Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 8 - (February 9, 2026)
In 2011, I
began hearing about HGTV/DIY’s series Rehab Addict. For people visiting
my jobsites in the West Ashley part of Charleston, it was as if I was an up-close
real-life example of the type of hands-on renovator they were seeing on the
popular TV show. I wasn’t exactly the same, but they saw me as more similar
than teams flipping houses at high speed.
The first
time I saw Rehab Addict, I liked it. And even if I didn’t have time to stop
and sit and watch, it was one of those shows that I could have on and listen to
as I did things around the house or took care of our kiddos. It was fun—jazzy music,
positive vibe, and a fast pace—and I liked the moments where I’d be nodding
along as I thought that’s how I do this or that if I was Nicole Curtis. The show
just made sense to me.
The host took
a cost-effective approach to the tasks with a find-a-way, make it happen sort
of attitude I felt sure would help aspiring renovators. And rather than tossing
good stuff in the dumpster and then spending time and money bringing in new, the
enthusiastic rehabber was salvaging the savable. This was a biggie for me. And
along with that she seemed quick enough without hurrying while commanding an
out-of-the-box problem solving style that I appreciated.
By 2012, Rehab
Addict had become insanely popular, and it was running in hourly marathon form
at all hours and days. We had it on around our house a lot there for a while and
one night, the Minneapolis based renovator said something that grabbed my wife’s
attention, with Diann responding, "She sounds like you. That sounds like
something you'd say!"
Diann
and I have teamed up on our own home, painting hallways or furniture, staining
a fence, and certainly plenty of yardwork. I'm sure that if we'd been able to
take on an entire house together, from scouring the market for a prospect and
then the steps in between leading up to closing day, we could have had
wonderful results as co-rehabbers.
Although she
watched some of the videos I recorded of the Hurricane House, my wife didn’t
really understand what I was doing each day. But watching or listening to Rehab
Addict, helped her get a taste of the enjoyment I tried to describe, what I
felt in bringing my own unwanted properties back to life. And that was more significant
than strangers seeing the similarities.
(Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 10 - Coming Soon)
