DIYer’s on HGTV shows like Trading Spaces are often depicted as being hands-on when it comes to renovations but again, this is another lie. Not only would a renovation be difficult to complete by yourself, but it also wouldn’t turn out well at all. Leave it to professionals to ensure it’s up to code.
HGTV doesn’t even actually let them work on the renovations on the show by themselves either. They might have families doing something but then they are several other professionals also helping to ensure the job is completed quickly and in the right way. Demolition, construction, and electrical work are best completed by professionals.
Granite is always depicted as being the must-have item for the kitchen. Granite countertops are not as important to homebuyers as HGTV would want you to believe. In fact, there are plenty of other materials that are appealing to buyers so don’t think you need granite to sell your home.
Other materials that are like granite are quartz and butcher block. Like Granite, they are easy to keep clean, sturdy, and look incredible. Granite isn’t the holiest of holy options when it comes to kitchens, and the truth is that granite doesn’t fit with everyone’s idea of what a kitchen should look like.
HGTV stars have been notorious for telling us all to bust our house wide open for years. Sure, a showroom looks amazing on TV and it provides plenty of space for furniture, but your house isn’t a furniture store! You don’t need an open-concept floor plan to have a nice home.
On TV, they take a wonderful older home with thoughtfully planned rooms that add character and strip it down to almost nothing. What’s wrong with rooms? Nothing at all. We cringe every time we see a beautiful craftsman home stripped of its charm to become a white-washed studio apartment inside.
What is HGTV’s obsession with white-washing? White kitchens, white bathrooms, all-white everything…all the time. This feels like an insane asylum or something! No one wants their home to feel like the inside of a padded room.
What’s wrong with color HGTV? Again, sure it looks beautiful on TV but look a little closer and that white starts to get a bit bleak over time. Here’s the thing, all-white is fine…but that doesn’t make a home with color less desirable. It’s not a bad thing to have color in your home, and it doesn’t take away from the value of the property.
(Image via HGTV/Cineflix; HGTV/Cineflix)
Picture it, you tune into HGTV and see a reality show where they gut an entire bathroom and install an entire hotel spa bathroom in less than a weekend. The stars behind these shows act like remodeling is a walk in the park…but the truth is one bathroom could take months to finish.
Here in the real world, we don’t have a team of 50 industry pros backing your remodel. The best you can hope for is someone's ambitious stepdad just trying to make a living. These unrealistic expectations set by rambunctious HGTV stars are crushing dreams in every city in the country.
Want to add a little pizazz to your home? HGTV says to add a stunning accent wall. From patterned wallpaper to a bold color, accent walls are supposed to take any space from drab to fab. But there’s one problem, accent walls are kind of stupid.
You’re made to feel like this is your one opportunity to put a little personality in your space. The pressure to make the right choice causes most folks to make some pretty regrettable design decisions. Accent walls are a waste of time, just paint the whole space the fun color you want, or bring in patterns with accessories.
We love color and pattern just as much as everyone else, but there’s always a point where something good becomes something really bad. From argyle to paisley, patterns can make or break a space entirely.
HGTV staged spaces always feature some sort of loud pattern that is repeated throughout the space. While the custom fabric industry loves this trend, what happens when that pattern grows a little dated? There’s always a pattern that’s defining the times, so committing to one could date your space later on.
HGTV loves to find whatever has an inkling of sentimental value and turn it into a statement piece in a space. Is this your dad’s brother's bike from 1962? Wow, now you have a wonderful bike chandelier. While it is pretty neat no one really wants a bicycle suspended from the ceiling of their home.
Admittedly, a few of these statement pieces are pretty cool…however, with big ambitions come big let-downs. So don’t be surprised when your DIY statement piece doesn’t go as planned. More often than not these things are better in theory than practice. Take a hint from TLC and don’t go chasing waterfalls.
Our number one problem with all of the horrible advice HGTV “experts” give is that they encourage everyone to completely overcrowd their spaces. They leave no stone unturned in regards to space to cram a piece of furniture.
Who wants to turn sideways to fit through a room? Honestly, some of these spaces look like an episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive just with a few more throw pillows. We get it, the home needs to look good for pictures, but everyone’s husband is tired of moving a mountain of throw pillows just to sit on a couch.
Ugh, seeing those HGTV experts totally ruin a charming vintage home just breaks our hearts. There is still a world where intricate woodwork, wood grain, charm, and color exist. Harsh lines and modernism has overwhelmed the world, and it’s not because it looks nice…it’s because it’s cheap!
Please keep your home true to its origins. You don’t always have to replace old with new. Old homes are beautiful and elegant! We get it, it’s not for everyone…but if you hate an old house that bad, just buy a new build! There’s absolutely no reason to ruin it for the rest of us.
