Reality TV is constantly changing as years pass. However, the audiences’ general fascination with home-improvement shows seems unlikely to end anytime soon.
Although this genre has produced many internationally acclaimed shows, it’s undeniable that the success achieved by the DIY Network’s series of “Crashers” has raised the standard very high in the field. As part of this series, “Yard Crashers” stands out from the rest for presenting a fresh approach to what house yards renovations actually are. By leading the audience through the process of remodeling courtyards and gardens, Matt Blashaw and his team brought new life to people’s landscapes for over a decade.
Moreover, after being on air for so long, it’s only expected that many people want to know more details about the show’s important factors, such as who pays for the renovations, and how much they actually cost.
So is the show really free of charge, or do homeowners pay to get the work done? Get ready, because in this vid we will reveal all the details regarding “Yard Crashers” finances!
Who Pays For “Yard Crashers” Projects?
Whatever the reason behind its success is, there’s no denying that “Yard Crashers” light-hearted humor and safe entertainment was a big reason people loved it so much.
Nonetheless, no matter how good a reality TV show is, there are always certain aspects of it that are questioned sooner or later. In this case, the most common doubt that comes to people’s minds with regard to “Yard Crashers”, is whether or not renovations in the show are really free.
The answer isn’t actually very complicated. Following reports made by homeowners featured in the show, it’s made clear that not only does “Yard Crashers” not charge them for the labour costs of the renovations, but that the materials, furniture and appliances are indeed free as well – these conditions apply to every “Crashers” show.
As affirmed by former series’ participant Bill Cunningham, not only was his family not charged for remodeling their house, but the show’s production staff even paid for the food consumed by the team and family. It’s known that many local shops exchange supplies and appliances in return for being promoted in the series, though a big part of the operations are still financed by the producers. All in all, it sounds like a good deal for everyone, assuming of course that the payback for the producers is the resulting popularity of the series.
What About The Taxes?
It’s already too obvious that the homeowners featured in “Yard Crashers” are more than fortunate. Getting a top-notch renovation of their courtyard and not paying anything for it is indeed pure good luck, especially for people who couldn’t afford these types of services otherwise.
Knowing that this sounds too good to be true, you’re probably wondering ‘where’s the catch’, right? While the “Yard Crashers” crew does everything for free, they don’t take responsibility for the taxes related to the project. This is why the production staff usually files a 1099 tax form invoicing the participants for the renovations’ costs, which vary depending on how extensive the work done is.
Even if receiving an invoice with these expenses isn’t ideal for anyone, thinking of it as an investment might do the trick, as at the end, the participants’ property’s value increases at least three times of what’s paid in taxes.
Is The Show Real?
Though the whole financial factor of “Yard Crashers” has been cleared up, that doesn’t stop people from distrusting other show’s aspects, such as its legitimacy.
While it’s guaranteed that indeed every “Yard Crashers” renovation is real, the audience couldn’t be faulted for believing that the show has staged and scripted scenes. This becomes especially suspicious since at the beginning of every episode, Matt Blashaw coincidentally happens to find a homeowner willing to renew their courtyard in a random store.
So is this real? While it isn’t confirmed or denied that this specific part of the series is faked, a former participant in “Yard Crashers” branch show “House Crashers”, confessed online of having cheated their way into being successfully picked for the show. Apparently, he and his spouse had known the exact store the show’s staff was going to visit that day, thanks to a friend who worked with the crew.
After being picked and interviewed by the host, the production crew eventually visited their house, and they were selected.
While this affirmation doesn’t prove “Yard Crashers” is staged, it makes it evident that with the necessary connections and a bit of luck, it wasn’t too hard to be picked by them, putting a show with an otherwise clean scandal record under a not so bright light.
Why Did Ahmed Hassan Leave?
Many long-time devoted fans of “Yard Crashers” surely remember Ahmed Hassan, the show’s first host who appeared in it from its premiere in 2008.
Ahmed is well remembered for more than just being the show’s original host, though. While his professional career in the home-improvement industry started a couple of decades ago, his interest in the field dates back to when he was still a little kid, helping his father out in their garden.
Ahmed grew up to be what he describes as a ‘people server’, for being able to talk a lot and convince others through his words; that’s what led him to become a TV host in the first place. Though he had small roles in several DIY Network’s shows, his big opportunity came with the premiere of “Yard Crashers” and “Turf Wars”, a spin-off competitive series which he hosted for two seasons.
Unfortunately, his good time on the DIY Network eventually came to an end. In 2011 he openly expressed his desire to make “Yard Crashers” a more varied show, which wasn’t taken very lightly by the producers, and led to his firing, though the network simply affirmed that his contract hadn’t been renewed.
Why Did Chris Lambton Leave
Following Ahmed Hassan’s exit from the show, he was replaced by Matt Blashaw, who in 2016 took a break from it, leaving the spot open for Chris Lambton.
As with his fellow show’s hosts, Chris has an extensive career in landscape-building. However, what is really more impressive is his career as a TV personality, having appeared in shows such as “The Bachelorette” in 2010. Though he didn’t end up dating the show’s main star, a chance of destiny led him to meet his now-wife, Peyton through the series.
Afterwards, Chris hosted several home-improvement shows, including “Going Yard” and “Best Ever Three Houses” before joining “Yard Crashers”. Although it was always said that Chris’ presence in the show wasn’t going to be permanent, he added a air of stability during the season he was in it. However, following the show’s hiatus in 2017, Chris joined the landscape-building show “Lawn & Order”, and then “Home United”, a problem-solving show for couples, which he co-hosted with his wife Peyton.
