Good Bones (2016–2023) User Reviews

Their lack of professionalism and waste has really started to put me off this show.

[txriverotter · 6/10 · 15 November 2021]

For all Karen's love of recycling old things, I've seen them destroy some truly beautiful pieces of furniture that could have been given to a second-hand charity store to sell, and someone could have refinished. I don't get destroying for the sake of ratings.

Tad is Infantile and annoying, and extremely unprofessional. There's no reason you can't have fun with demo, but to be so stupidly unsafe about it, is just a turn-off. You wonder how these people stay in business. Breaking glass, sending it shattering everywhere just because? Tearing up beautiful original wood floors by playing hopscotch on your demo tool? Childish.

Perfect example of waste is Season 6 Episode 9 "Teardown to Italian Treasure." Two gorgeous dressers thrown out of a second story window by Tad, and both of them looked in near immaculate condition. I just do not get how this is funny, acceptable or cool in this day and age. Even if they weren't perfect, they sure looked good enough to have been refinished.

I also tire of Mina's constant derision of her mother, Karen. No matter the idea, no matter the house, Mina knows best. And she's not afraid to roll her eyes and shout down her mom either. It's obnoxious.

And since Mina's "designs" are all exactly the same, white on white on white on white on white ad infinitum," letting Karen inject some uniqueness into these homes wouldn't be a bad idea.

Good concept but it's starting to wear thin...

[nancylmarine · 6/10 · 1 August 2020]

First, let me say, this is a great premise for a show. Here are two women who aren't afraid to jump into the fray when renovating a house.

Second, Karen, the mom, is GREAT! I feel as though I could be friends with her. She's creative, artsy (but not too much), handy, and has some really great ideas. She also seems like she'd be a lot of fun after she got a couple drinks into her! She hints at a wild past, and, of course, Mina pooh poohs her, as though she's the one who invented fun.

Mina, the daughter... Not so much. She always chooses the same white cabinets. She always uses the same Carrera marble, and always in various shades of white, with some splash of grey. She always chooses the same backsplash. She always chooses the same countertops. She always chooses the same tile for the bathroom.

There's someone in my neighborhood who is doing the same thing as Two Chicks and a Hammer. He's buying the distressed houses and making them whole again. While it's doing wonders for the sale prices, you can always tell which houses are the ones he does, because they have the same faux rock around the bottom of the exterior. Always. Every single time.

Mina's doing the same thing. And given it's made ABUNDANTLY clear Mina's the one in charge, it's sad, really. Karen has some great ideas to make things a little different each time, and Mina will 100% of the time screw up her face, purse her lips, and shoot her mom down so fast. She doesn't even stop to consider Mom's ideas. She's just, "NO" like a bullet from a gun. Were Karen given more autonomy for her her ideas, were Mina to stop to consider that someone other than her CAN have a good idea, the homes would look less like cookie cutter interiors and more like a home. Karen usually comes up with little design things that are unique to the home.

And then there's the whole thing of Mina treating her mom like crap. I mean, it was her parents who taught her everything she knows, but she acts like her mom is just some idiot lackey standing on the sidelines waiting for scraps to be thrown her way from Mina.

Whenever I see someone like Mina, I always think to myself, "If this is how they treat someone in public, imagine how much worse they are when no one's watching?" I shudder to think of the verbal abuse poor Karen's forced to take when there are no cameras near.

I was just watching the latest show today where Mina and Karen had decided to cover a brick chimney with marble and Mina changed her mind, to do it differently, but didn't tell Karen. Mina, being her usual narcissistic self, arbitrarily made a decision and refused to budge from what "she" thought was best, and she wasn't quiet about it, either. When she was done ranting and yelling at her mother, Karen stood there for a second or two, just staring off into space, then put her hands on her hips, leaned over a bit and took an extremely deep breath. It was obvious she felt Mina had gone too far, this time, and was treating her like crap. Karen has so much class, a lot more than Mina, and didn't say a word while on camera.

It just seems, the longer this show is on, the worse Mina gets, to the extent everyone on the crew, Mom included, are afraid of her temper. When something goes wrong on a job, they almost argue with regard to who's going to tell Mina? Sorry, but if everyone is walking on eggshells around you, it's time to self-assess and make the hard decision it's you with the problem, not the rest of the world. Being a narcissist, though, means Mina will never come to realize what at truly horrible person she is.

Maybe this is why Karen's decided to take a step back from the business, because she can't take any more of being around Mina and her steamrolling everyone, including the woman who started the business with her.

