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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

37 replies

lessonsintightropes · 06/03/2014 22:04

Not sure if anyone else saw the one tonight where the team extended a 2 bed house into a 6 bed house for a bereaved Dad and his 6 kids. They did a fantastic job and it looked great, very tear-inducing.

I just wondered though if it's all a happy ever after? A friend of mine works in telly and used to work on that room makeover show with Linda Barker and the foppish guy - apparently about 6/10 people were mortified (with good reason - the finishes were pretty terrible in a lot of cases) and paid for the work to be redone.

AIBU to ask if anyone knows of a DIY SOS that ended up nicely? I am keeping my fingers crossed for Paul and his brood.

OP posts:
comicsansisevil · 06/03/2014 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cranky01 · 06/03/2014 22:09

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.

IceNoSlice · 06/03/2014 22:09

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?

Fifyfomum · 06/03/2014 22:13

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.

Amandine29 · 06/03/2014 22:15

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!

BackforGood · 06/03/2014 22:22

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.

Kippersbigfeet · 06/03/2014 22:29

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.

AnnieMaybe · 06/03/2014 22:30

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

Fifyfomum · 06/03/2014 23:08

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

Teeb · 06/03/2014 23:21

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

expatinscotland · 06/03/2014 23:31

'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.

Angiefernackerpan · 07/03/2014 17:27

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.

UriGeller · 07/03/2014 17:34

I can really imagine Nick Knowles getting his hands dirty mucking in.

foslady · 07/03/2014 17:50

I know one of the teams of guys working on last nights - they are a fully professional team who refurb as a business so the standard should be good. The big difference between DIYSOS and Changing Rooms is that Changing Rooms was done by the people living in the houses, DIY SOS appeals for firms to come and assist so get trained trades(wo)men in. If the work is to a poor standard it would be very bad publicity for them

Jenda · 07/03/2014 17:57

I think it should be good with the amount of tradesmen who help. Did think it will be a nightmare moving all the kids stuff back in though! They seemed really lovely kids on the episode last night

Damnautocorrect · 07/03/2014 18:10

I always wonder with the American one how they insure their new fancy houses and stuff once it's done.

The council tax here only goes up for the next owner when it's rebanded if I remember rightly. E.g a 2 bed house extended to 4. Owner will pay 2 bed house rate, when it's sold new owner pays on new value (presumably reflecting the 4 bed status)

expatinscotland · 07/03/2014 18:16

'The council tax here only goes up for the next owner when it's rebanded if I remember rightly. E.g a 2 bed house extended to 4. Owner will pay 2 bed house rate, when it's sold new owner pays on new value (presumably reflecting the 4 bed status)'

Plenty of councils, including ours, reband periodically no matter what the status, meaning if a tenant sat in the home is subject to the reband.

expatinscotland · 07/03/2014 18:17

We are tenants. Got our council tax bill in for the new fiscal year. We have been moved up a band.

OwlCapone · 07/03/2014 18:22

Might it be different in Scotland? Our house was rebanded once we moved in. The sale triggered the new valuation.

tripecity · 07/03/2014 18:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 07/03/2014 18:39

Don't think so, several friends in England got nasty shocks when their new council tax bills came in.

Oldraver · 07/03/2014 18:40

MY neighbours had the Big Boys/Girls lot in, they re did it all the day after they left.

It was funny watching them do the walking up the street thing in over 20 takes

MrsPnut · 07/03/2014 18:54

Council tax bands can't be altered until there is a material change, even after extensions or improvements. Expat - either the rebandings relate to work carried out prior to the property changing hands or they are illegal. The legistlation is very clear about what can and can't be done, besides which the council tax band is determined by the valuation office not by the local councils.

starfishmummy · 07/03/2014 19:05

There is some sort of register of houses and their council tax bands on them. If there have been improvements they may be marked with an asterisk which means that they will go up when they are next valued.

Our house has one

Nanny0gg · 07/03/2014 19:06

Even in the old DIY SOS programmes, all of them (except Nick Knowles) are proper tradesmen, and even he seems a really good DIY-er now after all these years.

And I'm pretty sure that at least in the Big Build ones, the designers talk to the homeowners first to see what they need/like anyhow.

There's a number of these houses I'd kill for.