Extreme Makeover Home Edition

[Cole]

Anybody watch this show? :D

[woodall83]

Yup, good show. A little unbelievable sometimes but...

[Cole]

I agree, i think it shows how willing the construction is willing to make peoples dreams come true.

[camachinist]

I'd like to see a real "behind the scenes" show about how things really get done. The show moves so blindingly fast and is so chopped up that it's really hard to see it as more than mindless entertainment.

Nevertheless, my wife and I tune in every week.

We have gotten some good design ideas from the show. I like (more precisely am fascinated by) how they have a take no prisoners attitude about their projects, which is very opposed to the conservation-driven approach I use with ours (in that I try to conserve construction materials as much as possible). I guess that's entertainment.... :)

Wish I had their budget! :D

Pat

[Cole]

I'd like to see a real "behind the scenes" show about how things really get done.

Wish I had their budget! :D

Pat


I would love to see the behind scenes show, and wow i wish i had there budget also. :D

[Michiganian Mike]

It is without a doubt "extreme makeovers". Heck, I would be happy with alittle makeover at my house like converting an attached garage into a master bedroom and office space - all barrier free, then adding an attached garage onto that!

Do you think that they would be willing to do that...a "non-extreme" makeover??

lol,
Mike

[woodall83]

Sometimes I think they go really overboard, like putting plasma tv's in every room? Is that really nesseccary? That could be money spent on someone else. But I guess it's a TV show so...

[Cole]

See, sometimes I feel like that too. I like the fact that they ask the family what they would want in the new house but sometimes i think they ask for to much. I mean come on it is free.

What happens when they have to raise there homeowners ins. because of the new add on ?

[doyle]

Monday night...8pm eastern/7 central....."How'd They Do That" Home Makeover Edition.

Can't wait to see if they show the real behind the scenes.

[Cole]

I saw that during a commercial, cant wait to watch it.

[woodall83]

Should be interesting.

[BPINC]

Our company is just finishing with an "Extreme Makeover" home. I thought I would share a little background info for you. One of our best contractors asked us to do the plumbing. While it is a noble cause to help families in need, I think the show goes overboard. If any of you think you might want to be involved in one, particularly as an owner of a construction company, consider this:

-ABC pays for nothing
-you must sign a contract with ABC indemnifying them and holding them harmless for any claims whatsoever.
-subcontractors are only given BRIEF credit at the end of the show in the credits - you know - the 100 mph kind.
-you are not allowed to have you company logo anywhere at all
-the shows I have seen, they dont hardly show MEP workers, framers, etc.- actually working - the guys who actually make this thing happen.
-you get 4 days to build the house, from ground up.
-the designers get 2 days to decorate it.

Basically the only ones who benefit are ABC and the family. If you want exposure for your company (unless you are the GC), you dont want to do this. It will cost you a ton of money and you get the liability risk to boot, for a house thrown together in 4 days.

If you want to do something to help families in need, I would suggest Habitat for Humanity.

[Cole]

Thank you for the info

[Thumper]

...Basically the only ones who benefit are ABC and the family. If you want exposure for your company (unless you are the GC), you dont want to do this. It will cost you a ton of money and you get the liability risk to boot, for a house thrown together in 4 days...


Possibly true; if you don't make proper use of the "This is something we did" factor. Fewer and fewer potiential clients are putting much faith in references anymore but being part of a nationally visible show is something you can pocket as your own "Wow!" factor when trying to win out over just the other local guys. Clients will see that you must be just a little better if you were chosen by the bigtime tv guys who they can identify as the super-know-it-alls and that you also had the ability to donate so much - you must be doin' good in the trade. granted you won't gain much initial visibility to new clients (probably no more than a nice sign on a shiney new truck) but it's a real nice investment in your own marketability when used as glamour. You simply have to impress to win in such a competitive field, would you-yourself contract out to Joe-sloppy-truck over someone with a national recoginition feather in his cap? :)

