Lately I've developed an unhealthy obsession with HGTV's
House Hunters. I say it's unhealthy because I spend way too much time on my
rear end watching one House Hunters episode after another. And that's time I could be
using more productively.
To help ease this obsession, I thought it might help if I
listed everything I learn from the show. Maybe then I can move onto other
interests.
As you probably know, each House Hunters episode follows a
single person, couple or family as they search for a home to buy. Here's what
I've observed:
- Personalities
—People on House Hunters seem way more easy-going than I would be looking for a house.
Maybe it's the way the program is edited, or the presence of cameras that
makes people tamp down their emotional responses. When I'm looking at
houses, I get much more intense than most of these folks. - Process
— The process seems so simple — look at three homes and choose one. As we
all know, house hunting is a long, stressful and messy affair. You're
likely looking dozens of houses and some get snatched up before you can
make an offer, and some fail the inspection, and sometimes you lose your
financing right in the middle of all this. I guess I like the comfort of
the artificial order in this show. - Dark
Houses — People demand much less natural light than I do. Some of the
chosen houses don't have the windows I require to be happy. I guess it's
because I'm from California and now live in the south that I am a
solar-powered being. - Desires
— Have you noticed how some people's desires have nothing at all to do
with logic? One young woman just had to have a dishwasher even though she
admittedly never cooks. Heck, I cook all the time and I have no desire for
a dishwasher. Even when I have a dishwasher, I rarely use it. Another guy
just had to have an island in the kitchen. That was first and foremost in
his mind. Who knows where these desires come from? But we know they are
strong. - Budget
— Going into the process, all potential homebuyers have a budget. I'm
shocked at how the real estate agents routinely show people houses that
are way over budget. And sometimes those are the houses chosen. I'd love a
follow-up episode to explore how these folks managed financially to spend
more than they could afford, and how many ended up in foreclosure. - Remodeling
— In many houses, the potential buyers say this or that room will
"need a lot of work." When the cameras return several months
after the sale, the upgrades are often not done. And I suspect those
upgrades may never get done. For people who are not adept at pulling off
remodels, I suggest buying a house already fixed up. And for those buyers
who did massive remodels by the time the cameras return, I am in awe of
their initiative. - International
Houses — Outside of the United States, houses are way different. In
Europe, the kitchens in particular tend to be really small and weird. There's
charm in most of them, but it points out to me what an affluent lifestyle
many of us Americans enjoy.
There, now I've gotten it all out. That's what I know about
House Hunters. Please can I go onto other obsessions?
Anyone other than me have an unhealthy obsession with House
Hunters? Or any other program?
I also love House Hunters.
It is interesting experiencing what is important to people based on their locations. In the south, particularly Texas, some of the rooms which people complain are too small seem huge to me.
What annoys me is people tend to focus on things they can change, such as paint or carpeting. Those are minor things relative to buying a home.
We are in the middle of buying a home right now (its been quite dramatic and on-going for over 7 months). I wish we could edit the process as they do on the show. It would be so much easier.
Oh, BTW, I am completely obsessed with Sweat Equity on HGTV.
You’re so right, Irene. That comment “I’m not that crazy about the color of this room” is so ridiculous. And then I’ve heard people minimize other bigger things, like the house is under the flight pattern of a major airport and a house hunter will say “it’s something we can work with.” I appreciate a guy who said “It’s a deal breaker” when the neighbor’s second-story looked down on the backyard of the house they were looking at. Good luck on your search. I wish I could be a fly on the wall, so to speak, and follow along as you search. It’s fascinating!
And I’ll have to check out Sweat Equity. Thanks for the the tip!