House Hunters
Jul 11th 2009
Claudia DainGoddess Grins
Is the name of a show on HGTV. It’s pure lookey-loo. You “meet” the people looking for a house, hear what they want, their wish list, why they’re moving, and then you meet the realtor who explains what the housing market is like where they’re looking and how great it is to live in that city. And then, the fun part; you get to look at three houses with these people. They pick one to buy and the really fun part is that you get to judge if they picked the right house or not based on your own infallible standards of house buying. You can’t believe how often these people get it wrong.
I usually want to kill these people. I could never be a realtor for this reason. I would end up in jail for murder after one week on the job.
It doesn’t matter who the people are or what their price range is. They always expect to get more than they can afford. They nitpick the house. More than half the time they pick a house that has few of the features they said they had to have.
Since I am a writer and I have a highly developed imagination, this is what happens: I say all the things that the realtor can’t say.
Shopper: “This room is so PINK! I could never live with this color.”
Realtor with Claudia Dialogue: “Buy a $20 can of paint. Or buy the house with the paint colors you liked that was 25% more expensive and 500 square feet smaller. Your call.”
Shopper: “The yard needs work.”
Realtor with enhanced dialogue: “Plant a tree and buy a mower.”
Shopper: “The bedrooms and kitchen are smaller than I wanted.”
Realtor assist: “And yet what you can afford. If you had an extra $100,000 you could get bigger everything.”
Shopper: “I wanted a man room.”
Realtor: “You’re buying the whole house, sweetie. It’s all man room if that’s the way you want it.”
So here’s my question: what’s with the man room phenomena sweeping the nation? Even Big D is bewildered by it. If a man gets a man room, what room do I get? What room would you want in your dream house? And could you be a realtor?
59 Comments »
59 Responses to “House Hunters”
Nancyg on 11 Jul 2009 at 4:26 am #
I was in sales in a past life – I don’t think I could be a realtor… Stupid people drive me crazy!
Dream house? Another dishwasher & a laundry room instead of a closet…. But that forces me to fold & put away laundry every day, so I dunno…
I would like an outdoor fireplace & horseshoe pit – that’s my next remodel project…
The problem is that mortgage companies pre-qualify people for more house than they can afford…
Margaret on 11 Jul 2009 at 4:50 am #
LOL, Claudia. Have you installed a bug on my tv to see what I’m watching? I, also, would like to kill some of these people. Especially when they live in a 12 square foot apartment and whine about how ’small’ the master bedroom is. And it’s awful if they have to cross the hall to the bathroom that doesn’t have 2 sinks, a steam shower & a spa tub. Don’t get me started on why a perfectly lovely kitchen has ‘dated’ appliances that will all have to be replaced or the laminate must be replaced sooner than soon with granite. Arrggh! It is amazing how often they choose the place that they panned the most.
A man room? I thought the room with the recliner, big tv and bigger remote was the man room. Am I wrong? Why should he get a whole room to hang with his homies, while she has to reorganize the kitchen table before she can even begin to sew or do other crafts. Not to mention she is the one the kids interrupt because daddy is holed up with his buds and can’t be disturbed.
Can you tell I just came off a marathon of House Hunters & it’s brethren? All dutifully saved for me while I was on vacation NOT watching tv. I feel ever so much better after my rant. Thanks.
Margaret on 11 Jul 2009 at 4:52 am #
Another small rant, please. What’s up with those bathroom sinks that sit on top of the counter? Not for me, please. All I can think of is all the toothpaste, hair gel and other goo will get stuck around the bottom. I want my sink counter level. Not towering over where it’s uncomfortable to use.
LoriHandeland on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:27 am #
I don’t get the man room thing either. I’m with Margaret. Isn’t the room with the huge TV and the controller I never get to touch unless I’m home alone the man room?
Of course I have a Lori room, which is called “my office,” so I shouldn’t complain. I love it in here.
In my dream house I would have a tower room for my office, complete with windows overlooking some kind of water. Lots of light and sun and space!! Ahhhhh.
I could never be a realtor. I’ve been in my bat cave so long, I have no patience anymore. People like the ones you’re describing would definitely fire me in the first hour after I told them exactly what to do and how.
Michelle B on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:29 am #
Oh this topic is near and dear to my heart right now. I think I’ve mentioned that after 22+ years of moving around with the military, DH is retiring next month. We should know where his job will be soon, therefore we will be house hunters ourselves. First time home owners!! I have 22 years of serious house envy and I’ve made a hobby out of looking at websites with homes, love virtual tours.
