You'll want to read this before swinging the hammer Reality television isn't just the provenance of singles looking for a mate, singers trying to best each other, and would-be or quasi-celebrities seeking attention. A good number of programs in this genre deal with another kind of elusive state: The experience of a perfect home renovation.
Like relationships and fame, renovations are seemingly made-for-television. We fantasize about them, dreaming of a beautiful home whose transformation is easy, fast, and affordable. According to the pros, the reality can be a lot grittier. We went to contractors around the country (all members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, or NARI) to help pull the veil off the process and reveal truths. Myth #1: Remodeling is Easy
Tom Miller of Tom Miller Remodeling in Portland, Oregon sums it up this way: "If remodels were easy, everyone would do their own." At the beginning of every project, he tells his clients that their kids and dogs will be the only occupants who miss the crews when they depart (children like the excitement, dogs enjoy the extra attention and treats workers sometimes provide).

"Reality television makes it look so simple. Major remodels are done in the space of 30 or 60 minutes while the homeowner is out. What the viewers don't see are the hundreds of people working on those projects 24/7 to make it happen," he says.
"The truth is that it takes longer than that, and that it...