Magnolia Network pulls show after homeowners expose renovation nightmares

When Aubry Bennion’s kitchen renovation course of action started in October 2019, she experienced substantial hopes. It was the very last big project in her Bountiful property, which she bought a year before.

Bennion was informed the renovation, which would be captured on film for a tv demonstrate, would very last a handful of months and price close to $20,000.

On the other hand, she explained individuals hopes before long gave way to worry, anxiety and larger costs.

Bennion is just one of a handful of Utah people talking out on social media and sharing how Candis and Andy Meredith, a Utah couple guiding the tv demonstrate “Home Get the job done,” remaining them hanging. The display was established to debut as element of the new Magnolia Community, the brainchild of “Fixer Higher” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, which officially released last Wednesday.

Magnolia Community president Allison Web page declared on Friday that the network was getting rid of the exhibit from their lineup.

“Magnolia Community is knowledgeable that certain home owners have expressed fears about renovation projects carried out by Candis and Andy Meredith,” Webpage explained. “Within just the past day, we have discovered more details about the scope of these challenges, and we have resolved to clear away ‘Home Work’ from the Magnolia Community lineup pending a critique of the statements that have been designed.”

The show under no circumstances aired on Magnolia Network, in accordance to the firm’s Television plan, nevertheless it seems episodes ended up out there to stream through the Discovery+ company. As of last Friday, a web site with details on the display had been taken off from Magnolia Network’s internet site. Prior to its elimination, 13 episodes of the Television demonstrate ended up readily available for streaming.

In spite of the Magnolia Network’s attempts to scrub their internet pages of the clearly show, a article on Instagram that includes the Merediths was still energetic as of Friday. The post — which characteristics the Merediths in the Sanpete County dwelling they renovated as component of the clearly show — has many responses from men and women who assist Bennion and some others who have also instructed their dwelling renovation tales on social media.

How it began

Bennion experienced identified the Merediths for a couple several years soon after conference them at a Diy Network start party, and the three stayed in contact more than the many years. Right after Bennion acquired her Bountiful dwelling, the notion of the a few collaborating on a job was a no-brainer, in particular with the prospect of the television series, she told KSL.com.

When they satisfied to talk about the job, Bennion claimed she nervous that a total kitchen area renovation would expense all around $50,000 — a selling price tag she could not pay for. However, she said she was reassured it would charge considerably significantly less.

“Candis explained, ‘Oh gosh, we can do it for 20 (thousand),'” Bennion informed KSL.com. “In my wildest aspiration it didn’t seem doable for $20,000.”

Candis Meredith experienced been purchasing and renovating households considering the fact that she was a young adult. She later on achieved and married Andrew Meredith and the two worked collectively on many projects, which includes the HGTV system, “Old Property Really like,” which debuted in 2015. At that position, the pair advised Individuals magazine in Oct they failed to imagine they’d ever do Television once more.

That was right before the Magnolia Community attained out with a new strategy to host a new variation, beginning with the Merediths’ renovation of a 20,000 square-foot schoolhouse into a property for their big, blended household, as properly as renovations for other Utah households.

The concept that Magnolia was powering it psyched numerous of the show’s future home owners, together with Bennion. She even wondered if the addition of tv income intended distinctive benefits like a rate crack or cost-free labor, but the rate appeared like a offer way too excellent to move up. She reported she was informed the gutting and transform would past 3 months, starting up in October 2019, so the task went in advance with a price range of $25,000.

Even so, construction persisted by March.

Bennion said there ended up extensive stretches of time devoid of operate remaining performed on her kitchen or hearing updates from the Merediths. She obtained a financial institution transfer request Thanksgiving early morning in 2019, for fifty percent the meant budget — $13,000. She fortunately compensated the request, she reported, as it was the to start with time the Merediths experienced questioned. Bennion mentioned she later discovered that the few had made the request from their getaway place in Paris. She expressed she experienced also been frustrated that the remodel was in its sixth week, nevertheless only a handful of doing work days were being used in her household.