I don’t know about “man room”, but we always have a game room that houses all the video games that DH DS love so much. The kitchen is the first room I look at, it’s the heart of the home where I spend a lot of time. If there isn’t enough cabinet space, counter space, large enough pantry and window light, I won’t be happy.
My dream room is one that has all my scrapbooking supplies neatly at hand, lots of paper storage. This room also has to have a big comfy chair, book cases for my books, and a stereo system. I”m looking for a home with a study for DH’s office and I am taking over the 4th bedroom. I am so looking forward to this move.
Michelle B on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:39 am #
Could I be a realtor? My husband says I would be great at it. Usually I do more research on a new area before we get there, that I know more than the area’s realtors. Although I would love that part of my job, the part I wouldn’t love is all the paper work. Those contracts boggle my mind.
The home buyers themselves? I wonder if I would get burned out with their antics. We probably drove our realtor in Florida nuts. She had us for one week, but it just happened to be the week the market exploded and we were bidding against so many investors. We ended up renting there and I am so glad because that market crashed in less than a year.
Freedom Writer on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:40 am #
As I see it most house already come with a man cave it’s called a garage. Not good enough? Go over to your buddy’s house and sit in his man cave, and let his wife serves you snacks and restocks the man cave fridge with beer.
I too am a big House Hunters fan and notice that the buyers always seem to buy the house they whined about the most. Then they whine about things that are easy fixes like paint color and wallpaper. When buying a house I would worry more about there being a sewage plant near by or a crack house across the street.
What’s that you say that big house at the end of the block is a halfway house for sex offenders? Oh dear, my man could never sleep in a pink bedroom.
The realtors take a class on how to keep a straight face when the client come in with a long list of have to haves and then tell them that they want it all for a whopping $150,000.
Sabrina Jeffries on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:55 am #
I would love to see you house hunt with my DH, Claudia. You would have killed him in a week. It took us SIX MONTHS of house hunting to find a house that met his exacting standards. Meanwhile, after about the fifth time I told the realtor “I could make this work,” he said, “I think you could make a quonset hut work.” I am SOOO not picky about houses and DH is SOOOO picky. Plus, my DH can’t visualize things well with furniture in them, so he was forever seeing a room as small when it really wasn’t. Our current house was packed with furniture and boxes and everything when we bought it, and I had to browbeat him into buying it. Then, when we came in after all the people and stuff were gone, he went, “Why, this is a really NICE house.” Uh, yeah.
Of course, I would have happily moved into some foundationally-challenged house because I don’t notice things like cracks in walls and carpet covering up mold and whatever, so it was good to have him around. We make a great pair!
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:08 am #
Margaret! I knew I loved you for your vast intelligence and incredible discernment.
I can’t stand the sinks on top of the counter. All I can see is water splashing everywhere and me wiping up under that sink, never mind that it eats up counter space.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:10 am #
NancyG, I’m with you. I love a laundry room, one with a door! I’ve thought about a second dishwasher, but then that’s two to unload! I remember when my mom and dad stopped using their dishwasher because, for just the two of them, it was easier to wash a couple of plates and two forks than shove them in the dishwasher and unload later. I thought they were nuts then. Now they seem so very wise.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:15 am #
Yes! The garage is the man room. That’s certainly true in my house, not that I’m happy about it. Big D is very hard on a room, even a garage. He needs to give it to me. I’ll know what to do with it. Car storage would be my first thought. Strangely enough, it’s not his.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:17 am #
Freedom, EXACTLY! Location, location, location.
How many times have we watched these people buy a house with granite counter tops and wood floors in a sketchy neighborhood? Or as the realtor says, “A neighborhood in transition.”
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:19 am #
MichelleB, you should give it a shot. The world needs good realtors. The last time I moved we told the realtor our top price and he kept showing us houses above it. Did he think we were kidding? What a waste of our time, and his.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:21 am #
Lori, I am SO glad I’m not alone on the Man Room Mystery. When did this start? Who invented this phrase? Some man? Or some woman who wanted to isolate her husband into one room of the house? Hmmm.
Freedom Writer on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:30 am #
Claudia, there is a show on HGTV or DIY that is called Man Cave where they transform a part of the house into a man room for the men in the house. I don’t know when it became a phenomenon, but maybe that show had something to do with it.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:33 am #
Freedom, no kidding? I’ve never heard of that show. What do the man caves look like? Are they stupid? (They sound stupid.)
