Tonight's Extreme Home Makeover...

[okeydokey]

Oh and Clara is now offering tours of her house for $100 per person to be donated to the kids...

The local news is going nuts about how this was Erie television history...

Wow, $100 tours. That just seems wrong somehow.

 

[wdwfan16]

I only saw the first half.

Honestly, I look at the show with a different perspective than I did in the beginning. Things are not always as they appear on the show. I used to think it was just great when they went in and helped fix up the old houses. Now they tear everything down and build huge monstrosities that are completely out of place in their neighborhoods. I sometimes find their choices in families to help a little questionable. It really bugs me when they show people living with their children in complete filth, yet they're able to feed the entire neighborhood.

ITA with you. I am finding myself getting annoyed at the stupid rooms thaty make for the families. I did not watch last night.

 

[Metro West]

I am finding myself getting annoyed at the stupid rooms thaty make for the families. I did not watch last night.

I think it's cute for the kids to get these rooms now...but when the child gets older they are stuck with the decor and it's time to paint or completely redo the room...which may or may not be an easy thing to do. I wish the design crew would keep that mind.

Wow, $100 tours. That just seems wrong somehow.

Agreed.

 

[PatsMom]

I was pretty shocked at last night's show. Not so much the main story of Clara as the three kids that they chose for room makeovers. Those kids rooms were filthy. Filth has nothing to do with poverty! Piles of clothes, not even folded. I can see not having closets, bureaus, etc. I've lived in places that had no closets and couldn't afford furniture. But the clothing was neatly folded and piled up or hung from a nail on the wall!

As someone mentioned, those families needed life skills, not new bedrooms.

 

[freepixie]

The families do know ahead of time about the makeover - it hit the local news last March that a family in our town had been selected and everyone was buzzing about who it could be, then in April they announced it was Clara's house and they filmed it in June.

Thanks everyone for your feedback, glad to know we weren't the only ones thinking it was really strange show!

 

[freepixie]

I was pretty shocked at last night's show. Not so much the main story of Clara as the three kids that they chose for room makeovers. Those kids rooms were filthy. Filth has nothing to do with poverty! Piles of clothes, not even folded. I can see not having closets, bureaus, etc. I've lived in places that had no closets and couldn't afford furniture. But the clothing was neatly folded and piled up or hung from a nail on the wall!

As someone mentioned, those families needed life skills, not new bedrooms.

Exactly - the rooms being in filth is many times just a personal choice for people - I have worked in inner-city programs for the last 7 years and have been in houses of very poor people - most of them kept the house clean and neat and in order. The ones living in filth usually choose that lifestyle - its a shame for the kids and our programs try to help them make better choices in housekeeping but we can't totally change their lives, they need to make an effort as well.

 

[mickeylove2]

I didn't see that episode but if it's anything like the episode that they filmed in my hometown...nothing would surprise me! When they came to Maryland, the family that they selected was made out to be a loving family who had just lost the dad and the mom ran a handicapped theapeutic equestrian center that was non-profit.

Well, the parents had separated years ago due to the dad's drug and alcohol abuse and many affairs, he died from liver complications. The farm was ran as a for profit, charging $35-$50 each half hour lesson. The house that they lived in before construction was only 15 years old and right across the street from the farm, it was so disgusting, filthy and rundown that it looked like it was about 50 years old and that was just because they didn't do any upkeep on it. The kids were spoiled brats to say the least.

The new house that was built was put in the middle of the horses pasture and is about 5 times the size of the old house. The son's room had a space shuttle simulator installed, the kid has never wanted to train to be an astronaut! They also helped him retore an old car that was given to him. The mom charges $50 a person to tour the property, to help offset her taxes. She also will host a dinner party for you for $$$$ on property.

The barn was fixed up, a little but not much- in my opinion that's what needed the most attention. The horses on her farm are all donated to her and she takes a lot of older and neglected horses, but will buy horse for herself and daughter for thousands of dollars. She didn't want the old house torn down becasue she was going to donate it to use for less fortunate persons, I can't remember the exact usage that it was supposed to go for, but needless to say she decided to rent it to a family that she knows for $1000 a month, her profit.

