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HGTV..Reality or does it make things look too easy?

By Cindy Westfall

Real Estate Agent with Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon

March 14, 2011 05:54 AM

TV set with HGTV Reality? or making things look easy on the screen

(Cindy's Blog about Portland Real Estate & Stuff)

HGTV..Reality or does it make things look too easy?

Like many of us, I enjoy watching HGTV (Home and Garden Television)now and again. While watching though, I can't help but wonder if many of these shows just gloss over the buying and selling process making it look very easy.

Perhaps this is a good thing as it might help those buyers and sellers get off the fence and take that first step, but can your average seller really only put $2,000 towards updates and repairs to have 3 offers after that first open house reveal?

Shows like Designed to Sell preach this, and it does go over what the buyers are looking for today. The reality though is that those same updates and repairs would cost a homeowner quite a bit more with all the contractors alone!

Then of course there are the first time home buyer shows like Property Virgins. The host Sandra Rinomato does have the 'tell it like it is' attitude which I love, but yet for me the frustrating part is always at the end of the show. This is when the buyers make that offer..the nail biting scenes as Sandra goes back and forth negotiating for them until she finally declares to the anxious buyers "Congratulations..you just bought a home!".

Hmmm...ok, offer in, but now is when the reality REALLY starts..when that show ends. This is when the inpections, loan application reviews, title issues, and all those things that come into play happen. They don't discuss how that couple lost the home because they went out and bought furniture and now the underwriters of the loan are freaking out. They don't show the results of the inspection reports..and buyers walking away because the seller won't make repairs.

Of course we all take a buyer out and show them three homes...and of course they find that perfect one out of those three which the offer was accepted and they live happily ever after..as shown on House Hunters. (note..that was sarcasm). Don't I wish!

My favorite show on HGTV is the one called Buy Me. I love that this one shows the realities..yes the realities of what the agents as well as the homeowners go through when selling..the good bad and the ugly. Most of the Buy Me episodes are not glossy, there are no magical reveals at the end, no false hopes shown for the sellers and the agents. This one is real. Now...I wonder why this show is not really airing that much anymore..hmmmm.

I'm all for these shows for entertainment purposes, but when it makes it look like you just need to do a few little fix me ups and you'll get top dollar as a seller, or when buying a home, the only thing REALTORS® do is show homes but never show all the hard work that follows AFTER the offer is accepted..well, I think it just might give folks an unrealistic view of things.

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Kathy Burke

Sensational Home Staging~~Danville, CA - Danville, CA

S.F. East Bay Home Staging

HGTV has been a 2 sided sword.....One: It has raised awarness!! Two: Only if you have tons of FREEEEE labor can you get things done on the budget they are putting out there! So it has created a bit of a hurdle for pricing reality...pun intended!

GOOD Post!

Mar 14, 2011 08:49 AM

Janna Scharf

Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene - Coeur d'Alene, ID

Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert

I do think it makes things look too easy. Most people don't have the financial resources or access to design professionals...

Mar 14, 2011 10:26 AM

Janet Jones

Just Your Style Interiors, LLC - Kihei, HI

Home Staging, Interior Redesign Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

Hi Cindy--I agree with Kathy. I love the fact that HGTV has brought forward the concept of getting a house market ready and made staging more mainstream. What they don't show is the cadre of people who design, paint, shop, buy, build, stage, etc., or the fact that the TV shows probably get tremendous discounts for using certain products. So then the sellers balk when it costs $10K to remodel that dated bathroom and keep looking for the $1,000 contractor. But, as with most, things, continued education is what helps. Very nice post.

Mar 14, 2011 02:07 PM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Kathy, You're so right with the double edge sword. I do love that it has raised awareness and can be a good thing in that repect.

Mar 14, 2011 03:08 PM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Janna, I can only go on some of the bids I've gotten on some small updates and repairs...to do so much under $2,000 in really not realistic..let alone as you say and have that designer as well!

Mar 14, 2011 03:10 PM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Janet, Great points on all the miriad of people and then the probable discounts that are not offered to your average seller. That is part of our job to educate, but I just wondered if it leads folks to believe that it all can be done so easily. I always look at some of the work done...like the painting of the kitchen cabinets using latex and wonder how this will look in one year when the paints chipping around the handle.

