HGTV Shows

[bevorules]

I think that there are different degrees of staging from doing nothing to going all out. I do think if someone takes care of a property it shows. The lawn is nice and neat, the house clean on the outside and inside. No major repairs visible, no stinky smells. I do think that a house shows better if it is clean and neat vs not. I doesn't surprise me to see messes in people's homes, like on House Hunters. I perfer to see houses empty, I don't need to see furniture in it. But on the other hand I don't want to clean up anyone else's mess. I don't really want to deal with wallpaper. I totally understand that a house will sell faster if it is in move in condition, thus the neutral wall paint and cleanliness. While I enjoy the staging shows and like Sabrina Soto, some of Get It Sold seems staged and other times I can't believe how stupid people thinking someone else is going to buy their garbage. In real estate impressions do count. I do think The UnSellables does a much better job staging by doing simple repairs and painting then the over the top crappy designs of Designed to Sell.

When I was looking for my house I walked into a potential property and was surprised how much I liked it. Even inside the huge family room off the kitchen was a huge selling feature. But the owners had left the drapes and they smoked and the smell was horrid. Then I opened one of the closets and they had left a few wire hangers in there and I was surprised how angry I was that they had left their trash for me to clean up. Then I saw the backyard which was this huge steep wooded slope with no usably space. That was it. Out the door. I actually was angry that the realtors had shown me this house.
After that experience I just had a my house built.

I agree with you about mess as well as the smoke. My parents bought a home where the previous owner was a chain smoker. We had to paint and buy new blinds and it still took 1-2 years to get the smell out. My brother smokes but mom will not let him smoke in the house and if they throw their butts out in the yard she makes them pick them all up. He later moved out. The two still at home finally quit. Smoking is nasty and would turn me off as a buyer because it was a lot of work to get the smell out and I wouldn't want to ever do that again. Sadly that home burned to the ground and they rebuilt by using a pre-fab house rather than site building to be displaced for less time.

[norealityhere]

Anybody see the White House Christmas show with Genevieve Gorder?
I love to see the decorations at the White House and all the incredible volunteer decorators who step in to make the place look so beautiful.
I just wish they still had Joan Steffend hosting. I loved watching her and her warm attitude. Genevieve, on the other hand, comes across phony and offputting, IMO.

[nanarama]

I couldn't agree with you more, noreality. I'd watch Joan or Sabrina but not Gen. I didn't like her on TLC's Trading Spaces - putting hay on the walls of a family room where they had toddlers or wine bottle labels on the wall of staunch tee-totalers - she is so full of herself I still won't watch anything she's involved in.
They have had a lot of great personalities on HGTV, (and maybe it's personal taste and there are those who love Gen,) but I wish they'd kept her off the network.

[norealityhere]

Nana,

I forgot about the hay and other mishaps!! Too funny!

THe Battle on the Block show - Christmas - with Kym Myles and Scott McGillivray was good. I like Kym way more as a host than a decorator. They had some incredible designs like a ballerina and a turret dressed up like a Christmas tree. They were just awesome. And, the families weren't overly aggressive abut winning, which was pleasant.

[bevorules]

I couldn't agree with you more, noreality. I'd watch Joan or Sabrina but not Gen. I didn't like her on TLC's Trading Spaces - putting hay on the walls of a family room where they had toddlers or wine bottle labels on the wall of staunch tee-totalers - she is so full of herself I still won't watch anything she's involved in.
They have had a lot of great personalities on HGTV, (and maybe it's personal taste and there are those who love Gen,) but I wish they'd kept her off the network.

It was Hilde Santo-Tomas that put the wine labels on and the home owner neighbors tried to tell her. Gen was actually one of the better designers on TS whereas Hilde and Doug always had designs that fell flat.

[Bearcata]

Nana,

I forgot about the hay and other mishaps!! Too funny!