And this is going to sound awful to say, but it almost made me feel good to see Mina crying when she found out she was unable to have any more children. It made her human. Especially this latest season, Mina's just been so hard. To see her soften up on this was almost a relief. It made me empathize with her. I was almost shocked to see her have actual feelings other than anger or simple tolerating everyone around her.

Finally, while they're not making a huge profit on the houses they sell, what the show doesn't fully explain is they have several projects going at the same time, in various stages of renovation. Sure, they're only making about $20,000 on the house we're being shown, but multiply that by the other six they have going on at the same time, and now you're looking at over $100,000 of potential profit at all times. I wish they'd share at some point just how many houses they manage to reno a year. That would be interesting to know.

This could be a really great show if Mina would stop treating Karen like dirt and give her an equal voice in the renovations, and actually allow some of Karen's idea to come to fruition.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this mother/daughter renovation team!

[melfinmo · 8/10 · 12 June 2018]

These ladies are awesome, funny, powerful, and talented! Their whole team is talented and hilarious. They make renovation fun to watch.

Enjoyable alternative to the tired flipping franchise

[tony57talla · 9/10 · 27 September 2017]

Good Bones follows a Mother-Daughter team that takes old or dilapidated homes in Indianapolis and fixes them up, thus helping revitalize a neighborhood. The two leads are very likable, and from what I've seen, the series doesn't contain a lot of forced and contrived drama and conflict that you see in such shows as Flip or Flop, or Love It or List It.

They pick a truly run-down house, so you don't have to go through that staged, silly routine from other shows of "are they going to pick that one, or the other one?" The houses that I have seen are truly a mess, making the renovation very remarkable. You are also spared the presence of spoiled homeowners haughtily proclaiming their need for an open-concept, mega kitchen "for entertaining", knowing full well they'll probably be ordering from Pizza Hut most of the time.

The team is very likable, especially the mother, Karen Laine, whose smile is infectious. They seem to have a good time doing the show and that matters.

Can't watch it anymore!

[lynnerose-60214 · 24 December 2020]

Good Bones has always been on my list of favourite Reno shows until recently. Mina's undermining of Karen and the lack of respect she shows her mother and her knowledge has made me cringe too many times. Karen, as the founder of the company, now feels shut out by her daughter and the tension between them is so obvious. Mina comes across as condescending and arrogant and as it seems she is taking on a stronger leadership role on the show, I will no longer watch!

Open Concept

[stephen_haack · 9/10 · 4 April 2019]

I really have to hand it to these two young women. They work magic in restoring unlivable abodes into useful home again. The one thing I don't like is this trend to make kitchens a corner of the living room. Every cook knows kitchens are work rooms. I'll be so happy when this fad is over.

FABULOUS RENO SHOW

[jrsmith-26831 · 10/10 · 2 August 2018]

This show really "tells it like it is", especially regarding the costs --particularly when "whatever can go wrong, does". It is a very good show .... BUT can someone please correct the names of the hosts? Karen is mom, Mina is the daughter!

Let's Go!

[tnschutz · 10/10 · 20 June 2018]

Based in Indy with amazing shots of the city and the best duo HGTV has to offer, this show is second to none when it comes to home improvement series.

Three stars for the first few seasons - and then season 5 happened. Monster Mina and her Monster Ego

[hmb-51778 · 3/10 · 5 May 2021]

I'll be honest. The ONLY REASON Hubby and I watched this show was Karen.

The give and take between her and Mina was interesting.

And Karen's sometimes whacky crafts were entertaining, if not always successful.

But then Mina created that eyesore personal home. I'm amazed the neighborhood association didn't sue her.

Her ego goes from low to low from there.

She's no longer entertaining, interesting, or tenable. The designs lack anything interesting or useful.

We are done.

Am I the only person who wonders why none of the folks who RAVE about these monstrosities never seem to buy them? Things that make you go... huh.

I hope Karen is enjoying her retirement.

Mother/Daughter Authenticity

[denisej-72094 · 10/10 · 23 May 2020]

My husband and I watch rehab shows a LOT! Good Bones is one of our favorites. Both ladies came from very different backgrounds...Mina a business major...Karen an attorney. They established a rehab business "2 Chicks and a Hammer"....which has evolved into Good Bones. They know their construction...especially Mina...and they do a heck of a lot more than wear heels, tight jeans, and nail in 1 nail...(like another rehab show...!). While I'm not a fan of their constant use of purple...or chunking items I think could be re-purposed...I like the gals and appreciate their transparency. Hope they continue their success!!

