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Everyone has a guilty pleasure, and for homeowners who enjoy DIY projects, that guilty pleasure comes from binge-watching home improvement shows on HGTV.
From house hunting in the city to beach house renovations on the coast, the work on these shows is enough to inspire homeowners everywhere to start a new project.
But so often they find that what they see people getting for the amount they invest in their renovation project, that amount is nowhere near what it will cost to do that type of work on their actual home. to an authorized contractor.
So what starts as excitement often gives way to the harsh reality that home remodeling is expensive.
So why are the remodeling and renovation budgets you see on shows on HGTV and other networks like DIY and Discovery+ so much cheaper than what you’d see in the real word?
Renovations look so cheap on HGTV because they leave out many details like design work that is expensive and paid for by the owner. Additionally, HGTV is sometimes able to offer discounted services to homeowners and will sometimes pay labor costs themselves if necessary to meet their production schedule, all of which give an unrealistic look at how it really is renovation and remodeling in the real world.
Here’s the standard rule for «reality» TV in my house:
You have to understand that there is little or nothing in television shows that has anything to do with the real world or reality in general.
As aspirational as HGTV homes can make us, it’s important to remember that not everything is as it seems.
When it comes to general renovation prices on channel TV shows, viewers don’t take into account a variety of factors that go into real-life renovations, such as obtaining permits and paying labor.
There’s also only 30-40 minutes of footage shown per episode, so viewers are rarely, if ever, exposed to everything that goes on during the renovation.
Let’s see why HGTV renovations are so cheap and what you can learn and apply to your own remodeling project.
By the way, before I get too far here, if you want to connect with other homeowners and builders and get more great ideas for your home to make your space the best, join my free private Facebook group , Reshape Reality here.
Are HGTV Renovation Costs Fair?
The shows you see on HGTV make it feel like achieving that dream renovation project is actually achievable.
You see Chip & Joanna exploring properties in Waco, Texas with their newest clients looking for a property that they can completely remodel from top to bottom.
The show’s remodeling project budget discussion segment comes on and the couple tells Chip and Joanna that they have $75,000 to work with to do renovations, and when you see the final reveal at the end of the show, you’re blown away. far – just like everyone else – to the amount and quality of work they can do for what they spent on the property.
If you’re like me, this has always been extremely confusing, especially when talking to local contractors in your area, which is decidedly NOT Waco, Texas, and estimating to do a remodeling job similar to what what have you seen that couple makes on HGTV is at least 2x more.
There are so many factors that go into why HGTV quotes just don’t make sense, and we’ll explore the biggest ones below.
Behind the scenes of an HGTV show
It’s easy to forget that HGTV shows are just as staged as any other reality show.
But when we forget that fact, it becomes just as easy to feel blindsided and frustrated when you see the price tag on the latest bill from your contractor.
What these TV shows don’t show you are a number of hidden costs that you may not be aware of, such as permits, the cost of labor, the products and brands they use, and sometimes expensive repairs and hidden problems in the structure of the house. . Another cost that many don’t consider is the staging they do to make the home appealing to their audience.
Let’s talk about each of these things and how they affect the perceived cost of a remodeling project versus the actual cost of a remodeling project.
Plans and Permits
Permits are what ensure that work done on your home is safe and sustainable for years to come.
And depending on the state you live in, the permit requirements will vary.
Failure to obtain the necessary permits for a renovation can result in fines piling up, as well as a much more difficult time when it comes time to sell your home.
Permits are also a «boring» topic when it comes to the renovation process. Because of this, it’s no surprise that HGTV doesn’t spend screen time on their shows talking about them.
Labor costs
Another renovation cost that HGTV notoriously leaves out is the labor costs that come with hiring contractors and subcontractors.
Instead, the show tends to focus more on the actual design and renovation process.
The cost for general contractors it can be anywhere from $1000-$100,000 or more depending on the work they are hired for. With such a high cost, it’s no surprise that HGTV chooses to skip these costs most of the time.
The costs of the design firm
Some shows are centered around the host’s design company, such as Jennifer Todryk’s show, «No Demo Reno.»
But for many others, the design firm is not the focus, and there are costs associated with hiring designers to create the output you see being put together on the show.
The cost of hiring a competent interior designer to do this work can range from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the scope of the project.
Used products
A cable channel as big as HGTV also opens the doors to brand lines and companies that partner with them.
These partnerships usually involve letting the channel’s productions use the partner’s on-screen products for free in exchange for free advertising.
These partnerships allow a show’s renovation budget to have a little more wiggle room because they don’t have to worry about purchasing specific renovation tools or appliances.
Hidden problems
While HGTV productions do a good job of highlighting unforeseen issues most of the time, there are some cases where an issue arises that they don’t show during an episode.
