I love PB, but the scripted opening where they show the couple a house over their budget is irritating. I can't believe they're still doing this shtick seasons later. The whole point of the show is to renovate a house, not to see a couple buy a house that's move in ready. Everyone that watches and is on the show knows this. It's all so unnecessary.
shareMost people don't want to buy a house to renovate. They want everything they want in a move-in ready house. I imagine the people who signup for the show are the same. It is kind of stupid to keep showing it, but we get to see what kind of house the people signing up for the show want, plus it's fun laughing at them when the turnkey house winds up being way over their budgets. Just once I'd like to see one of them say "we'll take it" for the show house! lol
shareNot true. In order to appear on the show, the homeowners must already own the house. So the whole house hunting half of the show is a total farce. The budget is also a farce. The homeowners' budget must contain a 25% contingency, which is pretty much unheard-of (typically 10-15%). So when you see all this drama about a $5000 structural issue with a $100,000 budget forcing them to cut corners, it's just that...drama. Those corners were going to be cut anyway. They just have to give the homeowners something to get pissed off at Jonathan about.
At the end when they show the $7000 range or the $3000 sofa, do you wonder why didn't they put $5000 into opening up that wall or converting the fireplace instead? Those are the freebies they get that they aren't allowed to spend on labor.
It always seemed unlikely that all of those couples who had applied to be on the show were so unfamiliar with it that they were tricked by the overpriced house opening. Now (2018) it appears they have dropped that gimmick.
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