Nowadays, Chris is a judge in “Clipped!”, a show hosted by Martha Stewart which challenges its competitors to build the best ornamental-shaped trees.
Why Did Matt Blashaw Leave “Yard Crashers”?
Knowing how popular Ahmed Hassan was, the audience was obviously flabbergasted when he left “Yard Crashers” in 2011. However, the show moved forward with Matt Blashaw as its host, and unexpectedly his popularity matched Hassan’s.
Prior to “Yard Crashers”, Matt already had a prolific career on TV. As an actor, he debuted in the 1996 movie “The Ringmaster”, followed by a small role in the series “DiResta”. During the next decade, he appeared in some low-budget movies, before officially debuting as the host of “Project Xtreme” in 2009, which preceded his work in several home-improvement series before joining “Yard Crashers” in 2011.
Nonetheless, just when the audience thought Matt was going to stick with the show long-time, in April 2016 Matt announced he was temporarily leaving to focus on his real-life business. During his time in “Yard Crashers”, Matt also appeared in the HGTV series “Vacation House For Free”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf1MhpTBqSg/
In 2016, Matt joined “Ellen’s Design Challenge” as an expert carpenter, though the next year he went on to appear in “DIY Ultimate Retreat”, which to date is the last show he’s appeared in.
What Does He Work In Nowadays?
Fortunately for his long-time “Yard Crashers” fans, who wanted him to renovate their garden and courtyard, Matt Blashaw hasn’t left the business.
As seen on his Instagram account, Matt not only still works as a landscape builder, but operates as a contractor. His business Blashaw Residential, offers remodeling services to its clients, in addition to acting as a realtor for selling and buying properties in Kansas.
Although Matt admittedly confesses his desire to eventually return to TV, for now putting his full-time attention to his business is his priority.
We use DISCO BATH to make bath time fun in our house. Create your own with @broannutone ChromaComfort™ Multi-Color LED ventilation fan.
Level up your bathroom experience & visit https://t.co/pSWUtIfGEU#ad #ComeHometoFreshAir #indoorairquality #IAQ pic.twitter.com/VUWo7LDW11— Matt Blashaw (@mattblashaw) August 21, 2021
Of course, this is good news for those who still want him in “Yard Crashers”, but there’s still more. Matt’s personal life has taken a turn for the better with his marriage to Lindsay Archer, whom he coincidentally met on set of “Yard Crashers” back in 2015.
It seems that the couple clicked quickly, which is only expected considering both of them are expert landscape-builders and designers. Matt and Lindsey tied the knot in late 2017, and in July the next year, the couple welcomed their only child to date, son Jace William.
How Much “Yard Crashers” Paid Its Cast?
TV stars’ salaries will always be a topic people will be interested in, especially if these are kept in secrecy, including those involved in reality-type series.
While HGTV is normally open in revealing financial details about its celebrities, the same couldn’t be said about its associated channel – DIY Network.
The fact that the latter is evidently more discreet about their finances makes it hard for the general public to even get an idea of how much their favorite TV stars earn.
However, considering “Yard Crashers” usually had quite a generous budget to work with – as did its fellow “Crashers” series – then we can assume the filming and operational crews earn more than decent salaries.
When it comes to the show’s hosts, it becomes more evident that their salaries working for the network were quite good. For their part, Ahmed Hassan and Chris Lambton have an estimated net worth of over $1 million each. Meanwhile, Matt Blashaw has an estimated net worth of close to $2 million, not only resulting from his career on TV, but from his real estate business as well.
How People Get Into “Yard Crashers”?
Being offered the renovation of part of your property for free seems like an impossible dream.
Though it became a reality for those lucky homeowners who appeared in any of the “Crashers” series, the truth is that the selection process involved in achieving that dream is quite hard.
As it happens, there were too many people wanting to renovate their courtyards back then. This meant that to make the picking process less complex for the team, the “Yard Crashers” crew focused their search efforts mostly in California. Although they also traveled to other states in search of participants, this didn’t happen as often when the show rapidly gained popularity.
On the bright side, any interested homeowners who weren’t lucky enough to find the “Yard Crashers” team in their favorite city’s stores, had the opportunity to submit a volunteering petition to the DIY Network’s website. While this method was probably not as effective as being picked in person, the small chance of appearing in any “Crashers” show was probably thrilling.
The range hood is the most under appreciated appliance in the home, but has one of the most important jobs by helping improve indoor air quality. Watch my latest video to learn more. @BroanNuTone #iaq, #indoorairquality, #rangehood #ad pic.twitter.com/04TVYH3PcI
— Matt Blashaw (@mattblashaw) April 19, 2021
Was “Yard Crashers” Cancelled?
Knowing how high its popularity was for several years and, that no new episodes have been premiered for a while, it’s only natural that the “Yard Crashers” audience wonder what happened to the show.
Unfortunately, anything related to the future of “Yard Crashers” is uncertain. The series had been on air for a decade by 2017, when the DIY Network simply just didn’t renew it, but then refused to officially cancel it. The result is that “Yard Crashers” was left out in some sort of limbo, and so far, no one has confirmed what’s going to happen to it.
While there isn’t anything confirmed so far, it’s suspected that going through so many changes of hosts played a big role in the issue. As well, other shows from the “Crashers” franchise had been cancelled prior to it, due to budget cuts, which sounds like a strong possibility of explaining this situation. Either way, as long as “Yard Crashers” isn’t cancelled, its fans shouldn’t lose hopes of it returning to TV.
