Remodelers and their clients have a love-hate relationship with reality television. Contractors say that shows such as Love It or List It and Property Brothers, which often cram whole-house remodeling projects into too-small budgets, give clients the wrong impression regarding pricing and time constraints. For instance, some shows might suggest that two weeks and $50,000 is enough to renovate an entire house. Remodelers know that’s under time and over budget, but homeowners don’t have your perspective, and they see their contractors as the bearer of bad news when given a realistic time frame.
On the other hand, clients gain new ideas from home improvement shows, and the remodeling industry as a whole is growing at a healthy pace. Though reality TV probably hasn’t driven that growth, it certainly hasn’t discouraged homeowners from renovating their homes, keeping up with the latest trends, and using the newest technologies.
So, do construction and design shows always hurt, or can they sometimes help remodelers in their efforts to educate clients about the remodeling process? To find the answer, REMODELING spoke with remodelers, a television producer, and even a couple of reality show celebrities. Here’s what they found out.
