As reality renovation shows gain popularity, so do the expectations of everyday homeowners. What may appear to only take a day or two to accomplish on television may actually take much longer. While most of these shows claim to be an accurate representation of real life, those who work in the remodeling industry agree that couldn’t be further from reality.
Time Crunch
Often times on these shows a large and unrealistic amount of people show up to work every day. You may only see two or three workers on camera but you can be sure there are many more working behind the scenes.
“A viewer may watch an episode about a bathroom remodel that was completed in three days,” said Currey Williams, Project Manager at LJ Huseby and Company. “In ‘real life construction,’ a bath remodel can take around eight weeks.”
It’s just not practical to have all kinds of workers crammed into a home all trying to do different projects. A good general contractor will schedule subcontracted workers to show up at different times.
“Subcontractors like and need space,” said Williams. “We try to only schedule one subcontractor at a time to avoid being in each others way. LJ Huseby and Company has worked with most of its subcontractors for eight plus years and we want to maintain positive working conditions.”
Less Money, More Problems
Looks can be deceiving especially when what you’re looking at is on television. Just because the finished product looks great on the tube doesn’t mean that it does in real life.
“Materials used on reality TV shows are commonly chosen because of low cost and ease of install,” said Williams.
The producers of these shows often-times cut corners in an effort to save time and money. Choosing prefabricated showers over hand poured mortar, laminate over true hardwood, or high-density polyethylene piping over soldered copper are just a few examples of how reality show contractors sacrifice quality in an effort to wrap things up quickly.
The producers of these shows also work out all kinds of advertising deals before filming ever starts. Companies will provide materials at little or even no cost just to get it installed on the air.
“Materials and services are often offered at low to no cost to the homeowners,” Williams admitted. “Real world contractors don’t have the luxury of providing services to homeowners at largely discounted rates. Certain margins must be met to have a profitable business.”
The moral of this story is clear: if a building project is in your future – put down the remote and pick up the phone. Call a reputable company like LJ Huseby and Company and have one of its Project Managers like Williams walk you through the process. Whether you’re looking to start a remodeling project, new window or siding installation, or building an entirely new home – the experts at LJ Huseby and Company along with Huseby Homes can help. Both companies are known throughout Nashville and the greater Middle Tennessee area for their up front and honest approach. Craig Huseby founded these companies with his wife, Nicole, because they share a true passion for providing professional building and remodeling services.
See photos of recent renovation projects just completed by the Husebys and the rest of the professionals at LJ Huseby and Company by visiting their website. If you’d like to speak with one of them directly – call 615-260-3396.
