146 replies to this topic

[NYGirl]

I cannot wrap my head around 2 weeks to offer and purchase a house.

It takes at a minimum 45 days for that to happen in NYC unless you are paying cash.

Of course, true to form, the husband and wife annoyed me to no end. I had to yell at the TV several times. You make a big stink about the neighborhood you absolutely NEED to be in..and you don't want to even look inside because you don't like the garage door? Wha?????? Just freaking paint it. I just shake my head at this.

Edited by NYGirl, Aug 30, 2012 @ 9:09 AM.

[pairafids]

Making a thread for this show with the Property Brothers guys.

I was not impressed. I heard "and we have to do this all in 2 weeks" and I was over it.

I know people who would be over the moon if their kitchen re-do only went two weeks. These people have a very low tolerance for disruption, apparently

Of course, true to form, the husband and wife annoyed me to no end. I had to yell at the TV several times. You make a big stink about the neighborhood you absolutely NEED to be in..and you don't want to even look inside because you don't like the garage door? Wha?????? Just freaking paint it. I just shake my head at this.

Yes, they were seriously picky for people who absolutely had to move very soon. Garage door? When your own house has shoddy work galore? Please. I also loved when one of the guys pointed out that the living room they were criticizing was very much like their current one -- right down to the ironwork decor piece. Ha!

[selhars]

I saw it. Like it will enough I guess. But it's clearly another formulaic home remodel, buy-sell tyoe show....with the obligatory tight timeline and bickering/bewildered spouses.

I didn't watch the entire show. I did tune in and out though.....until I fell asleep:)

[lu1wml]

This was one of those shows where I went back and forth, over who was the most annoying.
At one point, it was the son Connor even. He was complaining, and I thought dammit, this is so YOU can go to the school you want.

The husband was cheap, but I did sympathize with him on a lot of things. The wife really annoyed me, because when she wasn't repeating the "2 weeks" mantra, she was refusing to look at a house because she didn't like the outside.

Not sure if this was Ontario or Texas, but I was confused about the "magnet school," because that normally means that you do not have to live in the district to attend.
I wondered if that was the case, but you had to provide your own transportation unless you live in the district. If so, it seems like there would have been an easier or cheaper fix than moving.
I think I'd just have hoped that my kids could stay in their own school without having their entire futures ruined.

Edited by lu1wml, Aug 30, 2012 @ 10:16 AM.

[melissa1925]

I find this show to be a combination of House Hunters and Design to Sell. The wife was very unfortunate looking.

[NYGirl]

I cannot wrap my head around 2 weeks to offer and purchase a house.

It takes at a minimum 45 days for that to happen in NYC unless you are paying cash.

Of course, true to form, the husband and wife annoyed me to no end. I had to yell at the TV several times. You make a big stink about the neighborhood you absolutely NEED to be in..and you don't want to even look inside because you don't like the garage door? Wha?????? Just freaking paint it. I just shake my head at this.

[JezHo]

What I didn't understand is that they had the signed offer on the new house, so why wasn't that good enough to use for the school? I don't see what difference it made that the other house was still in the picture.

I get that they had the house listed for 3 months and no takers, but you would think after the first month with nothing happening, that they would have had someone come in and do something sooner. I wonder if that 2 week deadline was just a producer-induced drama and not real.

They were pretty harsh about their assessment of their existing house, though. I don't normally see that snarky side of them. It was a little refreshing.

[Ketzel]

That family was so unpleasant and out of touch with reality that I turned the show off before they reached their inevitable and undeserved "happy ending." Whining about having to eat in the garage when you are only two days into a really superfast two week kitchen remodel? And who made you eat in the garage, anyway? (I'm guessing maybe the producers?) I live in a condo and when kitchens and/or baths are being remodeled, we all take turns making our facilities available to the displaced neighbors - and most of the time it's for longer than two weeks!