Mar 14, 2011 03:15 PM

Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging

Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR

"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Cindy -- some of those shows just don't give the true costs of repairs and updates. I know this from being involved in one of their shows...fun exposure for my business, but quite different behind the scenes :-)

Mar 14, 2011 05:01 PM

Barbara Hensley

RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX

Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

Hello Cindy, this is a nice fun post to read. I agree that these shows do not show the complete picture. One biggie, regardless of how good it looks, is PRICING. That must be right before much of anything can help. They do not show the true cost to get things done and it is unrealistic for a seller to think this amount of work can be done in a couple of days at such a low price. What the shows have done is to make people aware that they must do some things to their home in order to compete in this market. Great post, thanks.

Mar 15, 2011 02:58 AM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Maureen, I love that you know the behind the scenes reality of many of these shows. Between the costs of hiring professional contractors, designers, etc, it will never be as inexpensive as these shows portray.

Mar 15, 2011 05:15 AM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Barabara, So true! Pricing is key and always will be. All the repairs and updates done to sell a home will not in most cases garner a higher price range, Instead what it will do is show your house in a better light compared to it's competition. I do like that these shows make sellers aware of the need to fix things up to sell. This IS a good thing!

Mar 15, 2011 05:21 AM

Janice Ankrett

Burlington, ON

Staging Professional

I'm working on a home right now that would make a good episode. Seller with a tenant finally realizing the home should have been prepped in the beginning and now wants miracles. On HGTV I could just snap my fingers and have it done in a day LOL. I tell my clients that they can spend 1% to 3% of their list price to prep the home.

Mar 15, 2011 07:56 AM

Mary Stewart

HomeTrust Real Estate, LLC, Homes for Everyone - Wilsonville, OR

Wilsonville and Surrounding Portland Metro Areas

Cindy, really great post. I have to agree with you that some of the shows are unrealistic as to how much it really costs to do what they are doing to prepare the home for sale. My guess is that perhaps they do have the costs correct, but they do not include labor, time costs, travel costs and so many little things that are added into the actual cost of remodeling etc. The shows that have buyers looking to find a home, I wonder if the Real Estate Agents have shown them a huge amount of homes prior to the last three that they really like. It is good entertainment but in my world pretty unrealistic again. The thing I do like about some of the shows are the renovations that the home owners actually do pay for and the ideas they give to people watching. I have learned a lot and gotten many good ideas, wish I could put them all into play. Winning the lottery, that's my solution. Thanks again for a good post.

Mar 15, 2011 12:34 PM

Carla Freund

Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC

NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Cindy - How often do we hear "Oh, I saw it on HGTV". Most things I hear commented on are fine. However, I have had a buyer say, Oh, I don't need a Realtor, I watch HGTV. Generally, I've found they don't save money and they don't have enough info. Hopefully not a sign of things to come.

Mar 15, 2011 02:48 PM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Janice, Oh, wouldn't that be great if we could snap our fingers and viola! All done and everyone all smiles in 30 minutes! All the best on working with this seller and tenant...sounds like you have your work cut out!

Hi Mary, I'm sure they home search shows look at lots and lots, but they only show the 3. I think most people know this, but it does leave the impression that it's easier. I have gotten a lot out of many of the shows on there as well and do get great tips, but some of them to me are just unrealistic in many ways.

Hi Carla, that's an "ouch" for the not needing a REALTOR(r) statement. It just gives us some job security to educate more and more. People haven't had to save for a long time and want things now..we are an instant gratification society...so I agree...hoping it's not a sign of things to come.

Mar 15, 2011 03:05 PM

Jill Sackler

Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500 - Long Beach, NY

LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate

Hi Cindy - I love that you used your comment on another post as a springboard for a complete article. You did a great job filling it out.

Mar 16, 2011 01:06 PM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Jill, I was going to link it to this one..but then thought I'd let this one stand alone for a bit. I"ll probably come back and add it to the bottom of the post to give it a booster shot of google juice in a few weeks.

Mar 16, 2011 04:06 PM