Ha I mistakenly thought that I had been watching “Flip This House” when really it’s “Flip that House”. This shouldn’t really matter, it’s only one word right? However, there are shows by both names on different networks so it does matter. Anyways “Flip that House” is on TLC. It follows a different house flipper every episode (house flipping person? I never have learned the correct terminology for that). These people use their own money and make their own mistakes. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned:

1. Plan to go over on both your budget and time. This way you’ll still end up making enough money that you can turn a profit, get life insurance quotes, hire quality contractors for your next flip and save for the future.
2. Don’t over improve for the neighborhood.
3. Houses in California are still really expensive.
4. Keep things neutral so it appeals to all buyers.

I’m really amazed at what these people can do. Some of the structures look like they totally need to be torn down. There doesn’t even look like there is anything to work with but they always turn out beautifully in the end. I’m not enough of a risk taker for this line of work but it’s very admirable that some people can actually accomplish this.

It only seemed proper that I share a few of my favorite life lessons learned from Trading Spaces.

Frank Bielec is probably my favorite person in the world. He didn’t really have my design style but I just love how he interacts with people.

Laurie Smith will design a room according to what colors she personally looks good wearing. We wouldn’t want to clash with the decor now would we? (Granted, Laurie has never admitted this but watch the episodes and you’ll see what I’m talking about.)

Never tell the producers of a reality show what you don’t want to happen to your house. It will then happen to your house just to make for dramatic television.

Sure I can still see Geneive, Carter and Vern on HGTV but I liked them all better under the time constraints of a $1,000 budget and two day time frame. This was a show where a normal person could get actual design advice even if they didn’t have thousands of dollars to spend. I really feel like Trading Spaces help catapult the “DIY” home decorator movement that is now so popular.

Moving Up is a reality TV show on TLC. Homeowners get to go back and look at the renovations that people have done at their old places and usually insult them. Sometimes they totally change the purpose of a room like putting a pool table in a dining room. The biggest lesson I have learned from this show is that I will never let Douglas Wilson of Trading Spaces fame anywhere near my house. He is always doing something crazy. I’d make sure that all of my insurance policies were up to date and even get a better auto insurance quote just in case he wandered into the garage.

I’m ok with crazy; it’s just the disrespect I can’t handle. In one episode he pulled the flowers out of someone’s yard and then gave it to the homeowner when he first met them. In the grossest episode he was supposedly not wearing clothes in someone else’s hot tub. Talk about unsanitary. Eww. I’m sure he really does have some purpose, he used to be an ok designer and they really should showcase that.