As viewers, we only see about 45 minutes of weeks or Monday reruns. Of the one or two surprises that the owner experiences on the show, there are probably two or three more that we have no idea about.
Sometimes it’s not something that’s really «shocking,» like termite damage or wood rot in your flooring.
The work being done may be there to replace old work that isn’t up to par – a very inglorious, uninteresting part of the project, but still has a big effect on the renovation budget.
And in many real-world situations, these extra issues are quite expensive and can really stretch a tight budget.
Home Staging
Unfortunately, we come to the only part of the show that makes watching the trial worthwhile.
The final product shows us the result of the hard work done throughout the entire project. What they don’t show the viewer is the price that comes with hiring home stangers or buying the products shown at the end of the episode. The cost staging a house can range from $657 to $2,542, depending on whether you stage it yourself or hire a professional designer.
Location, location, location
It has been said by legions of real estate agents and agents that the 3 most important factors in real estate are:
- Location
- Location
- Location
The same is true when it comes to doing a remodel or renovation for your home and comparing what the market is like in your local area versus where those shows actually work.
The renovation budget needed to do the kind of thing you want to do can vary greatly depending on where your home is compared to where the show is taped.
For example, let’s say your home is in Florida, where I live.
Real estate and construction costs are much higher than they are in another state like Mississippi for example.
So if I look at Home Town with Ben and Erin Napier, the costs for their project in a small town in Mississippi will be less than in a city like Orlando.
The same goes for Waco, Texas. If I look at what Chip and Joanna Gaines are doing on Fixer Upper in Waco, the property values per square foot compared to the property values per square foot in Miami are going to be a lot different.
Moving expenses
Some shows are great because they send you on vacation, like Extreme Home Makeover.
Others are great because they do all the work after you buy a house and do the renovations before you move in, like Fixer Upper.
But for most others who renovate and remodel existing spaces on homes where the owners actually live in the home, there’s the associated cost of moving in while HGTV does its thing.
This could also mean there are storage costs for your furniture and belongings.
Other things HGTV doesn’t tell you
Refusing to show the hidden costs of home renovations doesn’t have to make you feel slighted.
After all, producers and editors have to figure out how many shots of an entire renovation they need to squeeze into a 30-40 minute time frame.
However, the final product still proves to be deceiving as there are a few things about these shows that those working at the channel won’t tell you.
Rooms are often left unopened
Ever wonder why the baby’s bathroom sometimes doesn’t even appear during the final reveal?
Or why don’t they take the cameras to the guest rooms? Or upstairs?
While some shows brag about doing a complete house makeover, there are often rooms that haven’t even been touched by the show’s production crew or contractors.
So a house that looks nice and spacious on the outside and worth a lot of money, may have unfinished rooms inside to reflect the seemingly low final cost at the end of the episode.
Most of the «after» shots use stage furniture
For most HGTV shows, the production team hires professional designers to come in and stage the house, and this should come as no surprise.
While the homeowners have the option to purchase the furniture used during the set, the final cost calculator that we see as a viewer does not take into account the amount of money needed to pay for all the stage furniture.
House hunting is already over
In shows like House Hunters and others that focus on buying a new home, it’s typical for the owners to already own the property of their choice, before even «looking» at other houses.
Because of this, the home’s value may actually be higher than what the owners actually paid. As such, this can affect the overall costs of any renovations they occasionally choose to do in the end.
How accurate are the final costs on HGTV shows?
The final costs that appear at the end of an episode for your favorite HGTV shows are usually not accurate for the everyday renovator.
For starters, labor costs and the cost of products used throughout a renovation is a very regional market. For example, you’ll expect to pay a lot more for a renovation on a house in Manhattan than you would in a more rural area in the Midwest.
Plus, big-name companies like HGTV also have access to brand partnerships that enable deals. In exchange for using another brand’s products or services, HGTV offers them free or discounted advertising in return.
In other words, you shouldn’t take the logistics of your favorite HGTV shows to heart. There are too many factors at play that allow those low renovation costs to be in the show.
Final thoughts
So that’s why it’s not a good idea to get too caught up in the renovation budget you see on those HGTV shows.
Think about this:
If you see luxury vinyl tile at Home Depot for about $4 per square foot and you know it will cost at least another square foot to install it and you have a 2500 square foot home, you know it will only cost .500 to redo your floors.
And that’s on the cheap end of the spectrum!
So how come these HGTV shows — and many others like them on the DIY Network, Discovery+, etc. can present a large-scale project with a complete kitchen remodel costing only $50,000?
Then you think about the subcontractors who do your drywall, painting, framing, electrical, and tiling, among other things, and it’s easy to see how quickly the price will start to add up in the real world.
The numbers just don’t add up.
The real-world explanation of what actually happened for that renovation project is in many cases as «real» as other «reality» shows known for being nothing but authentic.
Next steps
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