Why HGTV's 100 Day Dream Home Originally Had A Different Name
If you're a "100 Day Dream Home" home fanatic, you might consider yourself an expert on the show. But we're betting there are some truths you don't know about the HGTV series, including the fact that "100 Day Dream Home" almost wasn't even the title of the show. In fact, the past four seasons could have gone very differently if producers had stuck with their original name.
According to the pilot episode, which features Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt attempting to build the ideal house for a newlywed couple with very different visions, the series was going to be called "90 Day Dream Home." As you may have guessed, that means the Kleinschmidt's would need to construct an entire home in about three months.
While it was most likely doable for the thrill-seeking couple, the producers weren't so enthusiastic about the super-tight deadline. They decided to relieve just a bit of pressure by giving everyone ten days more, ultimately changing the title to "100 Day Dream Home." But you can still find mentions of its previous name, like in Tampa Bay affiliate WFTS's promotion of the new series in 2019 in which Brian promises, "We give them a brand new house with character and charm in 90 days or less."
The Kleinschmidts had completed homes in less than 90 days
We can imagine the producers of "100 Day Dream Home" anxiously pulling out their hair as Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt attempt to build a family's perfect home in just over three months. After all, a lot goes into construction that can be out of the builder's hands, like product delivery. The Kleinschmidts, however, aren't afraid of a challenge and have boasted that they once finished a house in less than 90 days.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Brian and his wife once pulled off a build in just 63 days. Granted, it was when they were flipping homes and building spec houses. A spec house, where spec stands for speculative, is completely designed by a builder specifically for a quick sale. In most cases, these homes are built to follow current housing trends and can have somewhat of a cookie-cutter look. They frequently pop up in new neighborhoods or subdivisions where developers want to move lots quickly.
In other words, the Kleinschmidt weren't necessarily considering homebuyers' dreams when they pulled off this building feat. Nevertheless, they did create a home out of virtually nothing in less than half the standard time given by construction companies, which takes roughly seven months on average.
To this day, they've never missed a deadline
Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt probably wouldn't be too concerned if the show decided to return to their 90-day dream home moniker because, yes, the houses on "100 Day Dream Home" are actually finished in 100 days — and they've yet to miss a deadline. Brian told The Los Angeles Times of their timeline, "If you're talking about multimillion-dollar mansions, obviously that's not attainable. But for normal families, 100 days or less should be doable for anybody. This clearly shows off the couple's confidence.
Nevertheless, they have come close to going over 100 days occasionally. Their locale, the Tampa Bay region, makes it particularly challenging to stick to their due date when a hurricane pops up. Even though the couple tries to factor in storms by shifting their deadline to an earlier date that adds 10 extra days in case of weather, they still sometimes have to go right down to the wire.
To be able to afford a 10-day contingency plan, the hosts have revealed that they often have larger teams and multiple trades working simultaneously. If there are no hiccups, this technique can enable them to finish even a few days before their super-tight turnaround time. In other words, 90 days would be no sweat for the Kleinschmidts.