[woodall83]

Interesting, thanks the insight BPINC

[giddonah]

and think of the owner who can say so-and-so doing my thing were the ones who did that other thing. People love to brag. I know I do. :D

[TskFrce]

I think the show is great, but in two folds. It's wonderful that they help needy families, but do these homes really need bulldozed and started over? Some of the makeovers do seem a bit excessive, with the plasma tvs, etc.. (I guess that's why they call it extreme). The show gives people great ideas about how to finish off a home, faux wall finishes, design ideas, etc... But what I really hate about the show is they make building a house look simple & quick. Most of the homes we build are anywhere from 3,500 sq. ft to 5,000 sq. ft. we normally give ourselves 8 months to complete in the contract. So now we have customers questioning the time line, because they watch this show on ABC. Also this show impowers Johnny Homeowner into thinking he's a general contractor because he's watched shows like this and "In a Fix" on TLC. And we all know there is nothing worse in the world than a customer thinking they have enough knowledge to question your building practices because they are "TV Educated" about building. How can these homes be quality builtanyway? I can see the framing coming up quick, with a lot of really talented men, but the interior finish work? I'd like to take a walk through one of those houses six months later to look at the quality of the trim, nail pops in the drywall, loose ceramic tile (which you know can't have enough time to set up, before 50 people are walking across it), etc.. How could they even do a nice job in that time frame. Just the trim alone takes a long time, especially if you're finishing it on site. Even if you're not, you still need to wood putty nail heads, and then touch up stain after installation. And please don't tell me that they ignore those things, because that's what makes a house. I guess if you put a couple plasma tvs in the house and some granite counters in the kitchen, they might not notice! For entertainment purposes these shows are great, but it's truly not reality tv. Actually I've had a great idea for a reality tv show, how about one that's actually on a constuction site. Put building one house into a season, start with meeting the homeowners, estimating, excavating, construction, etc..and really show what it takes to build a house. Show real carpenters instead of some "stud" like Ty Pennington. But I guess that's not good tv.

[Cole]

Great post, There is a show on HGTV called "Dream House." It covers everything, I agree with your first sentence,"I think the show is great, but in two folds. It's wonderful that they help needy families, but do these homes really need bulldozed and started over?" I hate that, because as I remember the name of the show is Extreme Makeover, to me a makeover is not tearing the house down and starting over.

[TskFrce]

Cole;
Thanks for the input. I'll be sure to check out HGTV's "Dream House". I can't believe I haven't see that one, but I do enjoy "Designer's Challenge" on HGTV. Thanks again.

[midnightscape]

I've been watching this show from the very beginning...any of you remember when they didn't actually bulldoze the house but stripped it to the studs, removed a few walls and "remodeled and added on" to it. Now I just think they are getting "lazy" and want to bulldoze it to start over fresh and more importantly get the wow factor.

[Cole]

I agree midnight!!!

[BPINC]

Well, we completed the house. The show is supposed to air on January 23, 2005. It will be called "The Sears Family".
News paper article
Neighbors give Extreme Makeover to girl in extreme need

By Liz Tascio

CONTRA COSTA TIMES


MARTINEZ - Jhyrve Sears' high school choir gathered Wednesday afternoon outside her house, giggling and chatting and trying to keep their voices warm in the chilly air.

They were waiting to see Sears, 17, for the first time since she left in March, whisked to a North Carolina hospital after being diagnosed with a fatal genetic disorder.

Things have changed back home.

Starting last Friday, volunteers tore down her old house and built a new one in five days, working around the clock.

"I just can't imagine being more overwhelmed," said her father, Paul Sears.

Just after 3 p.m., Jhyrve, her mother, Karen, and her brother, Lucas, arrived in a black limo to see their new home for the first time. Hundreds of people -- volunteers, friends, family, neighbors, even strangers -- lined up behind barricades on the narrow street, and screamed and applauded and waved handmade signs that said, "Welcome home!"

