After the show, most 'Makeover' families happy

Anyone who has ever upgraded a home knows what can happen. Along with the improvements come increased property taxes, utility expenses and upkeep.

More than 70 families have had their houses made over in the four seasons of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." There has been some criticism of the financial burdens that some families have had to deal with once the cameras moved out and the real reality set in. And the show has generated some negative media attention, including a Los Angeles Times story of a Downey, Calif. family of five orphaned siblings who sued "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in 2005, saying they were exploited and deceived by the show.

However, we talked to three families who appeared in the first few seasons of the show, who said that while they incurred increased post-makeover expenses, they were expected. The families are still grateful for their experience -- and their new digs.

THE WALSWICKS OF YORBA LINDA, CALIF.

Their story: After Martha Walswick lost her husband Greg to cancer in July 2003, a friend recommended that Martha and her nine children get the "Extreme" treatment for their 2,400-square-foot house.

Date of makeover: March 2004.

Walswick said she barely knew her house when she got back from Palm Springs, where the family was sent during the makeover.

There are a fifth bedroom and fourth bathroom, which added 500 square feet to the single-story home. The kitchen, which had always been too small, is now spacious and well-equipped. The family was given two sets of washers and dryers.

Walswick said there is nothing about the experience that she would change -- although she did mention the "exoticness" of some of the designers' choices. Her utilities have gone up $20 to $30 a month, but she attributes that to her children getting older, staying up late to do school work.

Her property taxes have been unaffected, said the substitute high school teacher, who also receives money from her husband's pension.

Two issues popped up in the aftermath: The builders had neglected to plug in the Jacuzzi tub. And the glass on the shower door could not be installed in time for "reveal day." Both have been addressed.

THE SEARSES OF MARTINEZ, CALIF.

Their story: Karen Sears and her family were nominated by friends who watched as the family struggled through teenage daughter Jhyrve Sears' illness. Jhyrve was diagnosed in early 2004 with Krabbe Disease, a neurological disorder. She received chemotherapy and a cord blood stem cell transplant at Duke Hospital in Durham.

Date of makeover: December 2004

Jhyrve, now 19, said the best thing about the makeover was her huge wall TV.

"My mother hates it," said Jhyrve, who returns to Duke Hospital for treatments twice a year.

"It's just enormous," her mother explained. "Overkill in the bedroom."

Post-makeover problems have been minor -- installers failed to leave instructions on how to work the high-tech television. And one of the computers was hooked up wrong and required servicing.

To help with medical and school expenses, the builders raised $130,000. The donation was a big help for Karen Sears, a teacher's assistant who quit working to be with Jhyrve during the worst of her medical ordeal. Sears said she can't work around children right now because Jhyrve's immune system is still frail.

But they're getting by. Sears refinanced the house and took some money out of that. She also gets support from her former husband.

Sears is fairly certain her property taxes have more than doubled.

"A lot of this is common-sense stuff, and I don't think that people think about what they're getting into," Karen Sears said. "My house is nearly triple the size that it was. Yes, my utilities went up. Yes, these things go up. But I don't think those things really sink in. We were so far strung out emotionally that I didn't know what day it was."

THE COXES OF SIMI VALLEY, CALIF.

Their story: The Coxes appeared on the show during the first season. Then, there were open auditions and hardships were not a prerequisite. The family auditioned at a local library.

Date of renovation: January 2004

The Cox family's one-story, 1,200 square-foot home was built in 1962. Oldest daughter Shaina, now 17, figures her family was chosen thanks to the big personality of her dad John Cox, a youth minister.

The Cox family, which also includes mother Wendy, and daughters Hannah and Nicole, were whisked to Disney World during the makeover. When the family returned, they were happy with what they saw.

"They just took care of every single little detail for us," John Cox said.

His house was one of the last "Extreme Makeover" homes that wasn't completely destroyed and rebuilt. "They gutted it to the sticks," he said. "You could see all the way through. And they put in all-new plumbing, electrical -- everything."

No square footage was added, but Cox's property taxes still doubled. That's what you get when you live in California, he reasoned. He's delighted with his new home.

"We haven't changed anything except for a couple of pictures."