How does extreme makeover build a house in a week

The new show launching in Feb. The premise was simple — each week, designers and contractors would come together to quickly renovate a house for a deserving family. The extensive rehabbing included interiors and exteriors. Extreme Makeover was very emotional because it also focused on the family backstories and showed how appreciative these deserving families were with their new homes, which were always custom-designed to suit their needs.

But after the film crew packed up and left, everything changed. It seems like a dream come true getting a brand new, totally free house.

Although viewers were provided with nine seasons of joy, these families have seen years of inflated utility bills, upside down mortgages, and, occasionally, a broken home.

The primary focus of each episode was to help a struggling family in need make a change for a better life. Each show would pull at the heartstrings of millions of Americans as they watched a deserving family get a new start.

Although charity was at the heart of the show, so was viewership and good ratings. Because of this ultimate goal, the producers of the show would seek out the worst case scenarios amount the submissions they received every month.

They even took a particular interest in specific ailments and diseases. As highlighted by NBCNews. They want to find a child with a rare condition that causes rapid aging and death. They want to find an extraordinary mom or dad who's diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.

These details were revealed in an uncovered memo by an NBC executive in One of the many promises of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was the chance for a deserving family to get not only the home of their dreams but one that suited their current situation. Each house was tailored to the needs of the families and included special touches based on their individual personalities.

While these elaborate ideas looked amazing in the blueprints, these real-life mansions created additional burdens for many families. These new mansions came with hefty price tags that included inflated utility bills and high maintenance need. Home Edition winner India Dickinson was a victim of increased monthly bills due to her new 4, square-foot home.

While there were families that were featured on the show that found a better life thanks to the effort of the crew, some found themselves divided once they received their new home.

Sadly, one family, in particular, found out the hard way what people will do to make themselves happy. In this case, a North Carolina couple kicked out their five adopted children after the family received their dream home. The Fridays denied the charges brought against them, however, the children were not back to their home.

Viewers were drawn to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition because of the generosity of the crew and its volunteers. Working to help a family in need live a better life was awe-inspiring, bringing tears to the eyes of audiences around the country.

Although inspirational to the audience, many of these families remained in financial ruins beyond the airing of their show. As the additional financial burden began to build up, many families were unable to stay on top of their mortgage payments and were forced to foreclose on their new dream homes.

Multiple factors including increased taxes based on the new value of the house added to their troubles as well. Since the IRS treats contest winnings as income, winners still had to pay income taxes on their "free" homes.

Though anyone could apply to be featured on the show, the application process itself was perceived as too challenging for some families. ABC aimed to highlight families that had some significant challenge in their lives so this new home truly benefit them. Some finalists included families with special needs, medical illnesses, or facing tough financial times.

Sadly, some families with real needs were passed over for other that faked their actual hardships. Such was the case with the Cerda Family who claimed that their two young daughters were gravely ill due to mold in their home. After being selected for the show and receiving a newly remolded home with an improved filtrations system, the family later decided to sell their home due to increased costs.

However, it was then discovered by medical professionals that not only did the girls not have the disease but they were actually victims of medical child abuse. They were even temporarily removed from their home while the parents were investigated.

While some families were forced to leave their homes due to rising costs and finances, other looked to take advantage of their newfound wealth.

Depending on the extent of the renovations and upgrades, the property value these new homes almost doubled in value.

Sadly, some saw their original gift of love as a means for a quick buck. The St. Augustine Record reported the show built a six-bedroom, seven-bath mansion for a family of four, which many would say is more house than they ever needed.

In addition to the doubled or tripled power bills, brand new makeover houses come with higher tax bills as well. Perhaps fortunately for the families, the reality show helped them in some creative ways. Endemol, USA , the company behind Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , did some serious acrobatics to help the families avoid paying taxes on their makeover.

An IRS loophole says if your home is rented out for less than 15 days per year, you do not need to pay taxes on that rental income. With that in mind, the show explains to families that they are "renting" the house from the family for a week, and the improvements are the rental payment, meaning they don't have to pay taxes on the improvements. While this plan helps families upfront, they'll still be responsible for the future property taxes that will undoubtedly rise with the increased value of their home.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where you would actually sue the people who built you your dream home for free, but it happened in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition built a house for the Higgins family, five orphans who had lost their parents to cancer and heart failure.

The home was built for them and the Leomitis family who had taken them in. The show built them a nine bedroom mansion and even provided new cars and groceries, but after the cameras left, things got ugly.

According to the Higgins children, the Leomitis family launched " an orchestrated campaign " to force them out of the new mansion. The family allegedly used racial slurs, verbal abuse, and physical abuse to drive out the orphans. The Higgins children moved out and promptly sued ABC, stating they were promised a house which is not in their name.

Though ABC did not make an official statement on the case, they did remind fans the show was intended to build a home for the Leomitis family, who had taken in the orphaned kids. For Extreme Makeover: Home Edition families, life hasn't been easy. They have dealt with truly tough circumstances, and those can weigh on you. And sure, a brand new house can change your life, but it can't fix everything. That was certainly true for Debbie Oatman, who received a brand new 3, square-foot home for her and her children.

Oatman is the single parent of four boys, three of whom are adopted and two of which have HIV and special needs. However once the cameras left, Oatman's children say she went back to her old problems. Oatman told friends that being on the show took away her family's privacy. With her boys' medical problems broadcast on television, they started being picked on at school. However, the kids tell a different story. Kevin Oatman described verbal and sometimes physical abuse before and after the show.

In fact, between and , Colonie police filed 18 incident reports for Oatman. According to the Times Union , Oatman two of her adopted sons out of her home after the show. Oatman herself declined to comment on the show and her family, but it's safe to say not all episodes had a happy ending.

One of the best parts of Extreme Makeover Home Edition is seeing the community come together. Friends and neighbors drop everything for a week to pitch in and create an incredible house.