Extreme Home Make Over...Pretty Cool!!!!!!!

[WaltD4Me]

So I haven't really been able to say much, but my brother, who is a commercial photographer, is going to be taking pictures for Extreme Home Make Over tomorrow morning when they surprise the family! They call it "the door knock" He does work for the construction company that is building the home and they are allowed to bring one photographer and one video guy to shoot everything. After that he has a pass to go take pictures of the work being done at anytime. They work round the clock, the construction company has 106 hours to finish the house. They say 7 days, but the construction company is actually only given 106 hours before they have to turn the keys over. They have also asked him to take pictures on Move that Bus day. We are all so excited! I can't wait to hear all about how it goes tomorrow. I can't say where it's going to be yet, but he is meeting with the whole cast and crew for a breakfast meeting before they go out to the house. Is that cool or what?!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

That's very cool. I'd be interested to hear how it goes. The surprise has always looked so fake to me. I mean, it just so happens that the whole family is home and by the front door when the crew gets there? Or is it the magic of television?

 

[WaltD4Me]

That's very cool. I'd be interested to hear how it goes. The surprise has always looked so fake to me. I mean, it just so happens that the whole family is home and by the front door when the crew gets there? Or is it the magic of television?

I told him to get the scoop on this for me. I've always wondered about it too. I mean no one is ever in the shower or anything when they show up. My brother said though that as of right now they family does not know they were chosen.

 

[mishasmom]

I think I've read that they tell the family that they are finalists along with some other families, and that they all need to be present and ready at the time when they make the announcement. That is when they do the door knock.

 

[LilGMom]

They are coming to my area of NW Florida next month and I'm trying to convince the powers that be at work that it would be good PR for us to provide a bunch of HVAC workers, carpenters, etc. I'm hoping to be able to take a few hours off during the week to volunteer and hopefully the Saturday that they'll be finishing up.

 

[weswife]

Congrats!!!!!! I enjoy that show! I am always so happy for the families! I can't wait to hear the details!!!!!

 

[TSWJan78]

That's great!!! I have a friend who ran all of the cable for a house a few years ago... he told me the door knock is done by telling the family they are coming by for a final interview and have already talked to any clos e neighbors to get there permissions too. Can't wait to hear how it goes!!

 

[tlcoke]

I think I've read that they tell the family that they are finalists along with some other families, and that they all need to be present and ready at the time when they make the announcement. That is when they do the door knock.

When EHM was in Louisville a couple of years ago for the Hughes Family. I heard on an interview with the Hughes, that the show notifies 3 finalist families in the area that they may have been selected and they basically are instructed to wait a home for the "knock" on their door, telling them they are the chosen family. During the one in Louisville, they transformed a band practice field on the University of Louisville Campus as well as build the house. They had to work out the details in advance with the University for the add-on project. I went to the filming of the reveal for the Practice Field - 4 hours of standing in the drizzling cold rain.

 

[HillPete]

A high school friend of mine (and her family) are finalists for this episode (they live in Parma)! They launched a huge Facebook campaign to get on the show and we have all been sending in emails and signing petitions for over two years. I hope they got picked!!

--Hillary

 

[EDuke98080]

My daughter and I volunteered to work when they did a house in CT a year ago. We did a night shift in the mud because it rained and rained and rained that week. We did food services to begin with, serving the construction workers and then helped unloading building materials into the house. We really enjoyed our experience and met some nice people. I would recommend it if anyone ever gets the chance, it was great to help out a family in need.

 

[Cherinva]

That's wonderful...I like that show..don't watch as much as I would like, cause I'm the only one in the house that likes it.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'm talking to my brother right now, he is in the caravan on the way to the house. He got to go on their bus this morning and meet Michael the designer guy. He said he is super nice.

 

[WaltD4Me]

A high school friend of mine (and her family) are finalists for this episode (they live in Parma)! They launched a huge Facebook campaign to get on the show and we have all been sending in emails and signing petitions for over two years. I hope they got picked!!

--Hillary

I'm soooooooooooooooooooo sorry. They are not in Parma.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

So, they make the other finalist families sit home and wait by the door, and no one shows up?

 

[LilGMom]

I'm talking to my brother right now, he is in the caravan on the way to the house. He got to go on their bus this morning and meet Michael the designer guy. He said he is super nice.

That is cool! I think it would be really neat to be there when they greet the family for the first time.

 

[princessbride6205]

The company where my husband works was asked to make and then travel to install some cool components for the house (of course I can't say what or where). I'll be excited to see the episode.

 

[WaltD4Me]

For those around Cleveland. The home is in Maple Heights. The family is a mom and dad with two sons. Mom and dad are both blind and their younger son is deaf. Dad is a social worker and mom is going to graduate school. They sound very deserving of the make over. The home they are going to build is going to be 3,000 square feet! The houses on either side of the home are vacant, so maybe they will be knocking two houses down tomorrow morning. I might be going to the demolition. Not sure yet.

 

[HillPete]

I'm soooooooooooooooooooo sorry. They are not in Parma.

I heard. As it turns out, Michele's husband is doing some work for the house that did get picked, so at least he got a job out of the whole thing!

--H

 

[WaltD4Me]

Just got back from the home site. We got to see them film the volunteer walk down the street to house and the family boarding the bus before they go on their vacation. It was interesting to watch everything and see all the trucks and equipment! Four streets are just full of trucks from one end to the other. I'm glad I don't live around there, it's going to be a looooooooooooong week.
Here's a pic of Ty and the design crew in front of the bus.

 

[pwdebbie]

I was able to volunteer on a makeover and it was a wonderful experience. I never actually saw the inside of the home, I did mostly food service and odds and ends work outside.

However, our whole town knew weeks ahead of time about the family being chosen so there was no way that the family didn't know. I drove past their house just an hour or so before the door knock and the man was standing outside in the road obviously waiting for someone. And it was obvious that they'd cleaned the place up a bit over the previous few days. Groups of folks were waiting throughout the town to watch the bus roll in. Even that was exciting.

What wasn't exciting is that us locals were NOT allowed to be anywhere near the site until the house was torn down. Lots of security onsite to keep people out. Only the builder's selected friends and family could be in that volunteer march or watch the demo. Many unhappy folks here because of that.

But once we got past the first day's activities, it was great being there and helping. Technically I was only supposed to be there for one shift but I had this friend of a friend who got me a pass to come and go as I pleased so I popped over every day. The security people got to know me real well.

Think about it -- the family has to know ahead of time. They can't just take off work or be pulled out of school without some advance planning. I do think that most of the time their emotions are real because when Ty shows up then they know good things are going to happen. I've seen a few where it was obvious that the door knock was filmed several times but there are other shows when you can just tell the emotions are real and not rehearsed.

But anyway, back to the topic at hand -- I'm so glad you are getting a chance to volunteer and I hope you have an awesome time.