I would be pretty drunk just on the granite/SS and open concept. I love when those features are more important than things they cannot change cheaply or at all, like number of bedrooms, yard or location.

My favorite is when the couple insists they want something historic, etc., then expects open concept, big master suite, and basically a new house.

How about adding anytime they refer to the MBR as a "spa-like retreat". That by itself would put most of us over the legal limit.

This post was edited by hayden2 on Sun, Dec 7, 14 at 12:56

When they make comments on the ceiling fan.

"is that a train in the backyard??"

"It's on a busy street."

LOL lazygardens !! This made my day, and I don't even watch that show :)

Yes the show is scripted with repetitive phrases, but that is what is commonly said when people are viewing homes. For our home, I said the great neighborhood and sq. footage but outside of the house was ugly and completely lacked interesting architecture, I hated the popcorn ceilings, the layout had steps just inside the entry doors (ugh!), I liked the vaulted ceilings, disliked the paint color throughout, hated the laminate countertops and the 40+ YO appliances were disgusting and needed to be replaced prior to move-in, stove needed to be gas, liked the room size and windows but everything was dated and the bathrooms all needed updating/remodeling, the garage was 3-car, but smaller and more awkward than our previous 2-car, the lot was a bit larger than many we had looked at, but the back yard being just concrete was a "deal-breaker". Probably the only thing unusual said was that they had upgraded to a tankless water heater, and I would have preferred they had not.

So, what do you expect buyers to say when viewing houses?

I think I might start watching the show just to play the game :)

I was watching another show on the channel...not house hunters, but one of the flipping shows. I must have heard the term " open floor plan" twenty times...so I guess everyone in the western world now wants/ expects the living/ family room/ foyer/ kitchen to be one giant room?

And don't forget "When they say a 10 year-old kitchen is OUTDATED." I have to laugh - the kitchen in my previous house was built in the 60's! LOL

I detest that show with the tired requirements by prospects that don't have a clue about anything. But I do like the international one as it provides an insight as to what's "hot" overseas, building features, etc.

Have you ever seen any episode anywhere in Italy? It is hysterical as you are truly in a jungle where the buyer is a helpless lamb. They sell ruins and the resources for the DIYer or even skilled labor appears to be non-existent. As much as I adore Italy, I don't think I'd live there unless it was a ready-made villa (dream on!)

What a fun game it'd be to play, everybody would be drunk 1/2 way thru the show with its endless repetitiveness.

Double shot when someone says that their pet (Fido the dog or Felix the cat) would love it.

ML

Yes, I've also notice the old homes in Italy. The houses really look like they need so much updating.

I can't believe the prices of homes in France. And don't even mention the rents for a teeny-tiny flat in Paris!

And why do many of the master bedrooms have bathrooms without doors in the overseas houses?

Yes, I seldom watch the U.S. version because of the predictability- open plan, granite, wood floors throughout, double sinks, etc, but always love the international version, because it's just so interesting to see how the rest of the world lives...like how in Italy you should expect to hang your clothes on a line outside to dry, and how in Germany, they take the entire kitchen out and you are expected to bring in your own cabinets and appliances!!! And then there are the wet rooms which are bathrooms that are entirely made of tile with a drain and the shower just rains on the whole room...not to mention that some apartments in turkey have a hole in the floor that you use as a toilet.....fascinating!! I wish there was a whole channel of nothing but HH international.

Yes, I love the HH International, too.

Speaking of Germany, a friend bought her house from a man originally from Germany and when they did the walk-through everything not nailed down was taken and even some things nailed down. He took the closet rods, the shelves from the oven, all the light bulbs - you get the picture. She sat on the step and cried...I think it turned out well when it was explained to the seller how it was done in the US.

And I couldn't believe in one of the countries (I forget which one), there was not a sale price set - interested buyers just bid against each other. Was it Australia?

And when they say that they don't like the paint color.

