Thereโs no doubt that a large part of the appeal of The Block is the swift pace in which viewers get to see pretty spectacular transformations take place. But itโs easy to forget that itโs a TV show, and not real life. According to many trades, it has created unrealistic expectations of the renovation process; especially when it comes to timelines and budgets.
Matt Menichelli is the hipages tradie that worked with Tess and Luke on their winning home on The Block this year and he was also the builder behind Josh and Elyseโs winning home in 2017. We caught up with him to get his take on yet another โBlock-effect.โ
โI think viewers definitely get caught up in the glamourous side of renovating and forget about theย amount ofย time and hard work that goes intoย a project of that kind of scale,โ says Matt who nonetheless thinks itโs up to the viewer to be mindful of the editing process and to remember that ultimately the show is a piece of entertainment.
โThe onus is on the viewer to understand that it is TV and the production team arenโt going to showย allย the ins and outs of the renovation process. Their priority is keeping people interested and maintainingย an enjoyable and engagingย storyline,โ says Matt.
The Block vs real-life
According to Matt, the main difference between renovating in real life, as compared to renovating on The Block, is that trades are willing to work around the clock to get the job done, and suppliers provide materials on-time and within short timeframes.
โOn your average project, this isnโtย alwaysย the case. In reality, trades are often juggling multiple jobs and suppliers, butย the majority will try to manage your expectationsย andย work with you on a realistic timeline,โ says Matt.
Budget vs expectation
Another key area in which Matt has noticed a rather massive disconnect between The Block and real-life is when it comes to budgets.
โWe see a $250k cash budget onย The Block, and think that covers the entire build!ย In reality, thatโs solely for trade labour, and a few bells and whistles. Time and time again theย โbudgetย versusย expectationโย conversationย is the first one that needs to beย had when new clientsย reachย out to me,โ says Matt.
Mattโs top tips for renovating with reasonable expectations
- Have a budget set and from thereย createย a look book of inspirationย and styles youโve taken a liking too.
- Prior to pouring money into the design process,ย itโs important toย find a registered builder that can help in the preliminary stages of the renovation, rather than engaging a draftsman or architect who might design a project that isnโt within your budget.
- Be aware that the design and preliminary stages are arduous โ from working and structural drawings,ย to satisfying council requirements.ย Plan for this in your timeline.
- Donโt be naive about the multiple hoops youโll need to jump through to get the project off the ground.
- Learn what theย planningย process is in your area,ย so you can be mentally prepared and not be disheartened when six months passes, and your project is yet to start.
For more on hipages | Block buyer’s advocate: Renovating for your demographic
