It's all fun and games until the basement floods and a shower sprays into an electric
fireplace. These HGTV home renos should have been a dream, but they were a total nightmare instead.
had $75,000 left in their renovation budget and had already experienced disappointment thanks to
the previous contractor's shoddy work. Their home in Arlington, Texas, was mid-renovation,
and they needed help, so they turned to "Renovation Impossible" and host
Russell J. Holmes, who helps complete home renovations using cost-effective techniques.
Initially, the family was pleased with the changes, but after filming, they realized the
renovation was incomplete, and their home was left in a hazardous state. Onyon dug deep and spent
even more money to have some of the issues fixed, including a sliding glass door that wasn't bolted
on properly. After the show's contractor told Ron Onyon that repairs would cost them thousands more,
he took to social media to share the condition of his home. One of the most shocking features
was the shower head that sprayed directly onto an electric fireplace installed in their bathroom.
Onyon's posts inspired other previous guests on "Renovation Impossible" to speak out about the
issues they had to fix when their time on the show ended. Many walked away with financial distress,
advising people they should think twice before appearing on home renovation
shows. In light of the controversy, Holmes took to Instagram, posting:
"As far as the haters posting about things they only know one side of …… karma is a b----."
In the spinoff series "Flip or Flop Vegas," stars Bristol and
Aubrey Marunde took on house flipping in Sin City. The show only aired for three seasons,
and in its short-lived run, the couple caused some serious damage.
"I do have something that's going to kind of throw a wrench in that."
Billi Dunning and Brent Hawthorne purchased a home after seeing it listed online,
only to find out that it would be featured in an episode of "Flip or Flop Vegas." They
filed a claim that stated they were sold the home under false pretenses,
as the renovation left the property with defective remodeling and wasn't up to
code. They also stated that the necessary city permits weren't acquired during the renovation.
The couple also claimed that Bristol Marunde "was not and has never been a contractor
licensed in the state of Nevada or any other state at the time of the taping or airing of
the television episode," despite what the television series has stated. In total,
the lawsuit included 10 claims of fraud and misrepresentation. The case has since been
settled, but it would come as no surprise if a similar suit takes place in the near future.
Paul and Mindy King, a couple living in Las Vegas,
decided to appear on "Property Brothers" in 2019. The show, hosted by Jonathan and Drew Scott,
centers on finding fixer-upper homes for their guests, buying the properties, and remodeling
them into dream homes. In an interview with KTNV, Mindy King explained their expectations
were high after wiring $193,000 to Cineflex, the "Property Brothers" production company.
"Everything will be, you know, perfect HGTV quality."
"We've both done remodels before, so we thought, 'Oh, this is great.'"
While most renovations usually exceed expectations, the Kings were horrified
when they saw their new home. They reportedly had to film the reveal four times as they
struggled to show excitement, having immediately noticed many problems with their home. The Kings
noted that while many of the issues with the renovation were "cosmetic," like peeling paint,
poorly applied grout, and a bulging wall, others, like exposed wires, posed serious hazards.
Because the money was paid upfront, the couple felt "bamboozled and tricked." They filed a
lawsuit against Cineflex and Villa Construction, the company that did the renovation. The Kings
cited over 90 deficiencies and requested $1.47 million in damages. Ultimately,
only 10 issues were addressed by the Nevada State Contractors Board,
which ordered the show's contractors to repair damages worth $94,672.
"Fixer Upper's" starring Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate rundown homes in Texas and convince
their clients of the true potential in the properties. Kelly and Ken Downs were new to Waco,
Texas, when they opted to purchase a home for $35,000 and invest $215,000 in renovations.
They knew nothing of Waco, and when Joanna Gaines claimed to "take the
worst house in the best neighborhood and turn it into our clients' dream home,"
the couple was inclined to believe them. "Fixer Upper" was a success,
so there was no reason for the couple to doubt the hosts and their team of contractors.
When the renovation was complete, the Downs seemed happy. Filming wrapped,
and the couple settled into their new home, but after a drunk driver plowed through their house,
knocking down a couple of walls, they pointed fingers at the showrunners. Luckily,
nobody was injured, but this was not the first issue the Downs encountered
in their new neighborhood, citing loud noises, suspicious activity,
and an unsympathetic police department. In an interview with the Waco Tribune-Herald, Kelly
Downs dubbed the area "the Wild West" and said they felt "deceived" by the production company.