I love it when they look at a typical house built in the prehistoric era (before the 60s) and look at the closets. A door to a 4 ft wide by 3 ft deep space with a rod across the top. And they're shocked there's isn't a 200 sq ft walk in with its own climate controls..

You see, back when these houses were built, there weren't any malls with 132 clothing stores. People didn't need a different wardrobe for every day of the month. Nor did they need 87 pairs of shoes like some guys on the show do.

I hear the terms "space" & "entertain" so much I want to puke.

For example, instead of saying this is a big room, they say this is a big space, or that they really like the "space".

As for entertaining, I've never heard anyone outside of these real estate shows ever use that term and you'd swear the people on this show must have hosted parties every weekend.

And yes, the matching appliances is ridiculous. So when I need to replace one of my appliances, I'm instead supposed to replace each appliance to insure they all match? LOL

My favorite episode featured a buyer who could not deal withâ¦.SHOWER CURTAINS. Apparently she was completely unaware that they could be removed in a matter of seconds, or had a bad experience at the Bates Motel.

What about the words "natural light"?

My favorite episode was the one on HH-Renovation where the young buyers:
1. Not only demolished the old kitchen cabinets overnight but also ripped out the drywall down to the studs --- much to the consternation of the kitchen installer who showed up the next morning to install the new cabinets;
2. Sanded the old floors, wondering why it looked like sawdust, only to learn that they had laminate floors --- new hardwood floors.

I feel like someone had been drinking when they wrote the "game".

(Too many typos/word substitutions for my brain to read further than 3 lines into it. Not saying I type perfectly, but for a graphic/game, it could use some proofreading).

"City Center".... didn't they use to call that Downtown???

Regarding the "entertaining" needs of the buyers, I was watching a new series, "Buying Alaska". Same premise as House Hunters.
These people want a home out in the middle of an Alaskan mountain range where the nearest human neighbor is an hour's drive away. The real neighbors are grizzly bears and moose.
But of course, there's always the comment that the "space is good because we do a lot of entertaining".

Really??

Christopherh, I watch that show and thought the exact same thing. I was thinking "who are all these guests coming out to see you in the Alaskan wilderness?". It's sounding more and more ridiculous and the producers needs to tone down the entertaining key word to at least try to make it more believable.

Add in two more categories:
Every time Hillary does not anticipate a tear out is actually a load bearing wall.
Every time Hillary and David snark at each other.

The mention of Italy reminded of the experience of a brash relative (and semi talented amateur interior decorator) of mine who married into an "old southern Euro family". On a vacation over there, she with hubby in tow, decided that her widowed mum in law's gloomy digs were in need of fresh paint and the modern touch and they would zip down to the local equivalent of Home Depot and make things quickly happen North American DIY style before their vacation ended.
The lady of the house was intrigued, but had to explain that maintaining her home's various functions and providing goods for same had been the semi total monopoly for the families of various distant relatives and family loyalists for hundreds of years. If the word got out her son, grandchildren, and daughter in law had been involved in manual labor fixing up her place, the scandal would last for decades. In short, getting anything done without offending someone was not as complicated as the Treaty of Versailles, but it had lots of pitfalls for the unwary.
Much like the "barber episode" on Seinfeld, yes?

dretutz,
That's a different show (Love It or List It). I agree it would be better if the snark factor was eliminated.

Open floor plans -- so over-rated!!!

I have one -- many nights when DH and I are in the family room watching TV, my teenage daughters and their friends will be in the kitchen having a snack ---- FORGET ABOUT HEARING THE TV!

If you like to actually hear your TV shows, don't have an open floor plan.

What really scares me about these shows is that they are developing unrealistic expectations for today's house hunters. I do not want to even think about the day I will need to sell my house!

Well, the good news is that nobody will care about old windows, roof, HVAC system, etc. as long as the paint colors and surface features are "right."

Hollyinla, don't you love the reactions when they find out where the bathroom is?
But I gotta admit, the scenery is absolutely magnificent!