At just one position, Bennion claimed the Merediths proposed an thought to knock out a window for a door leading to a manufacturer new deck in her yard, when also moving an egress window close to her back doorway. Bennion’s to start with concern was about the price, and she was confident it was in the budget. She eventually authorised the deck, but the suggestion finished up decreasing her residence price, she stated, and would need a costly resolve.

She later learned that the deck was constructed on best of current sod and sprinklers in November. When spring rolled all over, and she approximately averted flooding in her basement, Bennion noticed that the development crews experienced changed the leveling of her lawn. Fixing the drainage difficulty, she said, would finally charge her $18,000 — lengthy following the renovation crews have been gone.

Just after a late crunch to complete her kitchen area, building crews designed the kitchen area digicam-prepared, even though extra operate was desired to make the kitchen practical. The final day of filming was the final time Bennion spoke with Candis Meredith in human being, she reported. The footage of Bennion’s dwelling would finish up not staying used.

Months following the construction was completed, there ended up continue to additional costs. A flooring company informed Bennion that they experimented with to call the Merediths about an unpaid flooring monthly bill, and the last possibility they had available was to place a lien on Bennion’s residence. So, she paid the bill.

In the close, Bennion only compensated the Merediths the $13,000, but the fixes to her lawn considerably exceeded her beforehand recognized spending budget of $25,000. She also procured her possess appliances for the renovation, which expense all-around $6,000.

Amid the scrutiny, Candis and Andy Meredith took to social media Friday to protect them selves. The pair denied defrauding consumers and mentioned they have normally paid superb balances.

“Looking at a one-sided narrative unfold and these hateful reviews from claimed narrative is extremely agonizing,” the few wrote. “We have often carried out what we could to remedy just about anything within just and outside our regulate.”

Candis Meredith spoke to KSL’s Matt Gephardt on the allegations produced about their do the job, and conceded that they took on also several tasks at after. She also claimed they procured a lot of matters out of their individual pockets, and attempted to proper any mistaken that she and Andy Meredith understood about.

“We were sensation quite overwhelmed and executing our very best to talk, but I can recognize how, when it is your dwelling, that feels discouraging when points choose more time,” she mentioned.

By way of this experience, Candis Meredith claimed she and her husband have no plans to perform for shoppers in the foreseeable future.

“I will say we were naïve about the interior workings of it all, but we’ve spoken with the point out and what we can do, what we could have and could not have finished, and we have very considerably discovered that was going for walks a line,” she stated.

It was time

Bennion has been tranquil about her household renovation challenges for just about two many years, but determined to share her tale now mainly because of the Magnolia Community launch and the highlight becoming set on the Merediths.

“I share it due to the fact after two a long time, they are becoming celebrated and promoted while the individuals they harm alongside the way have gotten nowhere,” Bennion wrote on Instagram. “And, on the eve of a Magnolia Network cable start, the effectively-edited edition of the tale will demonstrate only their side of Oct 2019 and over and above.”

“People, financial institution accounts, livelihoods, family members, our well being, sanity … all of us have been left on the slicing place ground,” Bennion mentioned in an Instagram publish previous Thursday.

Given that she shared her story on social media before this week, quite a few additional home owners in Utah have claimed identical, tumultuous ordeals with the Merediths and the potential customers of the “Home Work” demonstrate. Several experienced the very same problems with their finances not making finishes meet up with, shoddy workmanship and unfinished problems. Just one family stated they had been advised by the Merediths to double their renovation spending budget in purchase to complete the task.

The producing story has been picked up by countrywide news organizations, such as the “Today” demonstrate and Insider, among the many others, as renovation and do-it-on your own courses on Tv have prolonged been common with house owners, especially involving Chip and Joanna Gaines. While, apart from for their Magnolia Community signing the “Home Work” exhibit, the Gaines few had absolutely nothing to do with the Utah venture.