"I need you to do me one favor and slap me in the face with that. I mean do it kinda hard."
Flood Appeal
Cenate [SEN-uht] and Wendy Pruitt were excited to have their Atlanta home featured on "Curb Appeal:
The Block" in 2010. The show, starring designer John Gidding, focuses on renovating the exterior
of one home, then making minor adjustments to the surrounding properties to create
visual cohesion in the neighborhood. The Pruitts put $20,000 toward the remodel,
but sadly, the renovation left the house in a worse state than when they started.
Cenate Pruitt spoke to The A.V. Club about the maintenance and upkeep following their
time on the show. He said that nearly all of the flowers the contractors added to their
yard were dead in just a few months due to the Georgia heat. Pruitt added
that mulch from the beds would wash down the road during rain, saying:
"I would guess we ended up spending $1,200 to $1,500
a year hiring people to come in and clean it up."
The worst part, though, was the basement. The retaining wall was built around the door to
the basement to keep water out, but it had the opposite effect and trapped water inside when it
rained. Pruitt said he had to use a pool pump to drain the flooding at one point. The contractors
did return several times to try and fix the issue by drilling holes in the retaining wall,
installing French drains, and re-routing the gutter, but the problem persisted.
of the HGTV Dream Home Hilton Head Island, South Carolina!"
HGTV's "Dream Home" giveaway has received millions of applications
from viewers hoping to win a brand new fully furnished home, a new car, and
$250,000. There have been many winners, with the majority opting to take the
lump cash prize over their dream home or selling them quickly — and for good reason.
The tax bill associated with winning a multi-million dollar
home is too much for most of the winners to take on. Only six of
the past winners have been able to live in the prize home for more than a year.
It's estimated that because winners of the prize are responsible for federal
income taxes on the value of the property or improvements and state income tax,
which varies depending on the location of the home, they could end up paying
around 40 percent of the total value of their dream homes in just one year.
Additionally, when "Dream Home" winners sell their prize properties, they're often forced
to accept offers much lower than what HGTV claims the properties are worth. Winning
HGTV's giveaway sounds like a dream come true — at first. But unless you've planned what you'll
do with your winnings to a tee or you're already extremely well off, it can become a nightmare.
As with many HGTV "Dream Home" giveaway winners, the prize wasn't manageable for
Don and Shelly Cruz. In 2005, the couple won the network's grand prize of a multi-million dollar
6,000-square-foot mansion located in Tyler, Texas, a GMC Denali SUV, and $250,000.
They decided to move into the home but quickly realized their mistake when they
saw the electricity bill and other maintenance costs, which stacked up to thousands of dollars
every month. The couple also had to take out a bank loan to pay the hefty tax bill.
The dream was short-lived, as they were only able to live in the house
for three years. They were the first winners to attempt it. After threats of foreclosure,
they auctioned off the house in January 2008. In an interview with LiveAbout,
Don Cruz explained that despite all of this, he would do it all again in a heartbeat, saying:
"It's definitely worth it! What other sweepstakes can you win where you get
the big house, the furnishings, the Winner's Weekend, the car."
Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa entertained fans for 10 seasons with
"Flip or Flop." In the decade-long run of the home renovation series,
Hall and El Moussa searched for distressed and foreclosed homes, bought them, remodeled them,
and sold them for profit. While the dynamic of "Flip or Flop" was entertaining, the show
saw its fair share of controversy, much of which was fueled by the hosts themselves.
"I kinda get the concept that you're going for."
"Do you?"
"I do. I just don't think it works."
Hall and El Moussa were sued by a realtor from North Carolina who alleged that the pair stiffed
him on his wages. The plaintiff, who worked for El Moussa's company,
said he was hired to expand the "Flip or Flop" operation to the East Coast and scouted homes for
the show. Because he was never paid, he sued for $12,800 in back wages and $25,000 in commission.
This isn't the first time the stars faced backlash. The pair
has also been involved in endorsing a real estate seminar scam. Hall and El
Moussa were the faces of events that were advertised as free, although attendees were
pressured to pay nearly $2,000 to Zurixx, a real estate coaching business. The subsequent
lawsuit shed an unfortunate light on the show's stars, although the
"Flip or Flop" hosts continued flipping houses for profit for some time afterward.