"What really scares me about these shows is that they are developing unrealistic expectations for today's house hunters. I do not want to even think about the day I will need to sell my house!"

It is happening. I sold two homes this year and both times we received comments from prospective buyers that were straight out of House Hunters. The expectations that people have, for example, for a 1950s ranch style home priced at $120k were ridiculous. I mean, there's only so much you can do with 1100 square feet. You're not going to have four bedrooms, three baths, walk-in closets, an open floor plan, large eat-in kitchen, yadda yadda yadda..

Last night my wife and I were watching Property Brothers. The premise here is a couple wants their dream house at a price they can afford, so the show is about renovating a fixer upper.
Each episode the couple is surprised that the only way to get the home they want is renovation. And we keep asking if they're surprised they have to renovate an old home, why did they sign up for the show?

I enjoy tossing out in my own set of comments after all these remarks, as opposed to taking a drink (or I'd be drunk in no time).

Open Space = OH, You want a 1-room hovel! Let's go Little House on the Prairie!

Dual Sinks = Together Toothbrushing, how quaint! Do you spit in tandem?

The dog/cat will like the house = Now THAT'S what matters! Forget location. *eye roll*

Christopher, I hate that part about Property Brothers...ever single episode starts with that fake premise with the couple being taken to the home of their dreams only to find it's beyond their means...are we supposed to believe they don't know what show they are on???

The other show that drives me crazy with it's same old, same old premise is Love it or List it. Coulple lives in city, older, cramped house and one spouse wants to stay and one wants to move to a bigger house. Hilary runs out of money mid way and can't do all the desired renovations. One or both spouses gets snippy about the problems Hilary encounters and basically blame her for doing a bad job. Meanwhile, David, the realtor ends up taking the couple out to the burbs to show them a bigger home for their budget, which is the only way they can get what they want/need. They ooh and ah at the last house- the first two homes he shows always come up short. But in the end they don't move because they are city people. Sound familar? Why do they need always follow the same script with those shows.

I also don't understand the desire for double sinks. I don't need to share bathroom time with my spouse, nor do I want a second sink to clean.

I watched one HH episodes that was somewhere in the Southwest, and the wife wanted to make sure the home had a door to the bathroom in the master bedroom...evidently is is common in that part of the country to not have doors on the master bath???

Coll_123, we had a previous thread on Love It or List It, and we had a lot of fun with that. Search for that thread if you're interested.

I bought a house without a door to the master bath, first thing I did was close up that opening and add french doors to the bath. Much nicer!
...and it was in Southern California.

@coll
"nor do I want a second sink to clean"

Exactly! I clean mine and he cleans his. And I don't have to look at his dirty sink while using my sink.

Ever notice they never do anything on the exterior of the Property Brother's homes? They are older homes and surely the siding, roof and porches are in as poor or worse condition as in the interior.

On both Property Brothers and Love it or List it I always roll my eyes when they are surprised by old electrical or plumbing. I'm not builder, but if I was renovating a 50+/y.o. home I would assume at least $10K for unforeseen structural/plumbing/electric issues. I'm sure they do too, but need to add "drama".

I got tired of those two shows, same thing over and over. The shows I do love are Buying Hawaii, I just love the scenery, vegetation and house designs. I also saw a few ep of island hunters, LOVE that show but Ive only seen it once on tv and that was a while ago. Another show I watch is Flip or Flop, I like what they do in that show as well. All of them are dramatized and whatnot and sometimes its easy to see. The show I did stop watching but dont hate or anything is Buying Alaska, at first it was really cool, after, it just got boring.

I like the folks in Waco, TX.
Didn't they buy a house and put about 100,000 into fixing it up?
It rivals those. 5 to 6 hundred thousand shacks on love it or list it
Or the property bros.
Is the Canadian housing mkt that strong?
Let's not mention the hoarding shows.

josephene the Toronto housing market is terrible, for $500k you will find puny little houses, even in the burbs. Within the city its hopeless.