Repeatedly freaking out about HAVING TO GET INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RIGHT AWAY on the one hand, and sneering at perfectly functional houses within their price range on the other? Criticizing the design choices to make their current house more sellable on the basis that it doesn't suit THEIR taste? Not getting that their home was handicapped in the market by having unmatching kitchen appliances and laminate kitchen counters, while at the same time rejecting a home because the kitchen had unmatching appliances and didn't have granite counters?

Ugh. I'm not a huge fan of the Property Brothers, but these creeps actually made me feel bad for them.

Edited by Ketzel, Aug 30, 2012 @ 12:47 PM.

[stinkymcgee]

I'm not a huge fan of the Property Brothers

Are these the two trolls that are continually hyped on HGTV, along with the Love It List It duo? If so, no thanks on this show - all four of those people are so unpleasant to look at I can't imagine watching a half-hour featuring any of them.

[Ketzel]

Are these the two trolls that are continually hyped on HGTV, along with the Love It List It duo? If so, no thanks on this show - all four of those people are so unpleasant to look at I can't imagine watching a half-hour featuring any of them.

Ha! Well, the Scott twins are continually hyped on HGTV, so I'm guessing the answer to your question is "yes." Although the two of them looooove to remind everyone that they are both over six feet tall, so they would doubtless object to the "troll" description. :-)

Edited by Ketzel, Aug 30, 2012 @ 5:10 PM.

[stinkymcgee]

Heh; thanks, Ketzel. I only see HGTV in passing these days -- literally, as my channel lineup features a favorite of mine on either side of HGTV, so I flip past it often without watching its programming. And yet I swear that I see a promo for one or the other of those duos EVERY TIME I hit the network, however briefly. It's either the okay-they're-too-tall-for-trolls, yet seriously unappealing two guys, or it's those Love It List It people. Ugh.

[Linky Loo]

There were a couple of reasons why the show was surprising to me: I wasn't expecting them to be so straightforward in their feedback to the homeowners. What they said shouldn't have been a newsflash if they'd had a good realtor working with them in the first place, since we didn't get the backstory beyond the time on the market with no offers (or did we and I zoned it out?) I'll assume they stuck a for sale sign in their front yard and waited for the offers to roll in.

I was also surprised that they showcased such unappealing homeowners. I was really hoping they were neither bought nor sold.

Apparently the ratings were good, so this won't be going the way of the mommy/daddy buying the house for ungrateful children show.

[lu1wml]

From the promos, I thought they were going to stage the house for selling, find a fixer upper and remodel it, and then move, in the 2 weeks.

When you said the ratings were good I was trying to remember what it was up against.

Stinkymcgee, I bet I've seen more of Honey Boo Boo when passing channels, than you've seen of the Scott brothers, and you must admit that Drew is cuter than she is.

[Linky Loo]

When you said the ratings were good I was trying to remember what it was up against.

Well they didn't beat Honey Boo Boo's numbers and they weren't first in their cable time slot, but they had the 2nd best showing of the night for HGTV. HH was 1st, B&S 2nd, HHI 3rd and then Property Brothers.

[Sugarwater]

I wondered if that was the case, but you had to provide your own transportation unless you live in the district. If so, it seems like there would have been an easier or cheaper fix than moving.

Perhaps, but they mentioned several times that the school couldn't even register him until he moved into the district. Since the very definition of a magnet school is a school that attracts students from outside the normal boundaries, I can only assume that they lived in a completely different city/suburb from where the school was located.

[luckyfive]

Seems like there is a trend toward excessive complaining by the property owners. It's not just complaining, but sometimes total rudeness--especially on Love It or List It. These things happen on both shows. The homeowners give a budget and a long list of items they expect from it. They seem clueless when something unexpected comes up and it has to come out of the budget. Who do they think is going to pay for problems that come up--the house fairy?

[Ketzel]

Why luckyfive! How can you expect these poor beleagered homeowners to be calm and reasonable in the midst of this INCREDIBLE ORDEAL!!! After all, it's not their fault they're on television, or that they only have fifty thousand dollars and expect eighty thousand dollars worth of work. It's not their fault that the house had so much deferred maintenance that all the wiring also needs replacement! They were dragged against their will into this outrageous situation and SOMEBODY better step up and give them what they want, when they want it, for what they want to pay. Because in case they weren't perfectly clear, "IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT!!"

