Tv program "Love it or List it" on HGTV

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Hardt

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Whenever I watch this show and the end result of the renovation with a budget of say 85 to 100k, the results just amaze me! I think it should cost twice that much! I think the shows location is somewhere in Canada and I can't believe that labor/material cost is that much cheaper than the U.S. Does any body else find the cost and results amazing????
 

Reach4

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The prices are discounted somehow. It may because the designer/prime contractor person does not charge for her efforts, and they may get discounts from contractors who would like to be on TV.

Canada is usually significantly more expensive for materials than most of the US, but so is Hawaii.
 

JerryR

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Whenever I watch this show and the end result of the renovation with a budget of say 85 to 100k, the results just amaze me! I think it should cost twice that much!"......... Does any body else find the cost and results amazing????

Oh yeah. I wish I could get similar results at the cost they quote.
 

Hardt

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Ok, thanks for the reality check!!! Yes, what you all say makes sense. This other tv show, Wheelers Dealers, show how a car is purchased and rebuilt & it goes something like this: 3,000 pounds to buy the car, 1,000 pounds for parts and the car is sold for 5,000 pounds and they claim a profit of a 1,000 pounds. Of course, in this case it is obvious that they don't include labor, which could be 3,000 pounds. So if Love it or List it follows this theme, labor is picked up by the show and the materials is heavily discounted! I bet even the realtors commission is on the show's expense.
Just as there are truth in advertising laws. there should be laws governing the integrity of reality shows for the naive like myself! At the least, there should be disclaimer at the end of the show saying the finances may not be factual.
 

Nukeman

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Things are definitely setup on that show. There are always multiple problems and not enough budget.

My favorite is when they had a big fireplace that went in the middle of the room and they were going to take it out (open the space). This would involve framing, replacing flooring, replacing ceiling (the current floor and maybe the basement/lower floor), etc. (a.k.a: huge job)..in addition to the labor of removing all that brick. Then they found that there was a furnace vent pipe going up it and then decided it was now "too hard" to remove. Really? Re-routing a vent pipe is nothing compared to what the rest of the job would entail.

They often make minor problems out into major issues. They also never discuss costs of each part of the job. It is always like "This rewire job will cost as much as re-doing the bathroom, so we can't do the bath". They also do things that are outside of the scope of the project (like we decided you need a new roof, so now we aren't going to be able to re-do your bedroom).

You also don't really know for sure if they stay or move. They also never lose money on the work. For instance, they will say 75k budget, but the value went up 125k.

It is somewhat entertaining, but is also very predictable.
 

hj

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Remember with all of these "remodel/flip" shows, it only has to "look good" on the surface, and even then it is only while the camera is running. It could fall down 10 minutes later and no one would know the difference.
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Whenever I watch this show and the end result of the renovation with a budget of say 85 to 100k, the results just amaze me! I think it should cost twice that much! I think the shows location is somewhere in Canada and I can't believe that labor/material cost is that much cheaper than the U.S. Does any body else find the cost and results amazing????

I saw one show where the sub floor was installed with a few roof nails and some hardi backer. I cringed and switched the channel.

I've heard that the pricing does not reflect the design fees. Much of the labour. And much of the materials...
 
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