Home Renovation Reality TV

Turn the TV on and splash, a new group of castaways is being dropped off in the tropical waters lapping the sandy shores of the newest "Survivor" destination. A quick hit on the remote and your favorite world class chef is putting the final touches on a feast fit for a king, or at least your Saturday evening dinner guests. One more tap on the channel selector and the good old boys from the sunny south are dropping in a big block and putting the final touches on a prefect classic restoration. And it all happens in 60 minutes or less.

What does this all mean? It means that as a society, we have arrived. When we can take what was, our basic daily human challenges and turn them into nightly entertainment for the family, it must mean that we've got too much time on our hands. And hopefully this is a good thing as long as we remember that it's Hollywood who's telling the story.

It was only a generation or two ago that your favorite island castaway could have been one of your grandparents forging their way in a new land. And there's not one of us that couldn't be that culinary wizard if we also had 6 souse chefs doing all the prep work behind the scene. As for mechanics, we all know it can take half a day of fighting rusty nuts just to change a tire, so who's fooling who?

Well, as a home renovation specialist I don't know if I should feel excited or nervous that renovations have gone mainstream and caught their own little wave of Hollywood. Miracle makeovers, expertly planned and managed by your neighbor no less, completely created to your full satisfaction in less than 30 minutes. Or better yet, a classic restoration in the trendy part of town, trusted to a contractor who arrives at site on two wheels instead of four whilst never missing a hair appointment, nor ever getting his hands dirty. I still can't figure out where he carries the chop saw.

Then there's the newest and most popular angle - contractor bashing. It's a full contact sport. It all starts by picking the cheapest, most unreliable renovator we can find. We let him into our home just to ruin it. Then we call in the expert of all experts, the real deal, the guy with hulking biceps who's going to make life perfect before the end of the show all at no addition cost. It's almost too good to be true isn't it? Yes, it is too good to be true.

Folks, home renovations are one big complicated mess that usually take 30 days or more to complete, not 30 minutes. And what make the difference between a nightmare and a perfect renovation? Surviving the reality of reality, and that means proper planning and proper executions with no short cuts and no compromises.

How many of us go out and spend top dollar on that new car we've always wanted, or perhaps it comes in plasma and has surround sound, even yet it may be an all inclusive purchase with sun and sand thrown into the mix. No matter the spending option, price is not the decider, it's the fun factor that guides our spending habits, its' that lifestyle we so desperately seek that determines where our dollars do our bidding. Life's good, a good lifestyle is better.

So why is it that this same spending philosophy doesn't carry over to home improvement purchases? When is comes to adding on a new roof, new windows, that long needed bathroom or a perfect new kitchen, we want to squeeze out the lowest cost at the expense of all other project considerations. This is typically how we home improvement shop in North America and frankly, it makes no sense.

Your home will be the single biggest purchase you ever make in a lifetime and it will ultimately be considered your single biggest asset once the mortgage has been exhausted. So if your home is worth $350,000 and you're considering say a new bathroom at a cost of $17,500, this upgrade represents only a 5% investment in your single biggest asset. Sounds like a good business decision right? Then why do so many of us try to hammer the cost down by $500 or maybe even a $1000? We've seen what we want and its $17,500 but we keep looking until we find a willing renovator who can do it for less, that's how we author the script for our own reality show - stick out thumb and hit with hammer now.

The reality is: things really can't get done for less. You can always find a cheaper price, but rest assure, compromise and sacrifice will be the hallmark of the finished project. Ultimately your satisfaction of the renovation will be tempered by your disappointment in your choices.

So let's avoid this. Let's understand what it takes to enjoy a really good renovation. And let's look to make the right decisions all the while respecting the investment value of our home and the lasting value of the improvements we perform to it.

Contact Plumbing Mart at (905)275-0574 or online at www.plumbingmart.ca