HGTV is Misleading You - That’s Not What a Renovation Looks Like

A lot of people like to watch HGTV, but unfortunately they have done the home renovation industry a huge disservice. I am frequently educating potential clients on the true costs and timelines to a renovation project because HGTV has given them unrealistic expectations.

The biggest issue is around budgets. Most people come into a renovation project with their budgetary expectations way too low. What HGTV doesn't show you is that most products are deeply discounted in exchange for advertising.

HGTV is also known to pay for some of the labour costs in order to expedite production. Plus there's the fact that many areas of the US have much cheaper labour rates than we have here.

To make matters worse, HGTV will stage the room with items the homeowner cannot afford in order to create a polished, final product, then remove all of these items once filming is over. 

The end result is that the final budget they flash on the screen at the end of the show is typically a fraction of what the room would actually cost. You're told the kitchen cost $20,000 when in actuality it would cost at least $60,000 to achieve the same result in our area.

This is why having a frank discussion with a design consultant during the planning phase of your renovation is very important. I help clients create a realistic budget for their project based on their desired scope of work and level of finishes. 

So the next time you're watching HGTV, take those budgetary numbers with a grain of salt, and speak to a professional before starting your own renovation project. 

Are you ready to discuss your project with a professional? Book a free discovery call to chat!