Lisa H on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:46 am #
Claudia – My husband and I always say the same things as realtor with Claudia dialogue. We can’t believe how many people expect to find a perfect house for such a low price!
Margaret – LOL!
Please don’t get me started about a “man room” – Let me rant. My husband has an office downtown which he rents filled with state of the art computer, printer, fax, copier. He can go there anytime. But—where does he do most of his work? ON MY DINING ROOM TABLE! My dining room is very lovely, old world elegance, crystal chandelier, silk table runner, crystal vases filled with gold and crystal decorating balls in the center…(you get the picture) On it sits his laptop, 20-30 files, briefcase, the printer/fax he pushes into the fireplace (no joking) and it doesn’t end there. On the kitchen counter are his stack of bills, stamps, envelopes, and little scraps of paper of things to do. Sometimes he wants to use my office, so he comes, prints and leaves a trail of crap there.
Man Room? My whole house is a man room!
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:05 am #
LisaH, you poor thing! Shove your man into the garage where he belongs.
Karen Rose on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:12 am #
I don’t know, Claudia. I always wonder at the realty profession – who else gets into cars with strangers and takes them to isolated, empty houses with no phone or way to call for help should the “customer” really be a SERIAL KILLER!!!!!
So no, I couldn’t be a realtor. I’d always be looking at my customers through narrowed eyes, wondering which of them is going to try to kill me, LOL.
Mr. R and I actually went house-hunting only once. We were newly married, about a year, so 22 or 23 yr olds. I fell in love with the first house I saw and HAD to have it. Because I hate to shop. Made DH so frustrated with me. It had none of the things I said I wanted, was in a part of town that had hellacious traffic and was old and smelled like smoke. But it had four walls and a roof and I said, “We can make this work.”
I let him do the house hunting after that. That’s why we’re still married after 23 years!
Karen Rose on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:17 am #
We didn’t buy that smelly house, BTW. Mr. R’s good sense prevailed and we bought a truly lovely little house on Smiley Avenue. But DH said he couldn’t live with the street name, ha! We were about 3 blocks from the corner of Smiley and Harmony. We lived there 9 years. I have very fond memories of that very non-smelly house.
Freedom Writer on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:24 am #
The couple of episodes I’ve seen they design the man cave around a large tv, a bar with a refrigerator, and have a theme of cars or sports or other manly pursuits. They are well designed spaces with manly colors so all them men can feel comfortable while watching tv or playing pool and drinking beer.
Freedom Writer on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:26 am #
Here is a link for the DIY Man Cave show: http://www.diynetwork.com/man-caves/show/index.html
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:36 am #
KarenR, you nailed it. Apparently realtors do get attacked by ‘clients’ in lonely houses. I’ve heard it happens even more often at open houses. Dangerous profession!
I’m glad you didn’t get the smelly house in the bad neighborhood!
Lisa H on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:38 am #
Karen R- I have thought of that too! I would never get into a car with a man and go into an empty house with him!
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:40 am #
Freedom, “manly colors”? That kills me. Is yellow not manly enough for a man to feel comfortable? What is a manly color? Black? Navy? Blood red? Camo? LOL
Freedom Writer on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:53 am #
Yellow is manly color and so is purple as long as they are used in combination in a Viking’s Fan Man Cave. But the couple I have seen are in Gray, Brown, Blood Red. More dark jewel tones than pastels.
There was a realtor murdered here in Wisconsin just within the last 18 months or so. She was a nice older woman who showed a house to the wrong person. Here’s a link to the story:
http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/16815936.html
Pesky on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:55 am #
*rubbing hands together* Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh here we go.
I would like a small stone, brick or block/stucco, cotttage house with three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, eat-in kitchen and a family room with a loft. The roof will be tile or tin. One of the bedrooms must lead out into the garden area with a small patio with a lanai and I would like a 4 season room, which is not a sunroom as it has a roof, you can take out the windows during the summer and leave the screens and put them up during the fall so that you can use the room pretty much in all but the coldest months. All of the house must have tall casement windows, I like light. If it has a loft for my office, great, if not, one of the bedrooms will suffice.
I will also need a small storage shed, weatherproof, mice proof, to put my seasonal “stuff” into. Sadly small cottages don’t have a lot of storage.
I can put in gardens, I can add on a seasonal room, I can buy a shed, the rest kinda has to be there in a solid built home.