I know all of this 1st hand because as a teenager, I babysat her children for 3 years, I worked on the horse farm, and also rode there for 7 years, and I used to take my children there to ride...I stayed pretty close to the family until all of this happened, now it just makes me ill to think about others in my community that could have used that help and didn't get it.

 

[PixieDust32]

I didn't see that episode but if it's anything like the episode that they filmed in my hometown...nothing would surprise me! When they came to Maryland, the family that they selected was made out to be a loving family who had just lost the dad and the mom ran a handicapped theapeutic equestrian center that was non-profit.

Well, the parents had separated years ago due to the dad's drug and alcohol abuse and many affairs, he died from liver complications. The farm was ran as a for profit, charging $35-$50 each half hour lesson. The house that they lived in before construction was only 15 years old and right across the street from the farm, it was so disgusting, filthy and rundown that it looked like it was about 50 years old and that was just because they didn't do any upkeep on it. The kids were spoiled brats to say the least.

The new house that was built was put in the middle of the horses pasture and is about 5 times the size of the old house. The son's room had a space shuttle simulator installed, the kid has never wanted to train to be an astronaut! They also helped him retore an old car that was given to him. The mom charges $50 a person to tour the property, to help offset her taxes. She also will host a dinner party for you for $$$$ on property.

The barn was fixed up, a little but not much- in my opinion that's what needed the most attention. The horses on her farm are all donated to her and she takes a lot of older and neglected horses, but will buy horse for herself and daughter for thousands of dollars. She didn't want the old house torn down becasue she was going to donate it to use for less fortunate persons, I can't remember the exact usage that it was supposed to go for, but needless to say she decided to rent it to a family that she knows for $1000 a month, her profit.

I know all of this 1st hand because as a teenager, I babysat her children for 3 years, I worked on the horse farm, and also rode there for 7 years, and I used to take my children there to ride...I stayed pretty close to the family until all of this happened, now it just makes me ill to think about others in my community that could have used that help and didn't get it.

OMG!

 

[stashbin]

I watched last night and I thought the house was beautiful. I think what these people are trying to do is a wonderful thing...however, I don't think that such an enormous, extravagant house was needed for what she is doing. Just looking at the filth from her previous house indicates to me that she is not able to keep up a house and so just a normal (not over the top) house would have been a better choice for her. I would have liked to see the show makeover more houses with less fluff in them than see such an over-the-top house given to one family.
Someone before mentioned that by the time they heard "for the children" 50 times that they were skeptical...well I have to agree with that..especially since she is now charging 100 dollars to tour the house.

My sister and her family live in a very old almost condemned house. They can not afford to fix the damages from the hurricane (the insurance money wasn't enough to cover all of the repairs). They don't have a disabled child or have a sad story...they just could use a little help. I would love to see someone like them get helped....just average people struggling to make it with an old house that needs an overhaul.

 

[PixieDust32]

I watched last night and I thought the house was beautiful. I think what these people are trying to do is a wonderful thing...however, I don't think that such an enormous, extravagant house was needed for what she is doing. Just looking at the filth from her previous house indicates to me that she is not able to keep up a house and so just a normal (not over the top) house would have been a better choice for her. I would have liked to see the show makeover more houses with less fluff in them than see such an over-the-top house given to one family.
Someone before mentioned that by the time they heard "for the children" 50 times that they were skeptical...well I have to agree with that..especially since she is now charging 100 dollars to tour the house.

My sister and her family live in a very old almost condemned house. They can not afford to fix the damages from the hurricane (the insurance money wasn't enough to cover all of the repairs). They don't have a disabled child or have a sad story...they just could use a little help. I would love to see someone like them get helped....just average people struggling to make it with an old house that needs an overhaul.