Loving this discussion! My not so favorite comment and one that would get you wasted in no time flat are the variants of "This is a complete gut job" spoken about kitchens and bathrooms.

And then there is the dreaded "cookie-cutter" home which no young person wants anything to do with of course.

I'm also puzzled that every single buyer has to have an office. Ok, I get that some people do work from home. But it's a universal demand...I mean, are there that many folks who must have a separate complete room to make some phone calls and noodle on their laptop???

The entertaining requirement is a mystery, especially when people are moving to another city...state...country. Just exactly who are these hordes of people you are going to be hosting in a place you've lived in for 2 weeks?

I've also grown to expect that they will choose the one house with the fatal flaw, or which is the complete opposite of the style they loudly have said is the only one they will consider. Looking for a modern townhome? Well, guess the suburban ranch is really the one for me! That house that backs up to the freeway? Why that's our dream home, forget about the cottage with the only noise being the babbling brook outside and the birds singing.

And the international shows, well I can't help but suspect that the realtor asks the budget, then throws a dart at a board, takes them to whatever hovel it hits on and *surprise* the price is the sucker...um, foreign buyer's budget amount. Really, they will roll up to some dump that is literally falling down with Americans in tow, and with a straight face intone 'and the price is $400,000'.

Special props, lord love em, to the American housewives whose husbands have been transferred to wherever and who wander around repeating 'this kitchen/bathroom/bedroom/yard is so much smaller than what we had in 'Murica". And the poor sap guy is always worriedly telling the camera that he has to go along with the missus because she has made such a sacrifice coming to live in wherever. Even if wherever is Paris, Copenhagen, Singapore or other vibrant cosmopolitan cultural center instead of Plano or Cleveland where they hailed from!

And yet, I keep recording them and watching them so I'm guilty of supporting this (literal) cottage industry...

Ann

One of my favorite shows on HGTV is Fixer Upper. I love her designing style and it all seems so much more realistic. Flip or Flop is fun to watch too, mostly to see Tarek stressing all the time. Their design styles are often the same as the last 50 flips though, all new granite and shaker style cabinets with neutral color palettes.

On Flip or Flop the premise is that they are going to loose their shirts, but somehow always end up with 60K profit. I don't think I have seen one episode where they had a small profit, broke even or had to keep it as a rental.

Aaaaaaaagh. I just watched a House Hunters yesterday, and the wife complained there was no counter space because there was only about 8-10 feet of unobstructed counters,and complained about the fact that although she loved the cabinet color and they were in good shape, "they weren't new".
What a twit.

PS to runninginplace - Your comment was very funny!

"...Even if wherever is Paris, Copenhagen, Singapore or other vibrant cosmopolitan cultural center instead of Plano or Cleveland where they hailed from!..."

Personally, I would rather live in my little town of 800 people here in Vermont than any of those places.

Everyone is talking about the buyers. What about the real estate agents? On every show, the buyer tells the real estate agent what their budget is. And on every show, what does the agent do? Show them a house above their budget! The real estate agent is always trying to nudge them higher. In an episode I just watched, the wife was adamant that she didn't want a split level. So what is the first house shown to the couple? A split level.

To be honest, my guess is that 90% of first time buyers don't really know what they want or can really afford.

I'll give you an example.
We bought our first house in 1975. We were living in northwest New Jersey and our budget was $30,000. We saw a number of nice houses for that price, but nothing stood out. So the agent went out on a limb and showed us a cute ranch in the town we grew up in. But it was $36,000. I'm 22 and my wife was 20. We were just starting out and at that time you doubled your income to determine your mortgage amount. Between the two of us we were making $16,500. After a lot of negotiation by the agent, we had to come up with $1,000 cash and they would sell at $34,000.

I just went to Zillow and looked up that house. Today they say it's worth $235,000.