16 Former Makeover Show Attendees Told Behind the Scenes and the Lies Told on TV

Renovating a property is often a big challenge for laypeople. Therefore, if an opportunity arises to participate in a program where everything will be done for free, many people take advantage of it. However, the behind-the-scenes of these makeover programs are very different from the reality shown on television, and many participants end up doing poorly.

we, from awesome.club, we found 16 reports from internet users, former participants of programs that promised to renovate the entire property and the story did not end very well. In the end, we also selected stories from people who were happy with the undertaking. Check out!

My sister’s room was renovated in a TV show. The architect wanted to create a romantic atmosphere inspired by “Arabian nights”, but the result was very strange and the cabinets were hidden behind several hanging fabrics. Within a few months, she had stripped it all down and repainted the room a neutral color. The show also removed the ceiling fan and replaced it with a giant tree branch with lights. A short time later, half of the lights burned out and the room was very hot without the fan. The good thing is that it didn’t cost anything and it was a fun experience. She got some new furniture, but in the end she kept nothing. © RealLivePersonInNC / reddit My family participated in a makeover program in the late 90’s when I was a kid. Three rooms have been renovated, including mine. It was all very beautiful, the decorators turned it into a fairy forest, made huge murals with trees on the walls and a starry sky on the ceiling. However, everything worked very badly: the murals on the wall quickly peeled off and looked horrible. I had fun filming the process and it was a cool story to tell my friends at school. © 14RainbowFish / reddit I was a participant in a reform program when I was younger. There was a clause in the contract that said, “If it doesn’t turn out as you wish, we’ll take away what you don’t like.” But renovation… practically none, and the quality of service was horrible. The clock they bought stopped working as soon as they left, a few days later the curtain fell on my head while I was sleeping. And that was it. At least I didn’t spend anything. Oh, and the renovation didn’t last three days, but a week. © KorAngar / pikabu

a friend of mine went designer of a TV show that made a dream home for those who acquired the first property and had little money to fix it. As for the cost of the renovation, it came from the program’s own budget or from the sponsors. The big secret is that only part of the rooms has been renovated. Producers don’t shoot from all angles and focus on the refurbished parts. Therefore, they only remade a part of the living room, and simply did not show the other half. Or they renovated 3/4 of the kitchen and didn’t touch the cabinets. The owners, who initially had little money to renovate, after the program had to clean up the mess and finish the renovation on their own. © Andrew Allen / quora 10 years ago, the plumbing and renovation company I work for renovated a laundry room for a television show. The participants chose a beautiful Moroccan floor that was in fashion, in a famous New York store, but the presenter decided that it would be better to fix the tiles on the floor without mortar… And the expected happened. Filming ended and a few weeks later we were called back to replace the floor, which was all cracked and dangerous to the structure, with a regular one. I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. © Awdra / reddit My friends participated in a show a few years ago. It was an intense three weeks of filming and the makeover looked great on the cameras. In fact, things were literally held together with staples and duct tape. After the show, my friend took two weeks off work to get everything right again. The curtains were stapled to the wall so had to buy curtain rods and fix. The show’s team ran out of time, so they only painted half of the wall, the other part, it was out of the camera angle. The decorator wanted square chairs that could be used as tables, but they were empty cardboard boxes wrapped in fabric. My friend liked the idea of ​​the square chairs, so he hired a carpenter to make them. They received some money from the show, however I believe they spent more. However, they loved the project, so for them it was a fun experience and they ended up getting the house they wanted anyway. © 12fingertips / reddit

Through a contact, a relative of mine participated in such a program. The renovation was done in two months, not in two weeks as advertised and they renovated only half of the apartment, they didn’t change the kitchen or the hallway. Most of the furniture, except the washing machine, had to be bought with their own money, although they said on TV that everything was given away. Also, the bricklayers left the kitchen door open, and the cat slipped away silently. Found two floors below. Thus, the renovation was free, but it cannot be said to be grandiose. For a little tidying up, he doesn’t have much to complain about. © Tubis / pikabu A friend, who has a house in the country, participated in a renovation program. They made a gazebo on the property. He said it looked nice, but it was made with boards and plywood, and it took a few months to complete. Afterwards, he was forced to reinforce the entire structure, fixing the joints with iron, for safety. It was then that I realized that these shows do more to look good on television than an actual makeover. © Exzil / pikabu

