What HGTV Doesn’t Tell You About Remodeling

An honest look at timelines, budget realities, and behind-the-scenes effort

If you have any interest in interior design or improving your own home, you’ve probably spent some time gaining inspiration through HGTV. With endless choices for every design style, HGTV will make any fixer-upper into a dream space in just half an hour. It’s binge-worthy, feel-good TV, but it’s not the full picture. Pre-production is removed entirely, costs are offset, and conflicts are staged or simplified. Between timelines, budgets, and effort, these are a few things you can expect from your remodel that HGTV won’t tell you.

The Timeline Myth

What you see: A multi-room remodel, completed in days or weeks with only a few small hiccups that never keep the co-stars from a timely reveal.

Reality: Designing, permitting, ordering, and construction all take time. A typical kitchen remodel alone may take 8–12 weeks (or more). On TV, the timeline is compressed to fit into a tight filming schedule. While the construction shown may take just a few weeks, pre-filming and putting together off-screen crews are never included in the timeline. The complete scope of the project is also rarely shown.

The Budget Illusion

What you see: A miraculous kitchen transformation for $20,000 that includes all new appliances, a larger layout, and gorgeous custom cabinetry.

Reality: Labor, materials, design fees, and surprise issues drive costs higher. There are many hidden subsidies on TV, like brand partnerships, discounts, and donated materials. Realistically, being on TV can be a great form of advertising for trade and general contractors. For that reason, people are willing to do work for significantly reduced costs if not completely free.

The Magic of Editing

Behind-the-Scenes Reality: Remodeling on screen often has large crews, multiple specialists, and involves 10 to 12-hour days. The contractor featured on the show isn’t even always the one doing the hands-on work. In reality, there’s a small army working behind the scenes to keep things moving so quickly.

What’s Often Skipped: Dust, delays, decision fatigue, and change orders. Demolition might make for good TV, but what you don’t see is the fine layer of dust that lingers for weeks, the surprise plumbing issues behind the walls, or the long debates over which paint finish works best. Remodeling is absolutely worth it, but the journey can be messy and mentally exhausting. Designs evolve, homeowners change their minds, and unexpected issues come up that require changes to be made. Unfortunately, these moments rarely make it into the final edit, because watching someone spend hours reworking a cabinet layout doesn’t make for action-packed TV.

Real Renovation is a Relationship

What You See: TV shows might wrap up with a high-five and an exciting reveal.

Reality: The remodeling journey is a partnership. How you feel when your project ends depends on more than a beautiful design. It’s affected by trust, clear communication, and shared expectations between you and your designer.

Inviting professionals into your home is a business relationship, but sharing your hopes and relying on them to bring your vision to life is much more personal. Questions should be welcomed, updates should be given regularly, and when the unexpected happens (and it will), your team should help guide you through it. From timelines, to product availability and building codes, a good remodeler balances creativity with practicality—and helps you do the same.

Remodeling is incredibly rewarding, but it involves real work, real decisions, and a real investment. HGTV is an excellent source of inspiration. It can help you discover your style and get excited about what’s possible. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. Designing and building a beautiful, functional space takes time, communication, and thoughtful planning.

What can you do to help this process go smoothly? Ask questions. Push for clarity. Look for professionals who don’t just talk about design but also the process. Find someone who listens to your goals, respects your budget, and is honest about what it will take to bring your vision to life