Pesky on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:02 am #
“Man Cave?” We have a 5 bedroom house, one of which houses “He who shall not be named but with whom I live and am related to” ’s electric guitar, amp, acoustic guitar, 52″ TV and big narsy looking comfy couch. It’s painted a color fondly known as bsb (a designer color, that looks just like Baby **** Brown) and has Cinnemon and Maroon colored curtains. I don’t know what goes on in that room…nor do I care. One a month I had him pledge cloths, windex, febreeze and a vacuum and say “Bring down the dishes, clean up the stinkyness.” and he does. That, I guess, is the “Man Cave”. Which is balanced off by my “office” which is ice yellow with white accents, has breezy curtains and stained glass hangings in front of the windows, and a floral fouton balanced off by my cream colored rocking chair and miles of desk and bookshelves.
Why don’t people call it what it is, personal space.
Freshechelle on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:08 am #
Claudia, can we arrange a TV viewing night via speaker phone conference call? You’re a girl after my own heart. I get hoarse from all my yelling at TV morons.
SheridanLA on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:22 am #
If I ever take the plunge into home ownership… here is what I want:
I want one extra bedroom that will be a guest room/craft room/library. Knowing me, that will probably be the “master” bedroom since I would rather use that larger space in a way I will use most of the time and then the smaller room to sleep in. I don’t need a lot of room to sleep – just a bed and a nightstand for alarm clock and books. I do like to have room for all my hobbies/work stuff. I would also like a small garden. If the garden was viewable from my master bedroom (workroom) then awesome.
If I do go down that road to marital bliss again *snort*… if the man can afford to buy something with the cave, go for it.. if not we get what we can afford and come to a compromise… and if he gets his own room, so do I.
Beth C. on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:28 am #
I agree Claudia. I’ve seen the show and I yell at them and at the realtor. I blame the realtor because most of the time, they are showing the buyers houses outside their stated buying allowance (on the assumption that they can get the price down to what the people can ‘afford’ or some incentive will compensate for the difference).
Isn’t that how we got into a problem with the housing market in the first place? People need to be realistic and realize they aren’t going to own a mansion.
Is a ‘Man Room’ any different than having a sewing room? Now granted the people I know who have sewing rooms are usually older and they’ve converted kids rooms into one. I could see converting a bonus room into an electronics/play room for older kids or adults….but not for anyone with small kids. Although, I will say that we’ve converted a living room into a computer room which could be a man room…since I only use my computer in there for bills. Everything else is his toys for playing…he’s a computer geek…having 8 computers is a dream for him (and no we didn’t pay for them all…some came from relatives and friends or are old computers that he plays on running different OSs).
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:35 am #
Freedom, oh, now I get it. As long as the colors make a team color, it’s okay. Yellow and purple would not usually be considered man colors otherwise, would they?
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:38 am #
But Pesky, I was waiting for the punch line: “And I want all of that in the best neighborhood for $75,000 and no down payment.”
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:40 am #
Sheridan, yes! If he gets his own room, I get mine. Plus the whole house, of course.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:45 am #
BethC, every time I’ve seen men on TV moaning about a man room, it’s been a room separate in some way from the main portion of the house, whether that be a garage room or a basement room or an attic room. The idea is that it’s strictly the man’s space and it’s a bit isolated from wherever the woman is going to be hanging out, so a spare bedroom wouldn’t cut it.
Frankly, if I was married to a man who wanted that much separation from me, well…I don’t think I would have married him in the first place! Having separate activities and interests is one thing, but what are you doing that you need so much privacy? Huh? Hey, mister gotta have my man room, I’m talking to you!
Pesky on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:47 am #
LOL, well that goes without saying…and may I also have an ocean view?
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:54 am #
ROFL Pesky, how many times have I seen that? These people have two bucks to spend on a house and then bemoan the lack of a spectacular view.
Janae on 11 Jul 2009 at 9:42 am #
I can’t watch House Hunters or be a realtor for all the reasons you’ve mentioned. When we bought our house almost 6 years ago, we bought the fixer in a great community known for their schools – ranked 6th in the state of CA. We bought it knowing that we wouldn’t be able to change things immediately. We have a to do list that we pick a couple of things off of each year to do. The one thing that I would change about my house is, that I would add an attic fan. Since we’re on the coast, we really don’t need air conditioning more than 10 days a year. An attic fan would help in the heat. We plan on adding one when we get a new roof in the next couple of years.
