From Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, to Property Brothers, to Love It or List It, and everything in between, HGTV renovation shows have earned themselves a major cultural foothold. While we at Canterbury watch and take inspiration from these shows as much as anyone, they tend to set unrealistic expectations regarding the process of renovating a home.
The Time Frame
One of the biggest aspects that a television show will never be able to truly replicate is the timeline of a renovation project. To stay within their airtime, HGTV puts the renovation process on hyper speed, not showing just how many weeks and months there really are between beginning and ending. We at Canterbury pride ourselves on our efficiency, but it’s important to remember that quality takes time.
The Budget
Budgetary concerns often play a smaller role in HGTV shows. This makes sense, as most people are tuning in to see the design choices in the finished product, which we will admit is more interesting than all the practical mechanics that lead to it.
Our job is to stick as closely to your budget as possible. On the off chance it goes over, we collaborate with you to find a solution you can be happy with. There should never be any budget surprises.
The Expectations
The large majority of renovations require us tearing down to the studs, which is more in-depth than a quick tear down and pop-up like you may see on TV. It isn’t uncommon to find mold, water damage, or the occasional other surprise. Just like on TV, major issues need to be remedied and the allotted timeline and budget may need to be revised. The budget and timeline are based on what we can see prior to walls being taken down and with experience of previous projects. Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball into the future, however, we will work together to find a solution – we are in this together. In fact, sometimes these setbacks are an opportunity to collaborate and find a creative alternative. We aim to be fully transparent with our clients from the planning stage, through to the finished product. The process may feel like unchartered territory, but the end result is always worth it.
We will always love our guilty pleasure home renovation shows, but next time you watch, consider what is going on behind the scenes. We want your home renovation process to be realistic, but also fun and enjoyable from beginning to end.
Start the journey of your home transformation with us today!
