The show is dramatic, touching and unbelievable. But will the makeover magic continue once the cameras leave?
We read an article last night scribed by marketing expert and best-selling author Michael Port about the potential, long term effects of the bills, insurance, maintenance after winning ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. And the side effects may not be so heartwarming.
For reality shows in our genre, once the organizers leave a house, the support ends. TV viewers don't realize hidden crap is sitting inside the garage, around the corner, or in a truck down the street-- waiting to come back once the cameras leave. And the stuff DOES come back. And with no on-going support-- which is needed for the changes to stick.
Michael's concern about EMHE also rings true:
"How does the family afford the new house once they move in? It’s challenging enough for an average American family to move from a 1500 square foot house to a 2500 square foot house. The houses on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition go from about 900 square feet to 9,000 square feet or more. The heating and air conditioning costs alone will be 10 times (at least) what they were before their house was re-done. The property taxes may go through the roof if the property is re-assessed. And, how do the homeowners afford insurance on this new mega-house? In the new house, there are so many state of the art light fixtures that replacing light bulbs may even present a financial challenge."
Check out Michael's post here.
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