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HGTV Life Versus Real Life

By: Lauren Oster

HGTV projects have their share of drama, but one can be reasonably sure that by the time the credits roll, everyone will be set to live happily ever after. The real-life versions of those screen stories are a bit less like fairy tales and a bit more like... comic books, let’s say. (That incorporates the goggles and the explosions nicely.)

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HGTV Life: A weekend project ends when the weekend does.

Racing against the clock is tiring, but we all know who’s going to win. On television, a DIYer’s work is done and dusted by the time Monday morning rolls around. Coffee and a book, anyone?

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Photo: Instagram user momofbobbi

Real Life: As Sunday winds down, the end is...somewhere.

Better to finish up later than to rush, right? Who needs a completely tiled and painted room to get through the week? Not this guy.

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HGTV Life: “Before” and “after” are a couple of steps apart, tops.

You rip out the stuff you don’t want, you install the stuff you do want, and then you throw a party to show your space to your friends and neighbors. It couldn’t be simpler, really.

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Real Life: Home renovation is a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' book (there are many paths, and more than half of them seem to end in weird accidents.)

Demolishing the bathtub reveals a bunch of poorly-installed plumbing that could cause your home to disappear into a sinkhole if you don’t redo the whole first floor! Do you A) sigh with resignation and tell your contractor to go ahead, B) buy a few sets of water wings and hope for the best, or C) take up permanent residence in a local hotel?