HGTV Fixer Upper Show Critique
Looking at Season 1 Episode 5, I gotta blog on this one.
Why?
Cause I gotta take a break from doing the same ole routine of local SEO stuff. Wanted to chillax and hang with ya here for a bit.
I’m getting more and more business and I’m not gonna lie. It can be intense. Ever since I got into digital property management, I want to spend all my time creating more streams of income.
This blog is actually fun for me. So I figured what a great way to pay attention to a cool show and ask a bunch of questions that always made me go….yeah how’d ya do that?
To those Flip Guru TV Types.
The flip TV programs were one of the big influences for me getting into the Real Estate Investing Scene.
Gettin’ a bit more real though, I don’t believe it is ever as easy as it seems on some of these shows.
Prob because I never approached the projects with the types of teams that we see on these shows.
I tended to get the cheap, broke ass contractors that disappeared like Houdini in a large tank of purple piranhas in the middle of a project.
An “ex” family member that made his fortune in real estate called it the rock star mentality. He said, these guys do a great job, make their money and go blow it. So, they gotta come to work the following Monday. They end up resenting what they do for a living and then they bail midstream on a project when a better opportunity comes along.
I remember having a great framer that suddenly didn’t show right before an inspection.
Come to find out, he was in jail. I told him… next time… use the one phone call to let me know you aren’t gonna show.
Seriously, I love watching this show…besides the fact that they are a cute couple and show a hefty dose of real heart, I’m happy it’s not me taking on the nightmare projects.
On to the review:
In this particular episode, Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines tackle a project for a Ms. Carolyn Muska and her daughter Jennifer Holloman, who lost a home in an explosion leaving only her mailbox. Carolyn has a budget of $175,000.
I’m gonna fast forward it for ya to the juice. Carolyn decided to go with the third option which was a 1930’s craftsman, which was 3 Bedroom 2 Bath. With the pricing, she has $42,000 ish to spend on the renovation. The property has high ceilings throughout which was nice. They decided to open some walls, add built-in appliances and create a sun-room. Almost forgot…Master bedroom tile was gonna be removed and new carpet added.
Gotta say, one of the things I really liked about this episode believe it or not was the GoPro mounted on the caulk tube that they used to seal some areas on the front of the house. It was a kinda wild view on the deal. Reminds me of caulking. I think I’ve caulked the length of the Eiffel Tower on my own. I learned that you should keep a bucket of water with ya and dip your hand in the water to make those smooth lines.
Where there’s mud, there should be water…one of the contractors taught me. He was pretty good when he wasn’t sippin’ on the sunshine.
Joanna Gaines contribution to the episode:
The renovation went down in West, Texas. Joanna tells her kids about the explosion. It was a fertilizer plant that exploded killing 15 people and destroying a lot of property.
Jojo gave the buyer 3 options to choose from to spend the extra $5,000 they were able to save because they didn’t have to do new roof installation.
Option 1: Redo the master bathroom that has an old dark tile with a lighter color and adds a new vanity
Option 2: laundry room, make it pretty
Option 3: turn the slab outside to a small children’s playhouse.
Carolyn chose to update the master bath.
During the process, Joanna realizes that the walls weren’t textured well. The paint makes the texture on the walls really stand out. The three extra areas will cost around $2,800 to redo the texture.
Chip Gaines contribution to the Fixer Upper episode in West, TX
Chip inspected the roof and found that even though the inspector recommended a new roof, it wasn’t needed. When he got up on the roof, he found that there were some old roof shingles lying on the roof that made it look like there were more issues that really were there.
Funny what happens when you make decisions for yourself.
Jojo and Chig HGTV: Power House
They really are a powerhouse couple. In the episode, they mentioned…When they aren’t working at Carolyn’s house, they are still working on their own fixer-upper (which they have been working on for the past 1.5 years.)
It’s worth mentioning that at the second home: 3 bedrooms 1 bath for $85K just about gave Ms. Carolyn a heart attack when she first saw it. I believe she made a good selection going for the third option.
CONCLUSION
Ms. Carolyn and her daughter show up at the house to see what they think. Jennifer was pretty nervous. The initial reaction to the house was pretty cool.
To pull off the freshness of the house, Jojo and Chip removed a lot of the overgrown landscaping. They lightened the brick and made it look a lot lighter and fresh. Staging the house was helpful in making the house flow. They used a teal-ish color on the walls accented with stark white trim. Carolyn was blown away by the kitchen and couldn’t wait to cook.
She described her new home as fresh, bright…really refreshing.
She also loved the master bath, and the master bath came out beautifully.
Carolyn said that Joanna and Chip really worked magic.
Carolyn has roughly $20,000 in equity before moving in.
Hugs end the episode.
Nice.
Carolyn said that it really is a dream come true and she is ready to make new memories in her new home.
Signing off for now,
-Paul
