How Realistic is Love it Or List It?
How Realistic is Love It or List It? I’ve written before about my issues with Love it or List it, but now it’s time for me to call in the referee. I want to know, from someone who is qualified, what things Hilary could have anticipated before she made promises she couldn’t keep to a slew of unsuspecting clients. (This isn’t to take the responsibility away from the clients entirely. I mean, if they haven’t seen the show by now, I can’t feel sorry for them for not knowing what’s in store.)
Who is the expert? My mom. That’s right, don’t judge. My mom spent her teenage years helping her father run his construction company. She’s watched countless inspections, overseen the building of some of her own homes, and is currently a landlord who works with contractors for repairs and remodels. I think it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about this subject.
Let’s start with load-bearing walls. Hilary loves to make promises of an open floor plan, only to be sabotaged by a load bearing wall. But isn’t there a way to tell that a wall is load bearing before hacking into it?
Surprisingly, you can’t always tell, says Mom. “There are times that it’s pretty clear a wall is load bearing, if it’s particularly thick or is holding up a doorway or something, but sometimes you don’t know until after you get through the dry wall and see the posts,” she says. At that point, you need to call in a structural engineer or even an experienced contractor or construction worker to inspect further to avoid possible damage. Okay, Hilary. That’s one point for you, but I’m still suspicious.
How about roof damage? Sometimes, Hilary doesn’t realize there’s a leak in the roof until after it rains or a basement floods during construction. Is there a way she could have known that in advance?
“Usually there is evidence of leaks if you inspect properly,” says Mom. “Water damage at the top of the walls near the ceiling, or previous flooding can be indicators that the roof needs work.” One point for me! “But if the owners haven’t disclosed the problems to Hilary, she might think they’ve already fixed the roof, especially if it’s not specified on their list of things for her to handle. She’s called in for specific changes, after all.” Okay, maybe that point goes back to Hilary… but before I give it to her I have to wonder: ideally speaking, shouldn’t Hilary ask about this first? “If she see signs of water damage, she should ask about it, yes,” says Mom reluctantly. I’m taking that point.
Next, I want to examine adding onto a home. I’ve noticed some times that Hilary makes plans to tear down a shed or add a bedroom over the garage, just to find that building codes won’t allow it. Is this information she should have known before she made empty promises?
“You can usually look around the neighborhood to get a good idea of what is allowed and what isn’t before you even look at the building codes,” says Mom. “But you still need to check with building codes before you present something like that to a client because some things are grandfathered in. I don’t think it’s a smart idea to promise an addition to a home without checking the building codes first.” Take that, Hilary. Don’t write checks you can’t cash.
Before I ended this probing (not to mention victorious) interview with my expert mom, I asked if she had any final words- besides her constant “you know that’s just for dramatic effect” reminders. She seemed to be in favor of Hilary, much to my chagrin.
“The clients on ‘Love It or List It’ tend to have small budgets and big expectations,” she says. “If you have a home that’s more than 50 years old, you can expect for a lot of hidden problems to pop up, so a budget of $45,000 isn’t going to get you everything you want.” She thinks Hilary is doing the right thing by fixing the internal issues that really matter. “Cosmetic changes are fairly inexpensive. By taking care of the hidden problems, Hilary is increasing the value of the house more, and alleviating future headaches. I think it’s a win/win.”
Okay, okay. I guess Hilary’s approach isn’t as ridiculous as I initially thought. I have to be honest. I thought this investigation would go entirely differently. But I’m not quite finished. Look out for an upcoming article where I challenge Drew Scott from ‘Property Brothers’ on the idea that you have to buy a fixer-upper and renovate to get what you want. I’ll be consulting a real estate expert to find out if it’s really always better to buy old and renovate. Oh, did I tell you my mom was once a real estate agent? ;)
