The Non TV Remodel

I came home and flipped on the TV and tuned in that popular home improvement channel — yeah, you know the one…

Suddenly, I was transported to California, land of sunshine and perfect weather, watching house flippers discuss what it would cost to remodel a total wreck of a bathroom.

Now this bathroom was in a neighborhood of near million dollar houses, where granite was old school, a basic landscape plan would make even the fattest of wallets clamp closed in disbelief, and where the neighbors looked like Ken and Barbie—every last one of them.

They called in their contractor, authentically and reassuringly garbed in jeans and a t-shirt, met him at the door, and the viewers were treated to all the scripted non-scripted grunts and groans at every new discovery.

Finally, the contractor stands back, rubs his chin, crosses his arms, and with feet planted firmly on the warped subfloor of the trashed and flooded house, nods his head back and forth and pronounces it might cost up to $6,000. The flippers gasp, the camera cuts to private shots of the husband and wife team as they wrestle with this potentially budget-busting surprise, and then, the commercial break. Oh the drama, the intrigue, however will they do it?!

I clicked off the TV.

Did you know that just the tubs in houses like that can be more than $6,000? Forget everything else. Yet when people call to talk about their project, they seem to be convinced that any remodeler could recreate that TV miracle for $6,000. Well, actually even less, because we are in Wisconsin, and things should be cheaper here… right?

Wrong. Truth be told, I can’t figure out where they get their numbers. They are laughably unrealistic. That doesn’t mean that a lot can’t be accomplished in a bathroom with $6,000. In fact, you can have some major upgrades for a lot less, and if you are interested we can take a look at your home and let you know how much difference an investment like that can make.

But $6,000 won’t necessarily buy you that new TV-show bathroom complete with in-floor heating, a copper tub, a shower that threatens to drown anyone less than 6 feet tall, and the most expensive imported tile.

You see, what they don’t show you on those shows are the months and months of planning that go into creating the perfect space. And then they don’t show you the insanely talented and hardworking craftsmen that work around the clock to get it done in the TV studio’s time frame. And they really don’t show you the down to the pennies budgets that a real contractor works under.

We will show you, though. We take the time, we follow your budget, and we build to your specifications. It might not be done in 24 hours, and it might not be that special European tile, but we will also avoid the surprises, drama, and overall budget mystery.

Do you want a well-built, budget-responsible space designed just for you? Give us a call or drop us an email (.