Who doesn’t enjoy watching an exhausted, run-down shack being transformed into a stylish, contemporary home, that somehow manages to come together within a couple of weeks and has a price tag that anyone can afford?? That’s what I thought!

Something the small screen fails to show it’s audience though, is the time, energy and cost required to renovate these homes. At certain stages throughout the renovation, inspections conducted by the local council are required to approve certain aspects of the project (this doesn’t just happen overnight).

And why is it that every time a team is renovating a kitchen, the turnaround for the benchtop and cabinetry is 3-4 days?? This can take weeks or months in the real world.

Whilst these home reno shows provide great entertainment and inspiration for everyone watching, they also provide viewers with unrealistic expectations of the industry. With clients now wanting things completed yesterday and at bargain prices.

It also allows clients to think that they know everything about renovating and building and some try to tell the builder how to do things or that they’re doing it wrong. You hired a builder for a reason so let them do what they do best.

Home renovation shows are great to watch and inspire people to refurbish their homes, (which is good for the industry as it helps generate business) but they do set up unrealistic expectations.