Ask Your Contractor: Renovation Shows
Let’s be honest, we all love to secretly binge watch home improvement shows on HGTV and the alike. The truth is these shows are romanticizing renovation. Off screen there is additional money and time spent which dramatically increases the time and financial budget.
Time
TV shows drastically skew time frames for renovations. Before any construction can start there are a few key steps that need to take place. Inspections need to be completed by engineers, electricians and other specialists, building permits need to be obtained and site visits need to be conducted by the city. These steps can take months and are not added to TV timelines.
Home improvement shows can finish a renovation in a short amount of time because what happens behind the camera. On screen, you see a few workers doing the heavy lifting, but behind the camera is a large crew of people. These crews work around the clock, which certainty is not done in the real-world.
Have you ever noticed that they never show the whole house during the reveal? This is because the rest of the house is still being worked on or won’t be touched. Those other rooms are not included in the time budget on screen, which allows them to decrease the project timeline.
Money
Those HGTV budgets are not anywhere close to real. TV networks can get several types of discounts on the materials, appliances and labor. Flooring, cabinets, faucets, appliances, and lighting are often donated in exchange for advertising. During the process, these TV shows buy cheap appliances and materials. They are more concerned about the present look and not how long those items will last or how durable they are. Also, during the final reveal the homes are staged which is not included in the budget.
Moral of the (Renovation) Story
Anything you see online or on TV take it with a grain of salt. Always hire professionals that has quality as their top priority and are not going to rush through a job. The best way to make sure you get all the right professionals on the job is to hire a contractor. Be aware, the construction industry has the lowest five-year survival rate at 36.4%. This means 96% of construction companies that are operating today will not be around in 10 years’ time. Therefore, it is very important to do your research and to pick a renovation business that has years of experience. New Dimension Construction has been doing business in Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley for past 26+ years and we are still going strong.
Download our workbook for the types of questions to ask during an interview with a contractor, to make sure you project is done right (the first time) by clicking here.
