why they bought the property and what their plans were for the property (usually a major reno). Then they'd chart their progress.
Yeah, that show is the one that started it all, I still watch but its not my favorite. I will say that they seem to run into real issues and it seems to really affect the budget.
I need to check these out, I am interested in international housing market and the different styles. Thanks.
When did it become fashionable to want kitchens that look like public restrooms with them being so sterile looking. Those kitchens don't look very inviting and I guess they rarely get used. I am also not a big fan of the open concept, I like the combined family area and kitchen sometimes but I like a bit of separation.
It's been that way for a few years. Neutral colors have been the popular color for a while. I also like that house interiors and furniture have drifted away from the usual Victorian area gaudy stuff to cleaner/simpler lines like a lot of the "European" styles. I admit a lot of houses look a bit sterile when everything is some kind of black, white, or gray/beige, but with added color in the right spots, I think it can look awesome. I don't like white kitchens/cabinets for the most part, though, but it's popular. Even home design has started drifting that way. I can't stand the Southern styles that seem like they're trapped in some Gone With The Wind era. One thing I noticed a few years ago was that the separate dining room is disappearing since it rarely gets used and ends up being wasted space most of the year. I can't recommend shows, btw. I don't really watch them -- too busy watching the same show get repackaged as another car restoration, fishing, etc. show. No time for home renovation shows that get repackaged as something different now.
Yeah I understand that styles have changed and I am for doing away with the formal dining area and can even do all white in some circumstances but I don't like all of the white marble and granite a lot of these upscale homes have. I like car reno shows as well there are not as many and at least you get different types of cars and can pick up pertinent info. I like Wheeler Dealers and the original show ant was on also goblin works but not as much, can't think of an american one that I watch.
Our favorites are Home Town, Good Bones, and Big Texas Fix (young couple based in Galveston). Very livable designs, and the hosts are extremely likable. Least favorites are Love It or List It (too much bickering), Flip or Flop (yea, Christina is hot looking, but both her and Tarek (and even the daughter) are hateful), and Bargain Mansions (something about the star's voice annoys me, prefer Rehab Addict). And One of A Kind, where the host has the oddest ideas that destroy people's homes (she must have learned from Hildi on Trading Spaces). https://www.diynetwork.com/shows/big-texas-fix https://www.galvestonmonthly.com/2019/04/04/194561/galvestons-big-texas-fix- I also like the tiny house shows (especially Tiny Luxury) and off the grid type shows.
I don’t watch these shows, but my parents do. They watch these shows all day long, so when I visit them I get a taste of what I am missing. My favorite part of these shows is when the host pretends to be helping with the construction. You just know that the construction crew just wants them to get out of the way.
I need to check out Big Texas Fix and One of a Kind, I agree about Bargain Mansions ,she is just not very likable the host on Windy City is worse. I loved Trading Spaces but could not get into the reboot. I love Good Bones, the Mom looks high 50% of time. Reno Reality is a good, non professionals doing reno and it's only 30 minutes.
Not familiar with Windy City but we love to hate on Bargain Mansions. That lady loves to act like she did all the work, meanwhile she's putting her dad to slave labor. She's just trying to rip off Rehab Addict, which I do like. I've caught a couple of Home Town and it's pretty good. I dig the craftsmanship and carpentry work he does. Flip or Flop is a train wreck worth a peak every now and then, but since the divorce the show is just odd. Dessert Flippers is alright but once you hear her laugh you will never unhear it. As for the pricing, it's just wrong and don't think that you can do what's done for that price. Whether it's free or discounted materials and/or labor I'm sure different shows have they thigns. But when they walk into a bathroom that needs to be completely gutted and redone, and I hear them say "$3K" i just have to laugh, or even better is a new kitchen for $5K. oh, and on a different topic, I'm pretty hooked on Lottery Dream Home. I don't know why.
We seem to be in agreement on most things, you probably will really like Good Bones. I have never seen a kitchen priced at 5k or 3k for a bathroom it's always 10k plus and usually between 20k to 30k. My biggest question is about the furniture especially on these Flip shows because nobody can have this much furniture to stage and its' never brought up in the price. Unsellable Houses is pretty good, likable host and reasonable reno to help actually sell houses. https://www.hgtv.com/shows/unsellable-houses/unsellable-houses--video-highlights--videos
My wife really likes that show. I find it so so... the "twins" aspect is contrived, the VW bus is contrived. The carpentry is so so. Not a big fan of the houses near Seattle. I do like the idea that the designers invest in the house sale.
My wife watches all of these shows. I don't....but then I'll come in while she's watching.....and of course I'm hooked. The one I really like is the Beachfront Bargains or something like that. We definitely want to get a place in Galveston when we retire, so it's nice to know that a nice beach house doesn't necessarily have to cost half a million dollars. Gives us hope!
Not sure where it airs now I've seen it fyi and a&e, it gets hokey pretty quickly but Flipping Vegas is one of the funniest flipping shows. You won't be able to take much of anything away from it real estate wise but you will laugh your ass off
I think they are pretty natural and don't find them contrived and I like the basic carpentry aspect because it is realistic for most people to do. The Houses are pretty lackluster but then again it's what most people houses are.
There is also Buying the Beach no reno but it gives you ideas about what house you can exspect at different price points and they have specific Galveston area episodes.