Add me to the not a fan of vessel sinks list.
Nicole Jordan on 11 Jul 2009 at 12:10 pm #
LOL, Claudia. It would drive me nuts to watch a show like that.
And dh and I have had plenty of experiences buying and selling and even fixing up houses… we’ve had 8 so far. So we’re pretty good about knowing what we can live with and what we can’t. We definitely have to have his and her space, though, but mainly that’s because we both have home offices. So we get 3 floors, the top is mine, the bottom is his, and we meet in the middle.
Jamie on 11 Jul 2009 at 12:42 pm #
Mom and I are addicted to HGTV! In fact, we have it on right now. Some of the shows make you go HUH? For the bathroom, I like a sink I can do things in. Some of these have like a plate for your bathroom sink. The water will splash back at you. How can you do things in a sink like that?
The House Hunters show. Some people have just too much, but on the International version of the show, it shows how much more that US buyers have. I’m with you on the fact that if you don’t like the color of the room, you can paint it. There was this one episode where the lady didn’t want to do the laundry in the basement because she was afraid to go down there. How about getting a plummer to come and let you put the washer/dryer where you want it? Hmmm. . .
I work in sales, but I have learned that all sales jobs are not equal. Not sure I would want to be a realtor. In my dream house, there would be enough shelves to put up my knick knacks, books and dvds. I would have enough counter space to get things done. The only counter space we really have in our kitchen is on our glass top stove! I do like the man cave thing, but I would overtake his space because I think they are cool!
nancyg on 11 Jul 2009 at 1:05 pm #
When I was in high school, I was an intern for one of the county district court judges here & sat in on a trail of a serial rapist who attacked realtors. He’d set up a viewing, somewhere remote, then attacked them. ugh!
I have my office, which was the formal dining room, but has become the family “dumping ground” & another common area. I’m going to remodel, hopefully by the end of the year & make it more of an office. I think new furniture is in order
Mr. G gets the living room with his huge 73″ HDTV. “The better to watch football with,” he explained upon purchase. I’m like Rainman, I get to “test drive” it *maybe* every other weekend. The lovely sectional I picked out with the cupholders & recliners is also in Mr. G’s domain. I would have thought he was born with a remote control in his hand but I know they didn’t have remote controls back then. I tell my kids that *I* was the remote control growing up – as in my parents saying, “Nancy, get up & change the TV to channel 8,” LOL.
I’d like to replace my picture windows out front with ones that actually open & close – not as pretty, but ever so much more practical.
nancyg on 11 Jul 2009 at 1:09 pm #
Then again, I’ve been the type of person who can “see” the potential in a room or house. I love watching the house “Flipping” shows, it gives me a lot of great ideas. My favorite is on Bravo – “Flipping Out” – that guy is crazy!!
Luckily, the house we bought the 1st time out is perfect for our family. Been here 12 years & no intention of moving… after 4 room remodels and potentially 2 more to go (fingers crossed for budgeting!), it’ll be exactly the house I want. Mr. G pretty much lets me get away with what I want to do – he does “trust me”. I’ve found that there’s nothing in adding or knocking down a wall, or a paint job & new flooring can’t fix.
Dab on 11 Jul 2009 at 2:45 pm #
In order for you to be satisfied of the color that is painted on your house it would be better if you would contact the experts to support you in your plan to paint your house.
nancyg on 11 Jul 2009 at 4:41 pm #
dab:
I agree! I went with my house painter to pick out a new exterior trim color last month. He ix-nayed my 1st two choices for reasons I wouldn’t have thought of…
Plus, I would have bought the totally wrong supplies!
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:04 pm #
Janae! What a smart house shopper you are! You bought for the location and that’s the one thing that will never change (unless they put a freeway through your house). I can’t imagine living in a climate where air conditioning isn’t a necessity. It sounds blissful.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:08 pm #
Jamie, watching House Hunters International is an addiction. One couple was looking at a house somewhere in Germany or Switzerland, can’t quite remember, but this one house had a medieval curtain wall and closed garden attached to it. Big D and I were screaming at the TV, “Get that house! Buy that house!” They didn’t. It would have been a no-brainer for me. I’m crazy about all things medieval.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:10 pm #
NancyG, UGH!!! How hideous! What a sicko.
I’ve never heard of Flipping Out. I’m going to give that a try, add to my addiction.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 5:11 pm #
Dab, I always paint my houses white. It’s my favorite color for a house because it always looks so fresh and crisp to me.
