Have You Seen Those Home Renovation Shows that Build a House in One Week? Why Can’t My Contractor Do That?

The television show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, might have ended in 2012, but the television show continues to survive, through re-runs. Many of us are familiar with the premise of the television show that lasted for nine years: the host, Ty Pennington, would build dream homes for a deserving family. And the thing that made Pennington’s show unique, is that he and his team would build these luxurious homes in one week.

It might seem like a heartening plot, as a team of professionals would help a family in need, giving them the house of their dreams. Especially because reality television is infamous for being scandalous and rowdy, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was a refreshing break from the kind of reality television shows that were a little bit rough around the edges.

You might be wondering: if Ty Pennington and his team can build an incredible home in one week, why can’t my contractor do the same thing? Well, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, wasn’t as perfect as it seemed on television. So, we’re going to explain the problems that emerged, because of the show, and the reasons why your contractor can’t build you a state-of-the-art home, in one week.

What is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?

Episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition all followed the same formula. First, the television show would introduce us to a family in need. There were a wide array of adversities, that each family endured, but these families were always hardworking and deserving of a functional and beautiful space of their own. Then, Pennington and his team would work on the home, while the family was away on vacation. By the end of the television show, Pennington would reveal the home to the family.

The show went to great extents, to ensure that each casted family was a deserving family. To do this, thousands of applications a day were filed, and each chosen family was mandated to undergo an intense background check. But even with these protocols, there was still room for dishonesty. It might seem horrific that a family would fake adversity, to get a free home. But beyond this act of fraud, there were also other problems with the reality television show.

What Went Wrong with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?

Dishonest Beginnings

As we revealed, some families faked the conditions of their lives, to get Pennington and his team to build them a new home. Yahoo News reported that in 2009, the couple Chuck and Terri Cerda were chosen for the show. In their application, the couple revealed that they had two daughters, who were suffering from severe immunodeficiency diseases. According to Terri Cerda, their daughters had to wear masks all the time, because of their illness. So, because of this, when they were chosen for the show, Pennington equipped their new home with high-quality air ventilation systems, to ensure the health of the girls.

It might seem like a feel-good story, but however, the couple couldn’t keep up with the bills associated with the new house. So, when they were forced to sell the home, due to financial hardships, they moved to a new town and needed to find new doctors.

The Cerdas’ new doctors accused a couple of child abuse because as it turned out, neither of their daughters was chronically ill. The doctors had the children removed from the Cerdas’ home, and they charged the parents with medical child abuse. This accusation revealed that the Cerdas had lied to the production team of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Financial Problems

The Cerdas’ story proves that families can fake their experiences, to get the show to feature them. But the Cerdas’ story also proves that it is hard to keep up with the bills, that come with a new home.

For example, in 2005, Pennington gifted the Harvey Family a home that was 4,289 square feet. This was substantially larger than the home that they had before the makeover, so because of the increased costs of taxes and utility bills, the Harvey family was forced into foreclosure. Moreover, many families, took out second mortgages on their new homes, to pay off old bills, so for multiple reasons, the television show put families in need, in even worse financial positions.

Another family, the Jacobos, was a family of twelve, and they were gifted a large home. Because the family was comprised of twelve people, they already had a substantial amount of bills, and what brought the family to the television show, was the fact that they were struggling to make ends meet. Once they were faced with the bills that came with a home that was five times larger than their old one, they couldn’t keep up. So, in order to keep their home, the family had to be supported by external fundraisers.

Finally, one of the most upsetting stories that have come from the television show, is the story of the Higgins siblings. In 2005, an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition aired, and it was supposed to help the Higgins siblings, who were orphans, along with the Leomiti family, who took in the siblings.

What happened after Pennington finished the Higgins and Leomitis’ home, is horrifying because the Leomitis forced the Higgins siblings out of the home. According to the Higgins children, the Leomitis called them racial slurs and used the siblings only to get home from the home makeover show. The case was dismissed, in 2007, and the Higgins siblings never got justice.

Details Were Overlooked

Today, many people are revealing their negative experiences with television shows. Along with the high costs of taxes and utilities, many families are reporting that Pennington’s homes were poorly constructed. Although there are no absolute horror stories about the construction of Pennington’s homes, there are many reports that painted walls would have visible paint roller marks and that electrical outlets would be unwired. Many families reported, that when they informed the production team about these issues, they were disregarded.

Why Can’t My Contractor Create a Dream Home in One Week?

As we’ve seen, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is not as picturesque as it seems on television. So, for many reasons, it is impossible for your contractor to create a perfect home in one week. Not only is it incredibly expensive to create a luxury home, it requires time, in order to have a home that is as perfect as can be. Much of the labor that the television show utilized, was the labor of volunteers. And it is very implausible, that someone would be able to afford the labor that would be required, to create a large home, in one week.

If you’re looking for a luxury home, then you’re probably looking for a home that will last for years to come. So, to ensure that your home is up to the standards that you’re looking for, it is best to avoid a fast renovation, like the ones that Ty Pennington performed. In sum, to avoid a poorly constructed home, a home that you cannot afford, or any other problem, your contractor cannot construct your dream home, in one week.

Final Thoughts: Have You Seen Those Home Renovation Shows that Build a House in One Week? Why Can’t My Contractor Do That? 

When you’re watching a television show, like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition it is easy to get caught up in the feel-good content, that the show has to offer. Although it might seem like Pennington and his team were providing the families on the show, with a home that would be an oasis for years to come, as many families have reported, the homes on reality television shows are rife with problems. Whether structural or financial problems, the aftermath of building a home in one week will reverberate for a lifetime.

So, if you’re in the market for a new home, it is always best that you take your time when you are figuring out the details of your build. As it turns out, you don’t want to have an experience, as the participants featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition did.

At the end of every episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Ty Pennington and his team would scream “Move that Bus!” as they revealed the new home to the family. We might have thought that the beautiful home that resided behind the bus was perfect, but we know now, that the luxury home was a little bit too good to be true.

The realities of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition prove that you can’t believe everything you see on television, so your contractor should not be expected to work as quickly as Pennington did. Be kind to your contractors. They want to execute your home well, and as we’ve seen, home makeover shows didn’t always do that.