to wonder what happens when the DIY SOS team goes home?

A woman I know had her kitchen done by the DIY SOS people, it is lovely! A very good job, they used proper tradesmen and apparently Nick Knowles did loads of work. I always assumed he swanned around doing nothing.

'That's awful. So you pay more tax on a nicer house if you live in America?'

You do here, too. Their version of council tax is called property tax and is based on the value of the property, same as here. The greater the home's value, the higher the band, just like here.

And, naturally, higher utility bills for more space.

You'd imagine a property that goes from a 2 bed into a 6 bed must go up the council tax band system too.

That's awful. So you pay more tax on a nicer house if you live in America?

I quite enjoyed the American show extreme home makeover until I learned that the repossession rate on the new homes sit at something as a high as 60% as the families can't afford the property taxes and utility bills.

I think the show pays them for a year then they are own there own and it's out of reach for many of the families that were helped on the show.

Many also can't sell as they are living in areas at the lower end of the property market and they end up running up new debts

Don't know about DIY sos but I have heard that some of the families on the American one Extreme makeover have lost their house afterwards because they can't afford the new increased taxes.

The thing with the DIYSOS 'befores' though is that they are usually in such a terrible state - or at least in a totally impractical living space, that, not liking the decor or whatever would just be a tiny spec on the wonderful change that has been made to the home, and peoples lives.

I've seen some old episodes of 60 minute makeover recently where the people hated the makeover (it was awful). If that happened to me I would have to paint over it ASAP (I wouldn't go on a show like that though - for that exact reason).

DIY SOS is more structural though, you can always change the paint but it's a bit harder to fix a dodgy wall or whatever!

I think DIY SOS is a totally different thing, rather than have a team of people who are paid to go in and quickly do a shit/temporary job for the camera, it is actually LOADS of trades people in one space who obviously work really quickly. I mean a carpenter will do all the door jams and doors and skirting in one room (for example) in a day so will do a whole house in a week or two, but if you have seven or eight carpenters you are going to get the same product but in a seventh of the time.

Totally different kettle of fish. Its all local tradesmen who want to help out the community for a day or so and then loads of randoms who they get to do things like lugging and shifting. I haven't ever seen them put in a crappy kitchen or anything like that, my husband is a tradesmen and he has seen them put in beautiful stuff. Its not made to fall apart like Changing Rooms was.

Changing Rooms it was called. Laurence Llwelyn Bowen.

Not surprised people had the work redone, it was all MDF. Painted lime green and lilac. But isn't DIY SOS more sturdily built?

I only saw the end, and the rooms where beautiful, but there was no storage for all the bits and bobs childrens have. So within days it would look a mess.