In the past, whenever someone wanted to have a home improvement project done or even a larger scaled renovation tackled, they found the most capable professional to handle all of the work. This was also true if they needed design or decorating help. That is not the case anymore, thanks to the several home improvement television programs that are on currently helping the viewers to do the work and projects themselves. This is even more true now, with the recession and homeowners needing to save their money by doing the work themselves. Whether it is installing a new bathroom with great tiling and bathroom lighting or designing a new art space in the newly finished basement space using progress lighting, the options are endless for the new generation of do-it-yourselfers.
One of the very first TV programs to show regular homeowners tackling a renovation and decorating project was a show called Trading Spaces. This had two families, usually next door neighbors that had 48 hours to completely redo one of the rooms in their neighbor's house with the help of a professional designer and carpenter. There had never been a show that showed non-professionals doing this kind of work before and how the designers taught these people how to do things in such a simplified way with great results. They also were given a low budget of only $1000 to do the room so not only did the projects have to be done by novices but they had to be less expensive too. This show alone inspired many homeowners to realize they too can do home improvement projects.
Trading Spaces then led to many other shows becoming popular showing the viewer a complete transformation in a short half hour segment. Many of the shows involved budget minded techniques that could be used like on the show Design on a Dime. This has professionals come into a space and completely transform it in one day for a tiny budget of only $500. The homeowners then return home to see how much could be improved for so little money and some creativity. The professionals talk through the way to do each project making it easy to understand for the viewer who probably has no experience at all.
Another helpful home improvement show that addresses how to make your home for sale more appealing and ways to get more money for the house you want to sell. This show is called, "Designed to Sell" and is very helpful to people watching at home because of the incredibly slow real estate market that is happening in the country right now. It takes a $2000 budget, a real estate professional to assess the home's initial value and a designer and construction crew to get the home ready for an open house.
All of these shows inspire home owners to not be afraid to take on these projects themselves in order to improve their homes. The information from these programs as well as help from home improvement stores has really empowered people in this area.