Janae on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:35 pm #
Claudia – Fortunately, a freeway won’t ever be in the works for our location. If Caltrans even tried, I can’t even imagine how many lawsuits that they’d have on their hands. It’s be worse than trying to extend the 710 Freeway thru South Pasadena, which has now gone on for nearly 50 years. The homeowners keep winning, and I’m glad because South Pasenda is one of my favorite communities in SoCal.
Karen Hawkins on 11 Jul 2009 at 6:48 pm #
Hot Cop has a Man Cave. I demanded that he have one.
Why? Because I use the entire living room when I work — spread my papers from hither to yon on couches and love seat, across the coffee table, etc. So when he’s in the Man Cave, I get the rest of the house for myself and he’s not compelled to TOUCH MY STUFF.
I don’t like it when that happens. We’re together only because we have this carefully delineated spaces — his space (the cave) and my space (the rest of the house).
Hope I’ve shed light on this frequently misunderstood subject.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:19 pm #
KarenH, you surely have. I now understand the man cave phenomena.
Claudia Dain on 11 Jul 2009 at 7:20 pm #
Janae, Pasadena is one of my favorite towns. I’m glad they’re winning the fight against the freeway!
evlqn on 11 Jul 2009 at 8:40 pm #
My sister hates the host of House Hunters. She freely admits she probably has no basis for it but hate her she does. I like looking for the potential of a house and can see beyond the unfortunate paint choices. We do a lot of internet looking at houses, not that we plan on moving anytime soon.
I do like a lot of space but that is what we have always had in our family. We needed it to accommodate the family gatherings. A two-butt or larger kitchen is a must, again gatherings. Only one sink is needed per bathroom I decline to share when I take care of business, take a number and wait your turn.
Man-cave, don’t need it sent the man back, I’m still waiting on my refund.
Would love to flip houses, my SIL does that and she does a wonderful job.
We shouldn’t be surprised at some of these people with their expectations. I think some of the women could have been on Bridezilla.
Off topic, love the skinny jeans and top Claudia. You go girl!
Patricia Barraclough on 11 Jul 2009 at 11:40 pm #
Don’t know if I could be a realtor. My dealings with some of them have not left me with a good feeling for them.
People need to use their imagination when looking at houses. We literally had to gut the house we bought, an 1898 victorian farm house. It had not been taken care of, but was well built and had great possibilities. What we didn’t realize was how much time, work,and money it would take. It has been 17 years and we are almost done.
As for the man room thing – who knows! It is a marketing ploy to sell more stuff. It really isn’t much more than a glorified den.
What room would I want? It would have to be a large library with a fireplace and window seat.. I could live there.
TinaLouiseF on 12 Jul 2009 at 1:58 am #
I do not like House Hunters either. The few times I’ve seen it, I either wanted to shoot the realtor or the clients.
I’ve been renting a 4 room apartment for 10 years. Any house with more rooms would be an improvement.
My only other restriction is the fire district. I would avoid the incorporated cities. The rural fire departments have better response time.
Claudia Dain on 12 Jul 2009 at 7:34 am #
Eviqn, really? I think the hostess of House Hunters is nice, though she needs to wear bangs. When she grew them out…uh, no. But she’s so cute and pleasant! I like her.
Thanks for the shout-out on the skinny jeans! I only hope I can do them justice. LOL
Claudia Dain on 12 Jul 2009 at 7:35 am #
Patricia, congrats on finding and fixing your home! It sounds lovely, and like a labor of love. I’m with you on not understanding why house hunters can’t see beyond the paint color and an ugly appliance. It’s all so easily changed! Even an overgrown and ugly yard is fixable in a matter of days. I think people just don’t want to face all that work.
Paula on 12 Jul 2009 at 2:49 pm #
CLAUDIA
we have a programme in the UK called Location, Location, Location in which house hunters are looking for a house in a particular area and the 2 presenters help them . I get so cross as they say what they want in a house and when they are shown houses that tick all the boxes they find fault with it! there are about 6 housey type programmes on Uk tv but some are fixing up homes.
We bought our house 10 years ago as it is the catchment for good infant and junior schools (aged 4-11 years) and it has a 100 foot long back garden!! We have done so much to it including extending it but still have a few things left to do.
Coraline on 21 Jul 2009 at 7:51 am #
In order to be on the show, you have to have already chosen a house and be under contract. “Deciding” on which house to chose is all fabricated.