On TV and in magazines, more is more. However, in real life, less is more. HGTV stars decorate every surface, nook, and cranny. While in pictures this really captures the eye, it can be seriously overwhelming when you’re actually standing in a room.
There’s nothing worse than feeling like a kid in the store who’s afraid to break something. Our homes are meant to be usable spaces that serve us day to day. When it’s set up like a showroom, all you’re doing is stressing out your friends and family.
Almost every home remodeling show on HGTV features a little something for the kids. From indoor slides to ridiculously themed spaces, there are way too many unnecessary fun factors in many HGTV renovations. While it’s a good storyline on tv, no one really wants to deal with an indoor treehouse when you sell your house.
Unless you want your home features on those YouTube channels that roast ridiculous homes spotted on Zillow…it’s probably best to keep the fun factors to a minimum. At least make them easily disassemblable. Kids these days are so ready to be grown up, that super cool slide will only have their attention for a few days before they’re over it.
Somewhere along the way, HGTV convinced everyone in America that the only room worth a remodel is a kitchen. Yes…a kitchen is a crucial part of a home and can completely make or break a buying decision. However, nothing is dumber than an outrageous kitchen in a dumpy house.
It just doesn’t make sense to have a gourmet kitchen in a home that can’t support it. It’s like seeing a Rolex on a babysitter’s wrist…it just isn’t the time or place. Spread your budget through the main spaces of your home or at least don’t forget the bathrooms!
Popular HGTV shows like “Love It or List It” convince everyone that in order to make a dime from the sale of a house you need to completely overhaul it before listing it. This just isn’t true. The average property will increase in value year over year.
While you should put in a little effort to spruce up a place before listing, a complete overhaul just isn’t necessary. The cost of remodeling will eat up too much of the proceeds and the time and effort needed to pull it off just aren’t worth a measly payout. Save your money and sell as-is, there’s a buyer for every home.
Another common thing we notice in HGTV shows is outrageous showers. Listen, unless you’re having an x-rated party in there, you don’t need a shower than can fit the entire cast of a Vegas burlesque show. It’s just not necessary and honestly raises a few eyebrows.
Everyone wants a nice luxurious shower, but there’s a point where it’s too much. Besides just sheer size, pay attention to the faucets and fixtures. No one needs more than two shower heads…four, maybe! Those instance futuristic shower fixtures that look like an automatic carwash are just overkill.
Of course, buying a turn-key house is ideal, but that’s really only a thing on TV. In the real world, houses have issues. Some houses have issues that will never be fixed! You just learn to live with the situation…unless it’s just that bad. Not everything has to be so perfect.
HGTV stars convince us to ditch last year's trends and replace them with the current ones. However, when it comes to fixtures, hardware, and finishes…replacing with every trend can be quite costly. Our advice is to avoid anything too trendy, and stick with something long-lasting.
Remodeling a home can be quite a commitment. HGTV influencers on TV give completely debased advice about how you should remodel a home. Here’s the thing, most of us can’t vacate our property for the length of a remodel. We’ll have to live there while the work is being done.
So it would be much better to break your home’s remodel into chunks so that you’re not moving back in with your parents for a year. This is also cost-effective for most people who need to save in between projects. Remodel your kitchen and bathrooms first, then move on to the living spaces.
For whatever reason, HGTV stars have convinced us that having washed-out browns, whites, and greys are the only way your home can be beautiful. That’s just not the case. Ditch that bleak furniture that the talking heads on TV rave about for something that’s more colorful. There’s nothing wrong with color…despite what you heard on TV.
Of course, neutral furniture goes with more. However, that doesn’t mean every piece of furniture needs to be neutral. You can commit to color on some pieces. Our thoughts are that only people who don’t have taste need neutral furniture to make a stunning home. Real designers know how to use color.
It’s not often that you hear someone talk about exterior details when watching HGTV, but those few shows that do address the outside have quite the bad habit of picking non-native plant species for the landscaping. Picking unsuitable plants can leave your home in a sticky situation.
Either all of your plants will die, or the cost of maintaining those tropical gardens will eat you alive. If you have a green thumb, and deep pockets, you might be able to swing a garden full of non-native plants…but it’s a pretty dumb way to spend your money in our opinion. Ask a local garden expert about which plants thrive in your home’s climate.
Those house hunter shows on HGTV have all of us convinced that buying a home is all about location. Yes, location is a big part of the decision, but people buy homes every day in what’s considered an undesirable location. The decision to buy a home looks different for everyone.
Buying a home in a different location than what your area calls desirable doesn’t mean you’re making a bad decision. More often than not you can find a larger home for less money in a different area. It’s important to decide on your needs and stick to what best meets those needs in a buying decision.
The thrill of finding a project to make your own can be tempting, but it’s not necessarily the best decision for all buyers. House flipper TV shows show the process in a kind light. Houses come in all states…and you never know what’s not been addressed in a home until you get started in the process.