They hushed when Jhyrve, in a wheelchair, and her family made their way down the driveway toward her classmates, who sang to her a benediction, the same one they sang when she left in March. By the end, the family and onlookers were in tears.

The house-in-a-week is the product of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They chose to knock down and rebuild Jhyrve Sears' house after family friends sent in an application. They explained that even though the treatment -- a stem cell transplant -- was working, her fragile new immune system made it too dangerous for her to move back to her old home, which needed a new ventilation system and was plagued with mold.

Scores of businesses and more than 1,000 volunteers pitched in to make the house happen. DeNova Homes of Pleasant Hill coordinated the project from demolition to the last steps of construction. The company also raised $100,000 for medical bills and the Sears siblings' college education.

Dave Sanson, who co-owns DeNova with his wife, Lori, was at the site more than 20 hours a day. Some nights, he didn't go home.

There were some complications.

"Hit mud, hit rock, couldn't get materials up to the site," he said Wednesday in a voice hoarse from lack of sleep. "We were waiting for lumber for two hours (Friday night) when we had 100 carpenters ready to go."

Now, the work is done. The new house already looks like a home, with a cozy porch and a white picket fence. At 3,600 square feet, it's three times the size of the Sears' old house. It has special air filters, sealed floors, a small pool for Jhyrve's physical therapy and an indoor sunroom.

"To see the community all come together ... it was the experience of a lifetime," Sanson said.

Jhyrve will need checkups in North Carolina for five years. Lise and Steve Wallace, who sent her story to ABC, plan to help her and her family adjust to life in a new home.

Meanwhile, Paul Sears, who separated from Karen Sears last year, can't wait to spend time with his daughter.

"We thought it was going to be January or February, and then of course, not having a place for her to come home to, it was kind of up in the air," Paul Sears said.

"There's no way that I can show enough appreciation."
I went to the after construction party and it kind of changed my attitude on what we did. Many people in the community came together on this to help a girl who has a serious disease. However, the cast members never showed up, really disappointed a lot of people.

Funny story: the upstairs toilet backed up due to construction debris, and water ran down into the first floor ceiling and was running out the ceiling on the day it was to be handed over. My plumber is walking up the stairs when he notices Ty Pennington with his mouth open drinking the water! :P My plumber yells " Hey, what are you doing? Dont do that! That's toilet water!" I doubt they will show that on the show!

In all, we have over 600 man hours, plus rough materials - pipe and fittings, etc. in this. About $35,000. We're glad we did this to help this family, but we will NEVER do anything like this again. We will stick to Habitat for Humanity projects. ABC is not interested in helping people. They are interested in ratings, and theyr'e willing to spend YOUR money for their ratings to sell advertising.

[Cole]

Awesome write up, BPINC!!! Thanks so much.

[CurtisS]

There was a Extreme Makeover done very close to where I live in Kingston, Washington. It will air as '"The Dohr Family" sometime in early January. I heard some similar stories from friends at the local lumber company.

My young daughter is a huge fan of the show and we watch it every Sunday. I think it shows that better side of people and we certainly need more of that type of stuff on TV these days! My wife took our daughter to the job site on the last day to see the family come home and she was thrilled.

The whole deal had a very positive effect on the community. I can't say that I would want to live in a house built in only 5 days though. The house that was built seemed way over-the-top in my opinion and is valued at roughly $500K! Alot of money in our fairly small rural community.

[woodall83]

are you saying ty pennington isn't a real carpenter? lol

[crimeSTAR]

Weekend Warriors is also a good show on HGTV. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only male who watches that channel.

[woodall83]

I really like In a Fix, not so much for the learning but it's pretty funny...

[that_guy]

I really like In a Fix, not so much for the learning but it's pretty funny...

I do too... and that Jenny chick - waaahaaa! A woman who is VERY well proportioned, and not only good with her hands but with tools too!

