Behind the Scenes: Extreme Makeover West Virginia
Recently the weekly hit television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” known for its surprises and generosity, came to West Virginia to build a home for a much-deserving Fairmont family. Unlike past stories of illness and loss featured on the show, the Turner family of Fairmont was chosen by the show’s producers for the commitment they have to their community and the way they have overcome the type of life obstacles that would hinder the success and optimism of others. On day six of the build, in six inches of frigidly cold snow, MetroValley caught up with “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” design team members Tanya McQueen and DiDi Snyder to find out what keeps them motivated, what it’s like to help so many families every week and how West Virginia’s project has differed from their other many building projects. Here is an inside look at WV Extreme Makeover.
Q&A with Design Team Member DiDi Snyder
MV: Is there anything different about this project as compared to other projects that you’ve worked on?
Snyder: The biggest challenge is that it’s snowing. I haven’t built a home in the snow. When you’re laying down foundations and you’re trying to get concrete dry when it’s raining or it’s snowing, it’s a little challenging. We were really blessed to be able to get the foundations, the framing and the roof put up by lunchtime on the second day. We were safe from all of the elements, which was really good for us. The one thing that I was very concerned about was how moist the ground actually was. The ground is going to suck up so much moisture, which can affect the actual footing of the home, but these guys did a great job of laying down cinderblocks on top which helps repel the moisture away. We have a strong foundation even though we’re dealing with the elements.
MV: We understand the keys are getting handed over today.
Snyder: They are. The furniture’s moving in, which is awesome. Wayne Huffman (Huffman Corporation) has been tremendous. He has a phenomenal crew and volunteers, and they’ve been working 24 hours around the clock. If it wasn’t for these builders, if it wasn’t for these guys, this project would not be done.
MV: How does it make you feel to be able to change so many lives a week at a time?
McQueen: It’s an honor. I always say we come in and motivate the community, and it’s the community that builds these houses. I think that sometimes what the television viewer doesn’t realize is that without the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, it wouldn’t be possible. For the design team, we’re shooting two, three, four shows a month that literally keep us away from home, and we wouldn’t be able to do it or keep up at that pace if we didn’t love the people that we encounter along the way. These families really remind you of how good the human spirit is.
MV: What’s your favorite part of the house makeover process?
McQueen: I have two favorites—when we knock on the door to meet the family and when we move the bus at the reveal. I’m all about the story and the family. I love the homes we build. I love the way we design them and decorate them, but, ultimately, it’s about providing a safe, solid home. With the Turner family, they were living in a broken-down 600-square-foot house. Winter was coming and there were cracks in the walls and cracks in the ceiling. Ultimately the goal was to build them a home. You can’t get that wrong as long as you build it safe and solid and provide them with the ability to take care of future debt that the home might incur. My favorite part of the week is the door knock—to actually drive up on the bus, run up to the house and yell, “Good morning, Turner family!” Then, of course, there is that culmination of the week—the windup to move that bus. You see that bus move and you hear the engine rev and you watch as that family sees their home for the very first time. Some of them buckle, fall to the ground. I guarantee that the Turner family is going to give one heck of an explosive reveal for the people that are watching. Everyone will definitely feel the gratitude that is coming from the Turners.
MV: Besides the cold, the snow and the difficulty of getting equipment up on the mountain to the build site, is there anything about this project that has been different compared to other projects?
McQueen: Yes, the Turner story is not one of sadness. There’s no one ill and there’s nothing that’s wrong. This is a celebration. We have the opportunity here to help people who have just been good, solid Americans—good, solid community members. Richard and Angie have grown up in this community. They have had the opportunity to make some crazy poor decisions like we all do as young people and then make good on those and turn their lives around. They’ve married and blended their families, and they now are teaching their children how to make the right moves in life. In addition to raising five kids, they’re also active in the community. They teach football, they run the concession stand, they are involved in the schools, they take care of their own and then they reach out to community as well. So this project is a celebration of saying, ‘Good for you for making a difference in someone else’s life. Now it’s time for us to make a difference in your life.’
MV: How important is the team dynamic in working on such a project that you have to get finished really quickly?
McQueen: We’re such a well-oiled machine because we’ve worked together for so long. We’ve built more than 100 homes. We truly respect one another and respect one another’s ability to bring their expertise to the table and own it and acknowledge it and listen to what they have to say. That way, we’re not stepping on one another’s toes. When we get with our volunteers and, of course, with our contractor, which on this project was Wayne Huffman and the Huffman Corporation—wow. You realize that what is happening up there on that mountain is a group of people are building a house based solely on volunteer trade for free. We’re going to trade out for you. We’re going to give you the drywall, we’re going to give you the two-by-fours, we’re going to give you this all for a family that 90 percent of these people have never met. That’s what is powerful about what we get to do, that we’re never told no. What I think is amazing is that once we leave, there is something that continues on, even without us begging for it. People have done it and they feel good. They’re tired, they’re cold, they’re wet and they want to go home, shower and eat a meal in their own kitchen because they’ve been up here working, but they want to do more. They want to help their neighbor. They are more tolerant. The Turners will be unbelievable. They’ll start an initiative in Fairmont that will live on way beyond what we do right here. We love to think we’ve planted a seed and that we’ve motivated communities to take care of their own once we’re gone. It doesn’t need to be glamorized on TV to really make a difference.