THe Battle on the Block show - Christmas - with Kym Myles and Scott McGillivray was good. I like Kym way more as a host than a decorator. They had some incredible designs like a ballerina and a turret dressed up like a Christmas tree. They were just awesome. And, the families weren't overly aggressive abut winning, which was pleasant.

Genevieve put up a moss wall, the hay was that other wacky designer who lived in France and had the black hair.

[Eastcoastmom]

It was Hilde Santo-Tomas that put the wine labels on and the home owner neighbors tried to tell her. Gen was actually one of the better designers on TS whereas Hilde and Doug always had designs that fell flat.

Oh, Hilde's designs were crazy. Was she the one who covered an entire living room or family room wall with old 33 1/1 LP vinyl records?

The one designer who I felt always designed a very classic room was Laurie, the redhead from Tennessee. I always loved her designs.

Is Trading Spaces still in production? It lost something when they got rid of Paige Davis as the host. Then they brought her back but it just wasn't the same, imo.

[nanarama]

You're right. It was Hilde that did the straw and the wine labels. But Gen did do the moss and some other obnoxious stuff. I liked the red-headed Laurie and also Frank on Trading Spaces. I quit watching when they got rid of Paige.
I feel as though I sound like a crotchety old woman who likes the old stuff, but some of the older shows and personalities they had on HGTV were favorites. Carol Duval, Joan Steffend and the gardener guy were really good. I think they've OD'd on real estates shows. I like Sabrina Soto and Mike Aubrey's show as well as Sophie Alsop's (is it even going to be on anymore?) but almost every show now is real estate. I like House Hunters, as much as the next person but SHEESH! Can't they do a show about anything else? Fist Time Home Buyers. Property Virgins, First Time Home Sellers, Real Estate Intervention and so on...

[bevorules]

You're right. It was Hilde that did the straw and the wine labels. But Gen did do the moss and some other obnoxious stuff. I liked the red-headed Laurie and also Frank on Trading Spaces. I quit watching when they got rid of Paige.
I feel as though I sound like a crotchety old woman who likes the old stuff, but some of the older shows and personalities they had on HGTV were favorites. Carol Duval, Joan Steffend and the gardener guy were really good. I think they've OD'd on real estates shows. I like Sabrina Soto and Mike Aubrey's show as well as Sophie Alsop's (is it even going to be on anymore?) but almost every show now is real estate. I like House Hunters, as much as the next person but SHEESH! Can't they do a show about anything else? Fist Time Home Buyers. Property Virgins, First Time Home Sellers, Real Estate Intervention and so on...

Laurie and Frank were my favorites too. I also liked the other Texan but his name is escaping me (he had long hair in a pony tail but it was dark not gray) Gen was okay, Vern wasn't on long enough. I love Paige too. I wish HGTV would get Trading Spaces rights, hire Paige and then use their overwhelming cupboard full of design talent to help them out. They also have a wealth of carpenters. It would be great.

[Kip]

Laurie and Frank were my favorites too. I also liked the other Texan but his name is escaping me (he had long hair in a pony tail but it was dark not gray) Gen was okay, Vern wasn't on long enough. I love Paige too. I wish HGTV would get Trading Spaces rights, hire Paige and then use their overwhelming cupboard full of design talent to help them out. They also have a wealth of carpenters. It would be great.

The ponytail guy was Edward. I think he and Frank were both from North Carolina (I liked them both). Hated Hilde - it seemed like she always came with some wacky design in mind before she even met the family and just went ahead and did what she wanted, even if it didn't match the family's taste (I don't know many people who would want dishes, glassware and silverware glued to their living room ceiling).

I didn't like Barry much on this show (but think he's great on that show where he shows what 3 houses would like remodeled). Agree that Doug's designs usually fell flat and liked Laurie's.

We didn't have cable in the early years of the show, so I saw only the last few years. I liked it - the families' interactions with the designers and carpenters made it more interesting that the average design show where the designer goes in and does his or her stuff.