Television remodeling shows can be interesting, inspiring, exciting, and just plain fun. They can even be quite informative, but sometimes these shows raise expectations that just aren’t achievable. Here’s a look at four ways TV remodeling shows set unrealistic expectations.
- Timing: Things on a television show tend to move more quickly than they do in real life. In part, that’s because shows aren’t just about information—they’re about entertainment. A lot of things simply take more time than they do on television. One area in which this is true is the amount of time a homeowner devotes to planning and gathering ideas before anything even happens. It’s an absolutely crucial part of the process, but it doesn’t make great television viewing.
When you’re thinking about remodeling your CT home, you simply can’t take a shortcut when it comes to thinking through what you want from your project (your goals) and working with a builder/remodeler to create a plan that will accomplish that.
It’s also rare that a TV show will talk about material shortages or weather delays. There are a number of things (including changes the homeowner requests) that can impact the schedule. Those rarely make it into the script for a television show.
- Budgeting: While some shows will occasionally address the budget a homeowner has for a project, you almost never see how the homeowner arrived at a budget. You rarely hear about how the homeowner came up with a realistic budget for the project. Here’s a post that looks at how to budget for your CT home remodel. It’s important to set a realistic budget for your project. Set it too low and you won’t get the features and quality you want. Set it too high and you may put yourself under financial stress. That’s a struggle you never see on television.
- Costs: There are times when the costs for “made-for-television” remodeling simply aren’t realistic. Viewers often don’t think about the fact that manufacturers sometimes donate materials in order to get free advertising. In a similar way, some craftsmen may work cheaper (or even for free) in order to generate more business. You can get actual cost vs. value reports of typical jobs in the Hartford area by clicking here. Of course, you’ll want to talk to your remodeler to get exact costs for your specific project. But it’s helpful to have a framework that isn’t influenced by television product placements and free advertising.
- Easy Solutions: TV shows do like to bring in a bit of drama, so there’s often an obstacle to overcome that makes it a little more exciting to watch. But have you ever noticed that the remodeler always seems to have a guy with the exact skills necessary (who’s also immediately available) no matter what the problem is? It is true that there are often unforeseen issues that arise when undertaking a remodeling project. That’s why it’s good to deal with an experienced remodeler who has the expertise to deal with issues and has the connections to subcontractors and specialists to address your problems. It’s just not realistic to expect that those issues will be dealt with instantly.
Don’t get me wrong, home-remodeling shows on television can be a lot of fun to watch, and they can generate some great ideas. Just be aware that they sometimes raise expectations that may not be realistic in everyday life.
