What happened to This Old House? omg

[chopped]

Just started watching this old house.
what a show. well interesting it sure has gone to ****.I must really be in the woods and the past. These people ideas of the average person are incredible.One show im watching is supposed to be a small cottage on a budget. I guess budget to me means something different than to them.I read somewhere that some of the people who have had the show do 'remodeling' have gone bankrupt because they were oversold. Not sure if this is true. but I see many places where they should have just dozed the house and start from scratch.
In the past it seemed like they worked along side the home owners but now they are just a star who shows up and talks a rehearsed part. perhaps they are busy off making the money to pay for the stuff?
Hpow have others found the show to have evolved. or is it just me?

 

[rekees4300]

How have others found the show to have evolved. or is it just me?

I always DVR the show. Skip over 95% and watch the 5% that has some value to the average DIYers.

 

[not2old]

I agree with you. I doubt that anyone who restores an old mansion has earned their money with their own two hands. My wife really wanted us to buy a onehundred year old house, but I refused. We ended up with a nearly new one that was ninety-eight percent finished and she now realizes that we dodged a bullit. Holmes on Homes regularily rebuilds houses where the owner would have been better off demolishing and starting fom scratch. He even admits to a few.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Yah I liked TOH back in the day... 20 years ago? It seems over the top now. They should call Millionaires Old House.

 

[chopped]

lol yes millionaire.. that might be even to low.lol I remember it coming on in 1978.. With Bob vila.

Yah I liked TOH back in the day... 20 years ago? It seems over the top now. They should call Millionaires Old House.

 

[Pilot]

Most of the shows feature houses that should be demolished, and remodeling costs a lot more per sq. ft. than building new. Most of the time they take the place down to the studs & start over. Recently they fixed up a rubble stone foundation that was falling apart and poured a concrete floor for a usable basement. I'm no expert, but I would have jacked up the house, torn out the rock and poured a new concrete foundation, floor & all.

A couple years ago they had some "expert" show how to fall a tree. The way he did it could get someone killed. Being a forester, I wrote to them to tell them what the guy did wrong and didn't get a response.

I still enjoy the show. Lots of neat stuff and I do learn useful things from "Ask This Old House".

 

[sixdogs]

Typical life cycle of these shows. As they get more prosperous they evolve into stuff only they like. It's a great opportunity for a start-up show with a back to the basics approach. Rehab Addict is one and the Canadian show with Brian ? are a couple. I think both are pretty popular and skip the $$ pipe dream stuff.

 

[Loadstar]

I have noticed it also. Should make a new one called "this not so old average house on a realistic budget with realistic goals" People are ridiculously naive about homes nowadays anyways. Home inspectors fuel the fire too. 99% of home inspectors do not know their **** from a hole in the ground. Credential-less useless clowns. So many home owners nowadays are so knowledge-less I wonder how they put their pants on in the morning.

 

[EddieWalker]

I haven't seen it in years, but used to really enjoy following them along as they rebuilt an old house. Then it changed and the sub contractors that they called in to do the work on the house became the stars of the show and each had is little segment where he was spending all his time selling a product. The plumber was selling a water heater, the framer was selling some sort of a tool, the landscaper was selling an irrigation system. It seems more like an infomercial then a home improvement show that I used to really trust, to something that was scripted to sell products.

Eddie

 

[HillStreet]

I used to really like the show but now it's turned into a bunch of specialty contractors and shops doing pricey products and services. Plus, a lot of their jobs are in expensive areas. Used to like Norm building things in his workshop.

I like a show called Flipping Boston, pretty entertaining.