white kitchen with wooden ceiling beams

Design Notes

4 REASONS WHY REMODELING IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS SEEN ON TV

They Make It Look So Simple!

We admit it: HGTV’s popular shows like Fixer Upper, Love It or List It, and Property Brothers always give us a significant renovation. A dreary, dated house is suddenly transformed into an amazing, contemporary home all within a neat, one-hour timeline. Here, we share some of the top unrealistic expectations presented in the home remodeling reality TV world and how they can lead to severe disappointments in the real world of renovation.

Unrealistic Expectations

While these shows are fun and relaxing to watch, they have created unrealistic expectations in the real renovation world and untold headaches for both construction and design teams. Even though there have been times when unexpected problems and delays seemed capable of derailing the designated timeline and budget, the renovation reality TV stars always managed to stay on target, much to our relief. They do this by planning every single detail with backup plans and plenty of tradespeople working all over the house when the cameras are not filming.

Unrealistic Timelines

Shows don’t disclose how much time has passed between the planning and completion of a project. While we would like nothing better than to snap our fingers and have your project ready to reveal in four to six weeks, the reality check is that it usually takes longer. Before a project can start, a plan must be in place, which means meeting with the architect, the contractor, and the designer. Once plans have been laid, tradesmen need to be lined up, materials need to be ordered, and sometimes certain items, especially specialty items like cabinetry, need to be procured. Once the design is complete, delivery of cabinets can range from 6 to 12 weeks; often, the scope of work and selected products determine the overall timeline.

This also raises another point: reality TV can hire a large crew of skilled professionals. Though you only see a handful of crew members on the show, you can be sure that there are many more behind the scenes, many of whom may be working around the clock to meet the insane deadline. Often, when you try to push out such a large amount of work in such a short time, quality suffers. Realistic timelines ensure that you never wing it, but a plan is in place for the entire project. We want your project to go as smoothly as possible, which means we plan for every aspect so that the results are a high-quality product and a beautiful project you can enjoy for years to come.