NIIIICE.

[Eric]

We watch most of these shows and while Extreme Home Makeover is entertaining and touching, it's hard to grasp all they do. I always assumed that everything in the house, like the plasma tvs in every room, etc. come from advertisers like Sears.

As for the other shows, some give really good ideas, but some of 'em leave me wondering who really wants that cheap looking crap in their home? I don't want something that looks like it took someone $5.00 and 5min to make in my house... most of the stuff that looks decent I can only imagine only looks okay on tv, but would look like crap in person. Hell most of the furniture I see built I wouldn't even look at at a garage sale for $.50 :P

[Cole]

Tonight's show, has to rank up with the best ever. Centex did a awesome job and by far the best design they have used, they got a new guy from London that fits well with the show.

[Pokey]

I too was very impressed with centex in the last episode. I don't know if they brought along their best subs or what, but this house really seemed to move along well. They showed a short clip of their foundation workers. I bet there were 20 workers all haulin a**. I'm sorry i missed the behind the scenes show on monday. Did anyone see that?

[Cole]

I missed the behind scenes show too. I would loved to see it.

[CurtisS]

The behind the scenes show didn't much more than the regular show. I was kind of disappointed. Was cool to see shots of my home town though (Kingston, WA.... not Seattle as the cast kept saying!!). And yes, Centex did an awesome job including pick up the remaining mortgage.

[that_guy]

Yeah... I was surprised that they didn't show the part where they tell the family that the mortgage has been paid off in the regular show - they showed that part in the behind the scenes.

But it was impressive to see the lengths that Centex went to to make their workers comfortable and that they even had to build a temporary road to bring in all their heavy equipment. The overhead costs for that project must've been huge (in perspective to the house they were building).

[Vector]

But it was impressive to see the lengths that Centex went to to make their workers comfortable

That's the fiction of TV right there for you...

Not that Centex was the worst I worked for. Not by a long shot.

[mcdawson]

Exterme Homes shows extreme building. I have questions as to what could be applied to a regular 'extreme" residential build if quality was #1, speed #2, and budget to excellerate the build wasn't much of an issue. I've heard that a "fast" custom home takes 8 months.

- I've seen that they've used "quick-set" concrete, which they've said can be built on in a few hours, but still needs 30 days to fully cure. Is there any long term consequences of using something like that?

- The builders obviously have on-site inspectors, which, I would think would greatly speed up things (i.e., even if an inspection 'failed", you could call them back 30 min later and have them reinspect, vs having to wait a day or more). How much does waiting for inspectors an issue in speeding up construction?

- From the articles I've read, there's a tremendous amount of project management (sometimes down to 5 minute windows) involved in coreographing all of the subs. My guess is that the GC must have more "control" of their subs than a normal project in regards to always having subs available when needed. I've seen many projects delay because of issues with one sub cascading through the others. How much of that could be realistically controlled in a "real" build?

- I would also guess that the plans are fairly set in stone, greatly differing from a normal build--the homeowner would have to choose all cabinets, appliances, paint, lighting, etc before contstruction starts. Since you'd have to order stuff ahead time, you'd need some kind of wearhouse storage (vs the show, where all the subs, I assume, end up having to deal with their own storage). There would also have to be limited changes--the schedule wouldn't allow it. How often do changes to a custom (or sem-custom) home add significant (say 1 month or more) delays to a project?

- The show shows the contractors working long hours. I would assume that exhaustion would cause mistakes. The show obviously has special permits to allow around the clock construction. In "real" life would you need to hire two crews (one to work, say, Mon-Thr, the other to work Fri-Sun)?

- The show's builders seem to use multiple framing crews, "prefabbing" walls, floors, and roofs, then using cranes to put them in place. I would assume that this would require more quality control, as the pieces would have to fit. Are there any other downsides or caveats to this method (other than the obvious of cost)?

