Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Mid-Michigan
September 27, 2008 by Maricar
Filed under Home Improvement TV shows
Extreme. That word describes the experience of being chosen to get a brand new home with all the bells and whistles.
Imagine opening the door and seeing Ty Pennington there with a camera crew, a design team and the promise of giving you the home of your dreams! That was what happened to a family in mid-Michigan this week.
On Friday, September 26, 2008, Arlene Nickless, of Holt, Michigan, and her family got the wake-up call to become the next family to be on ABC’s hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!
The house, which was built around the 1860s, was supposed to be the dream home that the family would fix up slowly but surely. However, the dream was cut short by the death of Arlene’s husband Tim last January. Tim was the craftsman in the family, and his passing meant that there was only Arlene to keep the dilapidated house from falling apart around her and the couple’s three young sons. With the arrival of Ty and his crew, the family could now have a fresh new start without having to worry about the pipes or the wiring inside the house.
I am a fan of this show, and I’m so excited that I can now see for myself just how they can build a house in just 5 days, or exactly 106 hours! That’s right, it’s just an easy drive from my house to Arlene’s neighborhood. So I scooted off today to take a look for myself, and be able to bring you, for this week, a glimpse of how the show’s crew is able to do the impossible.
Friday was when the family started to pack for their vacation to Disney World, which is paid for by the show. If you’ve seen previous episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, you know that the family is sent away for the entire week of construction. They also went through their belongings with the crew to let them know which they wanted to keep.
The schedule of jobs for the rest of week is roughly:
- Saturday (September 27): Move-out family’s belongings. The family leaves for Disney World.
- Sunday (September 28): “Braveheart” march of volunteers to the site. Demolition. Foundation is put in.
- Monday (September 29): Utilities; basement; house framing, plumbing and electrical jobs; second-floor deck; windows; roof trusses and shingles.
- Tuesday (September 30): Drywall; siding; ceilings; cabinets; exterior trim; painting.
- Wednesday (October 1): HVAC; more plumbing and electrical work; doors; appliances; hardwood floors; garage doors; closets; more painting.
- Thursday (October 2): Sprinklers and landscaping; furniture move-in; interior decor; final cleaning.
- Friday (October 3): “Move the bus” to welcome the family to their brand new home!
Now, how is all this going to be done in only a week? The secret is in the volunteers. Or rather, the hundreds of volunteers. For this project, 1,500 volunteers signed up to help. They will be working in shifts 24 hours a day to finish the job. The volunteer efforts are being organized by local builder Mayberry Homes. Local companies have also pitched in by donating materials, time and skills.
Next up, photos of the house and Saturday’s progress.
(10-01-08 Update) Schedules: Spectators are welcome to visit the site. Shuttles will be available on Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., from the K-Mart parking lot on South Cedar St. On Friday, the shuttles will run from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ‘Move the Bus’ is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Spectators are urged to get to the site hours before the 2 p.m. reveal. “Up to 6,000 people are expected” according to this LSJ article.
image from personal collection
I am very excited to have the show come to this area. I will be heading over tomorrow morning to check it out. I create copper and slate wall fountains and other art that I will be taking over in an attempt to donate. When people help others in need, I think God smiles down on us.
Hi Bill, I share your excitement.
Donating your art is a wonderful idea. The Nickless family has a pretty big yard and I hope the designers will be able to find a place for your art. Good luck! Let us know what happens.
does anyone know they address to the place? i want to be there for the showing of friday.
Hi Natashia, the site is at 2376 Eifert Road in Holt. If you want to see it, you’ll have to use one of the shuttles from the parking lot of either KMart or the Holiday Inn on South Cedar. The drop-off/pick-up point used to be at the Holiday Inn, but they might have moved it to KMart. It will be easy to spot, though, with a white tent and volunteers in blue shirts.
what time on friday are they moving the bus?
I think that it is absolutely AMAZING that this is happening for a family in our area. I am extremely interested in attending MOVE THAT BUS.
What time should we meet at the K-Mart, in order to catch the shuttle?
Thanks so much,
Andrea.