Wait, what?

Edited by Ketzel, Sep 2, 2012 @ 11:03 AM.

[aliyameadow]

Nice post, Ketzel. I caught this tonight and didn't think it was bad, but then I was listening from another room and only caught a few actual pictures of places. They seemed nice and really big; I don't know what the HOs were complaining about. I'm sorry I missed seeing the unfortunate looking wife, but gawd, you sure could hear her bitch. I didn't need to see her face.

How about the husband effing with the exhaust from the dryer or whatever? What kind of numskull does something like that? I really, really, hate people who are so cheap that they won't pay for repairs that are beyond their pay grade. If you don't know what you are doing, for goodness sake, pay someone who does. Plus, it seems this tendency towards cheapness not only means that repairs aren't made well, but that they aren't made at all - then the HOs want to know why their place doesn't sell when any inspector, or knowledgeable buyer, is going to see there is deferred maintenance.

I'd watch it again, maybe actually sitting in front of the TV this time. My son went to a magnet school - kids came from all over the city. Maybe these HOs lived out of the district entirely?

[nctvwatch]

I was also surprised that they showcased such unappealing homeowners. I was really hoping they were neither bought nor sold.

Ha! About 15 minutes in I commented that I hoped they didn't get the house they wanted and they didn't get as much as they wanted for their house. I know it is mean but they were incredibly unlikeable. All the whining about how inconvenient it was and how hard things were for them was annoying. You had to declutter? Well, you should have already done that anyway. You didn't have a kitchen for two weeks? OMG, how awful. There were many other ways to make that a more pleasant and workable situation. You don't like the design choices for the house that isn't going to be yours? You think your taste personified in a shoddy house that hasn't sold is better than the professionals? Annoying. Refusing to look at house because you don't like the garage doors? What a ninny. Putting your family in danger of losing their house - or their lives - and causing more damage because you don't want to shell out $200 for a professional. Absurd. I too went back and forth trying to decide if it was the husband or the wife I disliked the most. I couldn't believe they were arguing about butter. And when the kid asked if there was cheese and the father said "if there isn't any butter, you think there is cheese" the kid just about cried and said his dad was being mean. Boo hoo. The trouble they were all having coping with the stress of having someone else come in and do all that work for them in a two weeks was just disgusting to me.

I was under the impression that they were moving because of the older kid getting into another school. It was only later that they said the younger one had just been accepted in a magnate school. For some reason, I understood that they were actually going to be going to two different schools. Of course that still makes the drama about the second one also being accepted into a magnate school false. It doesn't matter I guess. Judging from the upscale neighborhood they already lived in, I have to wonder what was so grand about these other schools that they weren't getting where they were. But then I decided I didn't care and the parents are morons anyway.

I did like how direct the brothers were with them and when they called them on their crap.

[bataviaduo]

I liked this show but maybe it was because the guy was over the top about being cheap. We wound up having fun yelling at him!

[LurkerNoMore]

I liked this show but maybe it was because the guy was over the top about being cheap.

Hey! I didn't mind him being this way ... more people, especially during the housing bubble, should have been so careful with their money. All you need is a job loss and then you are looking at being out on the street.

I'm assuming from all of the school talk that the boys 'tested in' to get into special schools, schools that have admission criteria. However, neither of them seemed particularly bright or brilliant to me. Maybe they have the book smarts but no charisma on camera.

I actually really liked the show since the Brothers were so brutally honest with these dimwits. I get annoyed at looking at dumps on Property Brothers that very frankly, I would just demolish vs. rehabbing.

How did they get the quartz countertop on clearance!?! My impression is that quartz is usually even more expensive than granite, and is gaining in popularity. It was a decent-size slab too, not a remnant.

[lu1wml]

I had a bit more sympathy with the couple, as Drew is taking out the child-proofing and they have to live there with 3 girls under 3 while the house is torn up.
The $10k for redoing and staging the house seemed really, really high.
The wife lost my sympathy when she wanted the new house with the long commute for her husband. Glad they didn't pick that one.
I hope they get a pool fence very soon.