[mcdawson]

I think the show is great.. I can see the framing coming up quick, with a lot of really talented men, but the interior finish work? I'd like to take a walk through one of those houses six months later to look at the quality of the trim, nail pops in the drywall, loose ceramic tile (which you know can't have enough time to set up, before 50 people are walking across it), etc.. How could they even do a nice job in that time frame. Just the trim alone takes a long time, especially if you're finishing it on site. Even if you're not, you still need to wood putty nail heads, and then touch up stain after installation. .
Well, I wouldn't say that it looks "simple", with the hundreds of people working on it (although the actual contractors aren't shown all that much). What would a realistic "high" quality time line look like, if you were to do it? Assume that you would have people working 12 hours days (not 24) and you had to wait for things to "set" (like the tile); however, you still would have access to the same "unlimited" people resources. They do it in 4 days (not counting the decorating). I don't know how much the setting is an issue, but I assume the rest should still go pretty fast (maybe 12 days, unless setting took longer)? I assume you would have a crew of sheetrockers, with a crew feeding them. A separate crew would be taping behind them (yes, this would be inefficient, but that's the show, too, I bet). You'd have a crew doing nothing but bringing in materials into the building, feeding the "feeders". You could have separate "crew" that does nothing but cut trim, a crew that does nothing put putty in the nail heads. A painter per room. A tiler per room (maybe even per wall, if that could work). Maybe someone who does nothing but cut tile. It would seem doable, although it would take a lot of project management AND on-site supervision, with inefficient dead time (tile cutter waiting around for something to do). However, it seems like it would be possible AND still have high quality (NOT easy, just possible).

[mcdawson]

.. But what I really hate about the show is they make building a house look simple & quick. Most of the homes we build are anywhere from 3,500 sq. ft to 5,000 sq. ft. we normally give ourselves 8 months to complete in the contract. So now we have customers questioning the time line, because they watch this show on ABC. Also this show impowers Johnny Homeowner into thinking he's a general contractor because he's watched shows like this and "In a Fix" on TLC. .
Check out HGTV's Dream House. This shows the building of custom homes. They show all of what goes into one, although the show tends to show that the main issue with building not going fast is homeowner changes and not making decisions in time. Most of that is due to the sheer amout of decisions that have to be made (even with the help of an architect and interior designer). It shows homeowners turning into GCs (one showed a GC who had to leave the project because the homeowner took so long to make decisions that it severly impacted the schedule, causing the contractor to run into time he'd promised another homeowner. That homeowner then had to step in and supervise all of the subs--it really showed him paying a time price and waking up to all of what a GC does).

[mcdawson]

... But what I really hate about the show is they make building a house look simple & quick. Most of the homes we build are anywhere from 3,500 sq. ft to 5,000 sq. ft. we normally give ourselves 8 months to complete in the contract. So now we have customers questioning the time line, because they watch this show on ABC.
I've always wondered about the schedule of a house (I'm not a contractor). What does prevent a house from being built faster? On HGTV's Dream House, a lot of the blame goes on the homeowner not making decisions or making changes, but those are fully custom houses. Why aren't two framing crews, two (or more) painting crews, etc used? I would assume you'd have the same material cost. Is it that much cheaper in a sub's bid to do a whole house vs only doing a portion of it? I know that running multiple crews leads to "running into each other" type issues, but is it a big issue? I also know there's setting times (concrete curing, paint drying, tile setting, etc). Is it also that its really hard to make an agressive schedule due to problems getting subs to show exactly when the schedule needs them, or materials not arriving in time? What I'd love to see is the starting gant chart detailing a house's build, and a final one, descibing what actually happed (and why).

[Cole]

Welcome to the forum!!!

Stick Around.

[Cole]

I wasn't all to impressed with last nights episode.

Who saw it?

[Rich]

I watched the contender :)

[Cole]

I wish I would have watched it over Extreme Makeover.