Flipping a home can come with massive unexpected costs, bringing your project to a screeching halt. Contestants on HGTV shows have hundreds of thousands of dollars backing their projects in addition to industry experts willing to make the project happen for the sake of TV. So, don’t think it’s that easy.
Every time HGTV gets their hands on a house, the first thing the designer does is replace fixtures. Light fixtures are low-hanging fruit when it comes to a makeover because they’re easy to replace and they make a big impact. The second most prominent replacement is faucets which also are easily replaced.
The issue here is that fixture trends are the first thing to date a home. Since HGTV is the trend-setter in home decor…all of those homes you see will be dated in a very short time because the fixtures are stamped in a certain look. It’s best to pick something that is timeless and not trendy.
Something that most HGTV viewers have groaned about recently has been the inundation of bleak baby rooms! Nurseries should be full of color and fun things that teach children…not make them feel like they're in a padded room! It’s honestly pretty sad that children’s decor has gotten so minimal.
Childhood is the one time where you can be tacky and playful without being judged for it. Let kids be kids! Let them pick their own decorations and get obsessed with the latest Disney movie. It’s perfectly fine for kids to have an ugly room…and it doesn’t mean you’re bad at decorating either.
When you’re watching HGTV, it’s easy to think that renovating and home improvement is as easy as they make it seem. Did you run into an electrical issue while renovating? No problem! There’s a team of electricians on standby. Yeah…that’s just not how it works here in the real world.
Even if you’re not overhauling a space, it’s easy to think that your interior design skills will result in a beautiful catalog-ready home. The truth is, those homes just aren’t livable…and you’re probably not that talented. Lower your expectations a bit and don’t listen to the HGTV talking heads.
Not even that long ago, HGTV stars were convincing us all to switch to granite…now they’re telling us granite is tacky and we need marble! Before you know it, we’ll be back to Formica! Honestly, if you’ve incurred the cost of adding granite to your kitchen leave it. It’s going to last forever literally.
That was the whole idea behind using stone as countertops! Unless you just have particularly ugly granite, don’t replace it with marble. Marble is gorgeous…but there’s a serious downside! You can’t use corrosive cleaners on marble, or you will ruin your countertops. So, don’t even listen to HGTV and their marble.
Ahh, this may be the absolute worst piece of advice from HGTV stars. Since the house-flipping trend became prevalent ten years ago, everyone all of a sudden thinks they’re a licensed contractor. From bad wiring jobs to add-ons without permits, the general public has gotten themselves in trouble thinking their Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Honestly, flipping a property is a massive undertaking. We’re not saying not to do it…but if you have no experience and are seriously lacking funds, you might reconsider investing your money into something a little less labor intensive.
Is your grass just unbearable? Do you hate mowing lawns…well HGTV thinks they have the answer for this. In several episodes of popular shows on HGTV the answer for people’s lawn problems is to kill their entire lawn and replace it with Astro-Turf. Forget a natural garden, we’re now supposed to go full-on football stadium.
Here’s the thing, it’s bad enough that we’re turning living ecosystems into suburban hell-scapes but removing grass altogether is way too far. Bugs need a place to live. Without bugs, the rest of the food chain would collapse, and that also means us, folks! Besides that…turf looks so tacky, and we hope your neighbors judge you if you fell for this trend.
The first thing an HGTV star will tell someone on their show is “I think we should take down this wall and open up this room a bit more.” We’ve got news…that’s the worst idea ever! Listen, if you’re in an old house it’s probably best to leave that wall alone. You never know what problems are lurking right behind that sheetrock.
Besides obvious concerns about what’s hiding behind a wall, we’re here to say that an open concept isn’t necessarily the best. People these days don’t value privacy and space at all. Having separate rooms is perfectly okay. Your kitchen really doesn’t need to be in your living room!
Okay, this topic has many different takes…so you might not agree with what we’re about to say. HGTV renovation shows are constantly talking about running into the black mold when remodeling a bathroom or basement. They bring in a specialist, and it costs thousands of dollars. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
Every house has black mold. It’s just a fact. Our houses have moisture and surfaces for mold to grow…it’s just going to happen. Even in a new house! That black stuff along your bathtub’s grout, that’s black mold. Eeek! Obviously, if there is an invasion of mold call a specialist, but a little bit can be dealt with on your own.
When HGTV started talking about curb appeal, this trend went nuts with DIY’ers! For whatever reason, builders placed air units in the most obnoxious places possible. HGTV’s advice to remedy this eyesore was to build a fence around your unit. Anyone who’s ever paid to replace an air conditioner will tell you that’s a horrible idea.
Air units need space around them to operate at full capacity. They need airflow and lots of it! When you cover up an air unit with fencing, no matter how tall or short, you’re blocking airflow to your air unit which can cause serious consequences. All in all, it’s just not worth a few days with no AC in the summer.
