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Extreme Makeover

foodpainter

By foodpainter
in Triangle Coffee House

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Subway Scoundrel Hamlet

Subway Scoundrel

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I heard that Erik Cole and Eric Staal went down there for some filming.......... and with the Stanley Cup in town starting today, who wants to bet me that the Cup will also be on the show ??? Maybe give the workers a break and get to see the cup as appreciation for volunteering.

This could be really good for Raleigh !! I hope !!!

PS Don't tell anyone but I kinda get "misty" when I watch that show.

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foodpainter Unincorporated Area

foodpainter

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I think that, sadly, a killer renovation on this bungalow just wouldn't make for good tv. I agree with the article regarding the wasted energy and supplies that went into this teardown. But I have to disagree with this statement:

"Unfortunately, though teardowns may increase the value of land, they often reduce the value of neighboring homes. In this case, nearby houses might have been devalued by thousands of dollars during the last week."

You can't tell me the average-looking rentals on either side of this thing are worth LESS now than they were last week. I sort of figured that maybe the reason this particular house was chosen is it wouldn't look too out of place all pimped out, since homes right around the corner at Pilot Mill are pretty pricey, with one recently being listed at over 600k.

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carynative Whistle-Stop

carynative

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After seeing the finished product, I think they did a good job fitting it in to the neighborhood. I like it, and am sad the writer of that editorial called it a waste of money. I'm all for restorations and renovations, but I believe that this family deservingly got a house that is really going to help them out.

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ncwebguy Burg

ncwebguy

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I haven't seen the finished product yet (still waiting for the hubub to die down) but am torn as to if I would have preferred the teardown or a rennovation. There are plenty of downsides to both options.

With the rennovation:

- there is no way it could have been finished in a week

- the mainly unskilled volunteers would have been in the way and could not help.

- it is a lot less "dramatic" -- the vast majority of instant gratification Americans would rather watch "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" than "This Old House"

- ABC/Disney, material suppliers, etc. would have been a lot less likely to help finance a less "sexy" project.

With the teardown:

- the landfill is going to get a houseful of mostly good materials

- the historic feel of the neighborhood is slightly reduced.

- it increases the scope of "disposable" products to "housing", which shouldn't be the case.

- there are plenty of empty lots that the old house could have been moved to, but that takes time and wouldn't be as "cool" as demolition derby cars.

It sucks that Habitat for Humanity projects do not get similar support, but they don't provide national TV exposure... CAT buses do not provide free rides, restaurants do not provide meals, hordes of volunteers do not provide labor, etc. for families as deserving as the residents of the newest house on Poplar Street.

Update - N&O story on the completed house. The Riggins can't move in until the show airs January 21st??? Ugh. Where are they going to live till then?

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dmccall Burg

dmccall

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My only complaint with this show is that they tend to overdo the house. They put in Viking ranges and SubZero fridges, for example, which cost twice as much as really good, solid appliances of other brands. Of course, this stuff is probably donated to the project, just it just seems a little to dreamy and overkillish while some other family gets no help at all. I'd rather see them upfit 2 families to nice, passable non-glamorous conditions. That makes for boring TV, right?

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Jones_ City

Jones_

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"Unfortunately, though teardowns may increase the value of land, they often reduce the value of neighboring homes. In this case, nearby houses might have been devalued by thousands of dollars during the last week."

In the long run this is a correct statement. Historic fabric is huge for people who place value on historic structures. Briggs Hardware is less desirable all alone than if all the other Briggs up and down Fayetteville St were still standing. The handfull of Victorian houses left in the Blount St project are being moved to an area together on the property so that the proper neighborhood character is created and hence the value of the houses is increased. Infills in Oakwood face heavy scrutiny so as not to destroy the historic fabric of the neighborhood. Just because the house on popular was poorly maintained does not make the arguments less applicable. In 50 years this tear down will likely be judged negatively in regards to maintaining the 1930's integrity of the neighborhood. Houses built in the 1930's are very rare because during the depression there was little money to spend on that sort of thing. How about buying this family a lot in Pilot Mill and building new there? and donating the old house to Habitat or another organization.

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