Getty HGTV renovation budgets may not be accurate
A big part of any renovator’s job is to complete their work within the client’s budget. To turn a tight budget into a compelling television renovation, some HGTV hosts have to work very hard to find a balance between their client’s wishes for the space and what they know to be the best solutions for the budget.
In order to make sure their hosts are able to accomplish what they set out to do, many HGTV shows ask for a certain minimum renovation budget when casting new homeowners. This number varies from show to show, though many shows ask for at least $50,000.
In recent years, however, the budget requested may not be the total spent, and the total amount a homeowner spends on their HGTV renovation may not reflect the true price of the same renovation without the cameras around. Keep reading for everything you need to know about an HGTV show’s renovation costs.
Renovation Costs May Be Higher Than Homeowners Expect
Different HGTV renovation shows ask for homeowners to come with different minimum renovation budgets to ensure that their hosts are able to deliver some renovation magic fit for the small screen.
Jasmine Roth announced her show “HELP! I Wrecked My House” season 3 casting back in February of this year, which called for a minimum budget of $75,000. HGTV’s latest “Love It Or List It” casting call is no longer active, but it called for the same minimum budget.
The production company High Noon (which has worked on fan-favorite shows “Fixer Upper”, “Good Bones”, and “Why The Heck Did I Buy This House?” to name a few) has two active HGTV renovation show castings. One looking for San Antonio, Texas homeowners with at least $75,000 to spend, and the other is looking for Plymouth, Massachusetts homeowners with a budget of at least $125,000. Another Massachusetts-based farmhouse renovation show, this one led by Jonathan Knight, is seeking budgets of at least $150,000.
Drew and Jonathan Scott are now casting for their show “Property Brothers: Forever Home” in Los Angeles, and are calling for budgets of at least $180,000 to begin work in 2023, but their casting call notes that production costs may extend beyond what homeowners initially expect, saying the following:
Residential renovation costs are at an all time high, and the construction industry as a whole has seen unprecedented increases to both product and labor costs – in part due to the ongoing pandemic. Pre-pandemic, the average ‘Forever Home’ renovation cost anywhere from $100k-$175k, but in 2022 these same projects have been quoted as $200k-$250k. We want to make sure our families are aware of this new reality before making the exciting (but big) decision to renovate their forever homes.
While these numbers represent a great increase in costs for on-screen renovations and reflect ongoing supply chain issues that have affected the construction and renovation industries for the past few years, they still may not add up to what the same renovation work costs outside of the shows.
HGTV Renovation Budgets Can Paint False Picture For Viewers
While most HGTV shows present a clear view of how the hosts are able to complete their renovations on time and on budget, Insider reports that the network “doesn’t typically stay within the budget homeowners provide,” and can present a false narrative to viewers.
HGTV confirmed to Insider that the network “pays for some labor or costs to expedite production if needed, but generally, homeowners are paying for their services. And, they may have access to discounted services or goods.”
This information is not presented to viewers, so while the homeowners on the show may be getting a percentage discount on certain work or furnishings in exchange for television exposure, viewers would have to pay full price for the same services.
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