BOY…THAT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION, DIDN’T IT? WELL, THOSE OF US IN THE INDUSTRY CALL HGTV AND THE DIY SHOWS PORN…WHY? BECAUSE THERE ISN’T TOO MUCH REALITY IN THE SHOWS.
Let me give you a couple clues…have you really paid attention to the shows? At the start of a renovation there may be leaves on the trees, the woman is pregnant and by the end of the show, they have a baby and there’s snow on the ground. Ok, I don’t know about you, but what went on during that time?
Or better yet, I just love the one show that shows a completely remodel while the family is at dinner. Even in my dreams it just doesn’t work that way! What about permits? Where is the inspector during all this? How does the paint, glue, and other adhesives dry?
I really like the shows (think twins or the couple that uses shiplap in every project) that say they can get a whole house remodeled in 4-6 weeks for XX amount of money…then when they reveal the finished project, there’s new furniture, high end finishes and fixtures. Again, what happened to the permitting/inspection process? Most of these projects are remodels of older homes…where is the lead paint, asbestos, and silica testing? And for the ones involving structural issues – where is the engineer?
Or even better (think couple in California that “flips” homes) that says they can do a whole kitchen for $8-10K. Ok…first of all, the average kitchen will have $3-5K in counters (remember, that’s average and not a high end product), $6-15K and up in appliances, and plumbing starting at $1K. And in California, labor is very expensive and the permitting process is just ridiculous. I know for a fact that their worker’s comp rates are some of the highest in the country. With counters, appliances and plumbing we’re already over what they “say” they’re doing the entire kitchen for…and have you seen the end results? It’s pretty nice!
One of our mentors told me when I asked him how he approached budget with his prospects…he told me that you should take whatever number you have in your head and at LEAST double it. I said what??? He said trust me, I’ve been in this business long enough that most of the time the doubling doesn’t even cover what the prospect wants to do. Now after working with Rob in this industry for almost 15 years, I get it…it’s even that way with our own home projects!
So…the next time you turn on HGTV, get on Zillow or Houzz and see that the numbers that they’re “quoting” for remodeling…take it with a grain of salt. I’d suggest you visit the most recent Cost vs Value that Remodeling magazine puts out each year. Their report is much more realistic. Or…as our mentor told us, take whatever number you were thinking and double or triple and you just may be getting close to what your project will actually cost!
Curb Appeal Renovations Inc., is a design build remodeling company that has been creating beautiful spaces in the areas of Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Trophy Club, Grapevine, Flower Mound, Roanoke, North Richland Hills, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, Fort Worth and surrounding areas since 1995. Our award winning design build remodeling services include kitchens, baths, whole home remodels, additions, universal design and green building.
Our design build process is designed to give you confidence that your home will be well designed, well constructed and well taken care of from conception through many years after completion. Curb Appeal Renovations Inc., is a husband and wife owned company who personally oversee the complete operations of their company and projects.
Email: robin@curbappealrenovations.com
Phone: 817-753-6668
Curb Appeal Renovations Inc., is a design build remodeling company that has been creating beautiful spaces in the areas of Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Trophy Club, Grapevine, Flower Mound, Roanoke, North Richland Hills, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, Fort Worth and surrounding areas since 1995. Our award winning design build remodeling services include kitchens, baths, whole home remodels, additions, universal design and green building.
