Is HGTV Reality? A Contractors Opinion…
Homeowners often express their admiration for specific tiles, mentioning examples like “I saw this incredible tile on HGTV!” or “HGTV seems to wrap up projects much faster.” So, is HGTV a reality? Moreover, we have received inquiries about whether HGTV is a reality channel. Since its debut in 1994, HGTV has garnered more viewers than most other cable TV channels and now boasts a viewership almost as extensive as ESPN’s.
As a General Contractor, it is great for business that homeowners have become interested in remodeling and renovating their homes. Remodeling and home DIY’s increased interest by our homeowners has without a doubt been helped by the popularity of HGTV. HGTV’s popularity can also sometimes set unrealistic expectations of cost, timeline, and how exactly renovations are completed. Is HGTV reality?
Cost of Remodeling
Cost of work is probably the biggest thing that gives our clients a huge shock sometimes. Regionality is one of the biggest drivers to cost differences in projects, so the cost of a remodel in Rural Georgia will cost less than a remodel in the Boston Metro Area. A lot of the time, the costs shown on their shows has no labor costs associated. So, to say that you can get an exterior door for $1000 is true, but that does not factor any labor or operational costs of the contractor.
We have highlighted noticeable price increases in our industry in our monthly newsletter that we send to our homeowners.Please fill out our form and subscribe to our newsletters to stay updated on the latest supplies.
Project Timeline
Watching a 30-minute HGTV show can often influence the timeline and completion process of renovations. Many shows do not give the timeline or information of how long things will take to complete. It is also common practice for some shows to have additional crew of multiple people working off camera to complete the work faster. There are also instances of the production being able to have inspectors on site the whole time. These shows do not include permitting times. Overall, it’s important to know that remodels take a lot longer than what a highly edited show makes it seem like. We’ll walk you through every step of the way and let you know about our rough timeline from day 1.
We need to remind our clients that HGTV shows may be inspiring and motivational for those in the remodeling and renovation industry, but they don’t necessarily reflect reality. Let’s remodel together, inquire today at 781-826-2577.