Exactly! They could help more families

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I have stopped watching the show so I can't comment on this weeks. I do want to say though that Extreme Homes came into Buffalo a month or so back. They re-did a house and it is definetely NOT over the "top" on the outside. Can't comment on the inside until the show. They also did quite a few fixes on the street and many of our revitalization groups showed up for the "whole" neighborhood. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and that ABC now gets what should be done and not just creating show house...

Now, like I said, I have seen the outside, and have heard good stories about the revitalization of the street, but I reserve to change my mind after the show...

 

[stashbin]

I didn't see that episode but if it's anything like the episode that they filmed in my hometown...nothing would surprise me! When they came to Maryland, the family that they selected was made out to be a loving family who had just lost the dad and the mom ran a handicapped theapeutic equestrian center that was non-profit.

Well, the parents had separated years ago due to the dad's drug and alcohol abuse and many affairs, he died from liver complications. The farm was ran as a for profit, charging $35-$50 each half hour lesson. The house that they lived in before construction was only 15 years old and right across the street from the farm, it was so disgusting, filthy and rundown that it looked like it was about 50 years old and that was just because they didn't do any upkeep on it. The kids were spoiled brats to say the least.

The new house that was built was put in the middle of the horses pasture and is about 5 times the size of the old house. The son's room had a space shuttle simulator installed, the kid has never wanted to train to be an astronaut! They also helped him retore an old car that was given to him. The mom charges $50 a person to tour the property, to help offset her taxes. She also will host a dinner party for you for $$$$ on property.

The barn was fixed up, a little but not much- in my opinion that's what needed the most attention. The horses on her farm are all donated to her and she takes a lot of older and neglected horses, but will buy horse for herself and daughter for thousands of dollars. She didn't want the old house torn down becasue she was going to donate it to use for less fortunate persons, I can't remember the exact usage that it was supposed to go for, but needless to say she decided to rent it to a family that she knows for $1000 a month, her profit.

I know all of this 1st hand because as a teenager, I babysat her children for 3 years, I worked on the horse farm, and also rode there for 7 years, and I used to take my children there to ride...I stayed pretty close to the family until all of this happened, now it just makes me ill to think about others in my community that could have used that help and didn't get it.

See...That is what makes me so mad. Just pick normal families with normal problems and stop trying to make such a sob story of their situation! Seriously, there is a builder in my state that builds beautiful houses dirt cheap ( they are kit houses but very nice) and the money they put into ONE family trying to make it a sob story, they could build 15 or so of those normal houses and help MANY!!!

 

[VillageMama]

...and the money they put into ONE family trying to make it a sob story, they could build 15 or so of those normal houses and help MANY!!!

I understand what you are saying but I think that you are wrong. This is not a charitable project. This is a chance for Big Businesses to showcase their products and their "generosity".

If the show's producers didn't arrange for one Extreme Makeover, there would be no makeovers. It's not like this is a private company squandering their money on one grand house versus several modest homes.

It is not compelling television to watch fifteen modest homes being remodeled. So these businesses will either be supporting an EXTREME MAKEOVER or there will be no makeovers at all. It's all about television and advertising.

 

[mickeyboat]

I understand what you are saying but I think that you are wrong. This is not a charitable project. This is a chance for Big Businesses to showcase their products and their "generosity".

If the show's producers didn't arrange for one Extreme Makeover, there would be no makeovers. It's not like this is a private company squandering their money on one grand house versus several modest homes.

It is not compelling television to watch fifteen modest homes being remodeled. So these businesses will either be supporting an EXTREME MAKEOVER or there will be no makeovers at all. It's all about television and advertising.

It is about the advertising, true. And only the big name players got any advertising. I didn't realize this until I went to the build, but local contractors and small contributors had the names on their vehicles duct-taped over.

 

[luvsJack]

It is about the advertising, true. And only the big name players got any advertising. I didn't realize this until I went to the build, but local contractors and small contributors had the names on their vehicles duct-taped over.

I wondered about that. My dd's bff's mom was one of the painters for the house they just did here. She is really struggling right now and could have used the free advertising. Giving of her time for that house was a real sacrifice for her, its a shame she won't get any recognition for it.