Monday, January 28, 2008

Warning-Rant Coming!

I know everyone has a pet peeve and I have several but one of them is the TV show Extreme Makeover-Home Edition. I was going to post about this before Sunday's show aired but I decided to watch the show and hold my opinion until then. But here goes.

The house picture above was on last night's show and is in the town next to ours. I have seen the house in person and I can tell you the show did not do justice to how inappropriate this house is to this little neighborhood. It towers over the tiny little cottage to the left of it which I noticed they didn't show much of in the show. Why can't they build normal houses? They could have built 5 normal houses for very deserving families instead of this one giant house. There were many, many families that lost houses in the floods of the fall of 2005 and Mother's Day 2006 and they all deserve a home. I just think these houses they build are a waste and it bugs me.

OK, I'm done with my rant but I'd be interested in other opinions of this show. I'll be watching something else next week.

14 comments:

  1. I agree that the houses that they build are way over the top, and that the one last night certainly didn't fit in to the neighborhood.
    But building a little cottage won't cut it on tv. And if this family gets a home then that's a good thing. And another family got the little home they were supposed to get. It also brings attention to some of these charities and makes people realize how life can change in an instant. They are over the top, but they are doing some good on tv which is more than I can say for any other show.

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  2. I don't watch that show for the very same reason. I hate waste. There is so much need and I don't understand why for the same money they couldn't come into a town and do maybe 4 or 5 houses and give more families very comfortable livable houses. It just makes no sense to me.

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  3. We stopped watching after the first season. Besides overbuilding for the neighborhood, there have been issues of how the families must claim the construction, furnishings, etc. as income on their taxes. Also in some cases the reappraised value of a home causes an increase in property taxes making nearly, if not completely, impossible for the owners keep the homes once they are done.

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  4. I mever watched the show until one night and I saw the opening and just kept watching. The house was a great house to begin with but too small now that 4 other kids had come to live, but I thought they could have just added another story or maybe a section on the side of what was a huge lot. But they tore the entire house down!! They said they were recycling the granite that was a year old, but when they made the new house it was ugly! Plus they made the decor red, black and white which was nothing like what they had and red leather couches??? for kids? Not very homey. I understand they are doing something for one family...but on a smaller scale they could help more, I agree. there's help and then theres bizzare excess.

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  5. Chris, I, too,stopped watching a long time ago. I guess the "over-the-top-ness" of each of the featured homes finally got to me. I wonder what the resale value of one of those big new houses in older tiny house neighborhoods would be?

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  6. I know! And I always wonder how the property value changes, and whether the poor people can even keep up with the taxes. I don't know why our culture has to always have more. Why isn't just enough enough?

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  7. They built a $300,000 monster "tudor" style house here in my town in a neighborhood of $75,000 bungalows. it sticks out like a sore thumb. The neighbors did get paid a sum for the noise, lights, traffic, etc. during the building and filming. I also do not watch the show anymore. IMHO they didn't pick a needy family here they picked a blended family who had a perfectly fine home that just needed a few minor renovations no health problems no money problems no nothing not sure why they even picked them.

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  8. I dont think we have that show here, but I aree. It certainly looks inappropriate for the area. We have had similar things here, with lots of behind the scenes reporting about it all. It is all smoke & mirrors.

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  9. I am so with you on this show. It just makes me sick. I have always thought to myself "who is going to pay the insurance, taxes and utilities and upkeep on something so out of bounds?" - one of the comments shed some light on that. Geez. I don't need that kinda help myself! It makes me uneasy to watch things like this as I think the same thing, if they had just divided up the money they spent they could have done SO much more to actually help SO many more. And often wonder what the goal really is.

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  10. I'm glad this family has a new home, but I agree with your thoughts. I sat there and wondered about all the families who lost homes from the floods. I would love to see them build several, rather than one of such opulence.

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  11. That is one ugly house. I don't watch that show, and now I know why. I am sure it is nice for the family, but, I agree, awful for the neighborhood.

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  12. I think I watched the show twice when it first came on, but it was ridiculous. Just another way to advance conspicuous consumerism and get noticed. Makes me kinda ill.

    Janet

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  13. Hi there,
    So glad that I found your blog this morning. After reading comments on this post, I think I live in the city that another reader posted about the Tudor house. She is so right on!!! That house was not for that neighborhood. I never drove by it, but I think that they built a playhouse that replicated that style. The playhouse cost more than most folks would pay for a detached home office. What a waste. I don't know how they choose the design, but someone goofed on that one.
    I love your blog. Will visit again soon!

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  14. My husband loves this show. I just wanted to say that I agree with you. It is great that they give a home to someone in need or who is deserving, but darn it all. Why don't they just build a nice NORMAL home. I cannot stand to watch the show because it bothers me so much.

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I pray that risen from the dead,
In glory I will stand,
A crown perhaps upon my head,
And a needle in my hand.