Hi Stephanie,
‘Move the Bus’ starts at 2 p.m. on Friday.
The schedule for shuttles for spectators is 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from now until Thursday, from the K-Mart parking lot. Once I find out the schedule for Friday, I’ll post it here. I’m also updating this post to reflect this information.
We plan on comming to see the makeover friday afternoon… I see in here, the shuttle only runs till thursday.. How can we get in to watch it on friday if they dont allow walk thru the police standoffs or cars?
There’s no official word yet about the schedules for Friday. I’ve heard that they will limit the size of the crowd at the reveal. Considering the number of volunteers who have signed-in, they might not even not allow spectators (non-volunteers) on Friday. So if you haven’t been to the site, try to go on Thursday while you can.UPDATE: I just got it from the Lansing State Journal that spectator buses will run from the KMart on South Cedar St. to the site on Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and then on Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. You need to use these shuttle buses to get to the site. If you’re going on Friday, plan to get there hours before the 2 p.m. reveal. “Up to 6,000 people are expected” according to this LSJ article:
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081001/NEWS01/810010374&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
Does anybody know when this episode will be airing on TV?
Megan, It will be in about six to eight weeks.
Great. Thank you so much!
What time would anyone suggest being there on Friday for the first shuttle? I bet people are going to be there way before 7:30AM don’t you think?
As early as you can.
They finally moved “that bus” at just after 4pm today.. very long day but it was great!
How we can apply to have such beautefull house?
Maricar,
I would like to use this, and another one of your articles for a research paper about EM:HE. Would you allow me to do so? Also, Where do you get all of your information?
Thank you,
Andrea
Hi Jamshed, you can apply directly to ABC’s Extreme Makeover:Home Edition. Here’s the link to the application page:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply
I have this couple that goes to my church Chris and Cheral Milligan thay just lost there son in a car accident. I would like to see there house made over I would like to help to. Cheral went throuh hard times through the years from having bad headaches.
I consider my mom to be the most hard working lady in America. She has been working 60-72 hours a week to make a living for me and my brother. Ilove my mo so much It has reached apoint where by its kind of depressing me to watch her work those hours. She divorced from an abusive marriage in september 2007. Since then she rented a house, she has credit cards topay,car loan and all the bills in the house. My mom works for a non profit making organization called Scar jasper mountain center. Of late she has not been able to keep up with those hours and i wonder what will happen to us next. she is so good with kids and has been dreaming of being a TFC parent to help some of those kids. Though she was aproved to be a TFC parent through jasper i still feel like our living enviroment will not be entertaing enough for those kids. Ty and your group can you please come to my moms rescue and get her a better house to make her dream come true and also have time to relax and make a difference in those kids life and may be help me and my brother got to college. My brother will graduate in june and has been admitted to Oregon state university. I graduated in high school in Kenya with an A grade and have never been able to continue with school as much as i wanted to. I had to look for a job to help my mom pay off some of her bills that she got into while educating me and my brother. I wonder what will happen if my brother will not join college if he does not get a scholarship. This might end up depressing my mom for life. I have tried my best to help her but all in vain. Please! Please! please! Hlep my mom.
Hello,
We are P.I.K.E. (People In charge of Keeping Entertainment). We are also freshmen at Pike County High School working on a Civis project. Our school would like a new auditorium. The one we have is falling apart. It floods when it rains and there is a major mold problem. There are unfortunatley more issues but too many. We would like to earn money and make this dream happen and change the future for the other students at our schools. We would really appriciate your help.
Tahnk You,
P.I.K.E.
i am a widow since 2002 and the only way that we are paying rent is the kids ssi and now that the ssi is cutting us out of our check we will have to go back to a motel i have raised my kids and done the best i can but now it is serious my son has cerebal pa;sy and cant get any help and my daughter has a heart condition an all i wanna do is keep this family together and provide the best i can please help us please
I would like to know where to write to Ty or one the other menber of extreme makeover. I’m very need and don’t where trun. PLEASE Help. mpope
Martha: Sorry, I don’t know who to contact. I have heard that there is a lot of paperwork involved. Good luck to you.