How Real-Life Remodeling Differs from TV Shows

Have you ever watched a remodeling show like Fixer Upper, Love It or List It, Flip or Flop, or Property Brothers and thought how great it would be if real-life renovations followed the TV formula?

A family walks into a run-down or outdated home. They talk about what they want for five minutes and exit the scene. A crew works on the home for 30 or 60 minutes, and the family returns for the big reveal. Cue happy tears and dreams come true, and break for commercials.

These home renovation shows have their place. They inspire us to dream about how our homes could be better, and they give us ideas we never would have thought of on our own. Unfortunately, they can also give us unrealistic expectations for how remodeling projects typically go.

Read on to learn a few key differences between TV versions and real-life home remodels.

Timelines and Planning

While you obviously wouldn’t expect your home remodel to take just an hour, the speed with which things happen on TV can still be misleading. In reality, a variety of factors play into how long a remodel will take, including your availability as the client, the decision-making process, shipping times for materials, and more. Average projects take anywhere from two and a half to eight months from beginning to end. 

The biggest time factor in your remodel is the design and planning period. On TV, this is usually shown as a quick conversation or maybe one sit-down session at a picnic table over lemonade. But in real life, you definitely want more planning than that.

Design-build companies, like McLennan Contracting, make sure to spend an adequate amount of time talking with you and planning your project. We learn your needs, wants, and preferences. We coordinate with all parts of the construction team to make sure every detail is in place and ensure that your process will be as smooth as possible. A great plan with attention to detail is what turns a good project into a great one.

The good news is that although the planning takes a long time, it’s an exciting part of the process. You get to see your dreams begin to take shape in 3D renderings and design concepts. You begin to choose finishes and discuss options and the remodel you’ve imagined starts to become a reality.

On TV, you see the exciting parts of a remodel, like the demolition at the beginning of the project and decorating at the end. You often see contractors racing against the clock and working all night to pull off the big reveal.

What you don’t see are the less interesting parts (“It’s like watching paint dry” is a saying for a reason!). In real-life projects, each step of the remodel needs to be completed in order, so you won’t see people tearing down a wall and a plumber putting in a new faucet at the same time. It’s also unrealistic to imagine your team working all night every night to get the project done...especially if they've taken time to plan well!

Budgets

TV remodeling budgets are often not realistic. Sometimes the shows get services and materials donated by contractors and suppliers looking for publicity and a name-check. Other times, the amount you are shown only covers the parts of the remodel you see—not the plumbing, electrical, or other upgrades that are sometimes needed before the fun part of the renovation takes place. These fees are paid by the clients before the show starts.

In reality, home remodels can be expensive. You can expect to pay for project development and design, permitting, materials, labor, and project management. If you want more information on where your remodel money is going, read this post. 

Problem-Solving and Messes

Another area where TV remodels differ from real-life ones is actually a really good thing: with a good, reputable contractor working with you, projects don’t tend to go dramatically wrong in real life as they often do on TV.

It wouldn’t be an exciting TV episode if some major problem didn’t arise—but in your actual house, that level of drama is the last thing you want. Fortunately, thanks to the careful planning that goes into a good home remodel, nail-biting surprises are uncommon. Your remodeling team has spent time in your home and has made careful plans, and they won’t accidentally knock down a wall they didn’t know was holding up the entire second floor.

On the flip side, construction in real life is a messier process. While your team will work hard to be respectful of your home and property, and will clean up as they go, the reality is that there will be dust and debris during the process. TV doesn’t really show you that, especially since most televised remodels happen in unoccupied homes.

Stress

While the designer or contractor may exhibit a little tension on a home remodeling show when something doesn’t go as planned, the homeowners are rarely shown to be stressed. In real life, a remodeling project can be both disruptive and emotionally taxing to the homeowner and family in several ways.

• There are a lot of decisions that need to be made, and decision fatigue is a real thing!
• Dealing with money (setting a budget, taking out a loan, paying for expenses) can be stressful.
• If you choose to live in your home during construction, you have the emotional toll of being in a construction zone. If you choose to move out, you have the disruption of not being in your home for an extended period of time.
• Delays and change orders can also add stress.

Fortunately, there are ways to minimize stress and have the smoothest possible experience. A team of designers can help you make decisions with confidence. Careful planning and having good information will help with budgeting. Knowing what to expect during the process of construction, and having a team that respects you and your property will make it easier to live in a construction zone. And thorough planning on the front end will reduce the possibility of issues arising later. But no matter how carefully you prepare, expect that the process will be stressful at times.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Usually on TV, the home renovation process focuses on the designer or contractor. In real life, you’re the main character in your home’s story!

The best way to enjoy the remodeling process and not feel blindsided by how different it is from TV is to set realistic expectations.

• Remember that the process will take time, and focus on how much you’ll love your home when it’s complete.
• Expect some decision fatigue. Communicate your preferences to your designers, letting them know if you’re having trouble making decisions, and lean on their expertise.
• Trust the process that your contractor is taking you through. You’ve carefully chosen a team to work with. Now depend on them to do a great job.
• Keep your eye on the prize. If you remember your “why,” it’ll be easier to deal with the inconveniences you face.

While TV remodeling shows may seem like the dream—a quick process that ends with a gorgeous home in an hour—remember one thing that makes your real-life remodel exponentially better: at the end of your project, you get to live in and love your new space. Reality like that trumps TV endings every time.