[NYGirl]

A couple of thoughts:

1. I think they encourage the people to complain. Do they even realize how entitled and whiny they look on TV?

2. Why was that made so urgent? There were no events occurring that would make the move so urgent.

3. They got a ranch so the children didn't have to climb steps? That's ridiculous. In 5 years they'll be out of that.

4. I've never seen a parent who wanted to have their room so far from their young children, especially with a baby.

5. The twins are likeable in this show.

[lu1wml]

4. I've never seen a parent who wanted to have their room so far from their young children, especially with a baby.

I've noticed this more frequently, and wondered. Also, the parents of young children who want a big master bedroom as a "retreat."
I can see if you have older kids, this would be nice, but for at least the mother last night, seems like she'd be more likely to collapse rather than retreat, after the kids are all in bed.

[whitepepper]

Finally saw the episode with the couple with the three young girls. Holy crap, that family was driving me nuts... Either that mess was staged or that is seriously the most frazzled mother I have ever seen. Mr White sympathized with her when she was talking about feeling judged or criticized when the Brothers were picking apart their house and mess and whatnot, since that's how he felt when the realtor walked through our first house for the first time when we listed it for sale. I had questions about the urgency of the purchase/sale too, especially since it didn't seem like there were extenuating circumstances forcing them to move. I am glad that they sold their house so quickly, because I had serious questions about how long they could maintain the staging and cleanliness of the house for an extended period of time.

Funny thing: the gray "battleship" house they walked through was for sale when Mr White and I were looking to buy, and we had actually viewed that property as part of our house search. I had the same reaction as the wife... the house had a very "cold" and impersonal vibe to it; there was no charm or real character to it (unless you're into the super-modern style). I also don't remember the backyard being all that noteworthy, and it was pretty close to a major highway that has train tracks running beside it, so I'd bet you'd get highway noise and train noise in that house.

[lafawndenise]

Haven't seen the 2nd episode with family with 3 girls, but agree with all others that first couple and their boys made me want to slap my screen! My favorite change is the directness of the Scott brothers, and with these couples it is sorely needed. On Property Brothers they seem more like used car salesmen, but I love that show anyway to see how a fixer-upper really can turn into a beautiful house.

[JezHo]

The second episode with the 3 babies was really light on drama. There really was no urgency to sell in 2 weeks. So is this the arbitrary number the producers have decided on for this show? Everyone has to flip in 2 weeks?

I would like to know what they did for $10k because they didn't show much other than the removal of the glass wall.

They never did explain why the baby slept in the kitchen. Did the baby not sleep and just cry all the time or something?

[lu1wml]

I think the baby slept in the kitchen either because she kept her sisters up, or vice versa.
Surely there are a lot of people, me included, who can't afford $10k to stage a house to sell. Whether you recoup your money or not isn't the issue, if the money just isn't there.

[dramafan]

The first couple made me so angry I almost threw something at the TV. Note to Home Buyers: Don't buy it if you can't afford to actually take care if it (or if you're too stupid). Renting is for you. duh

The second couple was a lot better, but I really wanted that mom to leave her kids with the grandparents or a babysitter. Who goes house hunting with little kids and lets them run loose in the house and play with the toys? Oh, yeah, this isn't real, but still. It's seriously irritating to watch.

[maggiethebeagle]

Funny thing: the gray "battleship" house they walked through was for sale when Mr White and I were looking to buy, and we had actually viewed that property as part of our house search. I had the same reaction as the wife... the house had a very "cold" and impersonal vibe to it; there was no charm or real character to it (unless you're into the super-modern style). I also don't remember the backyard being all that noteworthy, and it was pretty close to a major highway that has train tracks running beside it, so I'd bet you'd get highway noise and train noise in that house.

Whitepepper, I am one of those people! I was drooling over those fixtures & super clean lines! To each their own...LOL. It's really funny what one person loves another is completely turned off by. The train tracks & noisy highway would be a deal breaker for me, though.

I did think that couple was super annoying, though.