My sofa company was hired to participate in a famous renovation program and they promised to advertise our product. In the first show, our 15 seater sofa was shown for just 10 seconds and the company name was not mentioned, just briefly in the credits. On the second show, they mentioned our company while showing us our couch. That’s when disaster struck. Participants on the show were reluctant to trade in a second sofa because it had sentimental value, even though it was in poor condition. One of the presenters hit the couch and it fell apart. And for another 10 minutes of the program, the presenter kept talking about the low quality of that sofa. As they briefly mentioned our couch before that, all the viewers probably thought that the one that fell apart was ours. In the past eight years since the shows aired, I haven’t seen any evidence that a single customer has come to us because of the show’s publicity. © Jeff Frank / quora In my town, one of these programs did a home renovation. With the help of other residents, the process took only a week. As they worked in the dead of winter, the renovation was carried out in the rain and cold, and the result was not good. The owner contacted the program to have them fix it, but got the following response: “You got this for free, so do it yourself.” © shelbyrobinson / reddit My sister had her bathroom remodeled through a program. They merged two bathrooms into one, 1970s-style, with no shower stall, a bathtub whose faucet was on the ceiling, and marble sinks. All material was paid for by my sister, the program only covered the cost of the project and labor. The producers came in and said, “You need to buy these two sinks. Yes, each cost $1,500.” My sister continued the renovations and is now renting out the house. I believe the bathroom really impressed the tenants. However, it would be better to have two private bathrooms and a newly renovated house than a giant bathroom with a huge bathtub, a single toilet and two sinks. © ClownfishSoup / reddit

My cousins ​​participated in a home renovation program. In the renovation, they put luxurious finishes and expensive furniture, but it was impossible to use on a daily basis, because they had little practicality. When the cameras were turned off, the producers demanded that they pay for everything. Most of the decor and furniture had to be returned. © kuzcospoison77 / reddit We wrote a letter to the show. The renovation, in fact, was free, but what they did with an old living room is even strange to imagine. They installed brackets all around the room and hung dark reddish-brown curtains, on which they drew gold accents. In place of the shelf full of objects and decoration pieces, they put a wooden coffee table and a cage on top (we don’t have birds). In the middle of the room, a huge sofa covered by a velvet cover the same shade as the curtains and on the floor, Persian rugs. The scene of our entrance, completely in awe, was spoiled by my mother, who started to complain and then to cry. Then, at the end of the day, we re-recorded the “admiration” scene. My mother stood there with a serious expression, while my father and I tried to look happy. © avolkova0106 / pikabu

I had an idea: why not try to participate in these renovation programs as a designer? The decorator does not pay or receive anything to participate in the program, as does the resident. The renovation lasted from one and a half to two months, and the participant only saw the result at the end. Before starting the renovation, I delivered all the plans for the apartment to avoid problems with the construction company and not paralyze the process. Everything that looks simple and unpretentious is filmed several times, from different angles. Maybe the owner of the property will regret it in the future, but at that moment, I could see gratitude and joy in his eyes and words, it all felt very sincere. © nikita-zub / livejournal

My parents and I participated in a home improvement program when I was a kid. Producers choose to renovate their home if its story is touching, and keep everything a secret until the renovation is complete. About six or seven years before I was born, my mother had kidney failure. She was in the hospital, constantly sick and losing sight in both eyes. My father, like a true hero, decided to donate one of her kidneys. While it’s not uncommon for people to donate kidneys these days, back then it was a big deal, so their story came out in various newspapers and news. In the end, my parents got a makeover for our house. With the exception of the master bedroom, everything remains spotless after the renovation and we’ve lived in it ever since. I hope it stays that way for…