Sadly disproving

[Zen-Balance · 4/10 · 11 August 2021]

As the show goes on, it's sub-par. At first I enjoyed the show, it had great foundation with a mother daughter duo. As the show goes on the quality is decreasing, cutting corners and lackluster. Mina is rude and disrespectful. Karen is a sweet and artistic. The finish is overall meh, with all the unfinished work, rushed and carelessness. There isn't a single episode that I have seen that wasn't full of flaws in the finish work, gaps in tile, missing grout. Roofing over bad shingles, there's so many things I could name in each episode, but we don't have time for that. Cheap contractors lacking in quality and a monarch as a supervisor just spells disaster for this show. Don't expect it to last much longer. Sorry Mina but your disappointing.

Cast photo and names are reversed

[pmjbrown · 8/10 · 11 January 2019]

The details for the cast photos are incorrect - they should be reversed and the references to spouses is correct for Mina. Otherwise I enjoy the show as it is closer to real life than other similar reno shows.

Real show, realistic renovation for average people

[Faith-Gibbs · 10/10 · 7 July 2020]

I randomly watched an episode and I liked it. Then I looked it up and I was pleasantly surprised that they don't fake the drama. So I started watching it from the beginning. It's nice to see a show where they do renovations that the average person could do not just upper middle class or higher. I love that they are making there neighborhoods better without bulldozing the lot like some people and plopping down big cookie cutter houses. I have seen that and they stick out like sore thumbs. I love that Karen repurposes stuff every house.

Shut the front door

[jimbodeluxe-57469 · 10/10 · 2 January 2020]

I absolutely love this show. It's fun, light and they don't take themselves too seriously. I love all their design styles, not very one will but hey, it's just staging. To woldoborolibby and digitalbeachbum, you two are such Debbie Downers, I mean do you spend all your time giving everything you've ever watched such negative reviews? I'm sorry you guys haven't had any love in your life. I can imagine how ugly your own houses are, must match your ugly little hearts.

Love this show

[margeb-30952 · 10/10 · 17 July 2019]

Didn't even know this show existed. Love this show. Houses they buy are sooo bad. Love Karen's art projects. They really know what they are doing. Please fix their names under the pictures.

Hate this show

[eyevea · 1/10 · 5 February 2021]

I'm in my 60s and my husband and I just finished turning a 300 year old house into a bed and breakfast. Equal partners. He worked on the systems and I did the design, sheetrock, and tile, paint, floor refinishing, etc....and there was a lot of it.

My adult children wouldn't dare talk to me the way this daughter talks to her mother. And the mother seems to think she deserves it...as if just because she's older, she's stupid.

I've only watched 2 episodes of this show and won't watch it anymore. Terrible message to send to the audience.

GREAT HQ - Season 7, Episode 8

[suzpomz · 10/10 · 1 September 2022]

Mazel Tov to Mina and Karen and the whole team of "Two Chicks and a Hammer" for that amazing HQ building! I have so enjoyed watching your renovation program "Good Bones" as you do fabulous work.

The whole idea of taking run-down, dilapidated, on-the-verge-of-being-condemned houses and turning them into, as the opening says, "the best homes in the neighborhood" is a GREAT idea...

And now that you are moving more into client renovations, I'm sure we'll see some interesting designs, such as that HUGE mansion renovation you did recently.

Indianapolis MUST be proud of you all... Keep going, as I'm sure there are a lot more houses there that need your creative touch and a lot of fans and supporters who enjoy watching it all come together.

Congrats to you all - Mina, Karen, Tad, Corey, Austin, MJ and all the rest... Now, get back to work!

Less of a fan

[skoehn-60733 · 5/10 · 25 August 2022]

I loved Good Bones when it first started. Mina gas gotten so full of herself and the way she treats/talks to her mom that I'm.not so.much of a fan anymore. To her it has become all about the money (yes I know that part is important) and less about the original values of the company. You have a new building in the works, and the store. I know Karen wanted to retire but she has basically kicked her out all together.

Love it

[martha_z_2000 · 10/10 · 2 September 2020]

Austin makes the show in my opinion. When I see him coming down the street with the Demo crew, my heart skips a beat. He reminds me of a gentle giant. If I wasn't old enough to be his mother, I'd be coming to Indy! The show is excellent, Mina and Karen crack me up, the whole crew is great. (Of course Austin is numero #1) (Just wondering if he's single) Asking for a friend 😉

Enjoy this show so much!!

[nettys-98488 · 10/10 · 2 August 2019]

This mother and daughter are an amazing team. They are not afraid of hard work. Their renovations and decorating ideas are beautiful! I absolutely love this show!!

Great Show

[petergeorgebutler · 8/10 · 4 September 2020]

Great ideas and they preserve old bones while making them current and more livable.

Would like to see some minor landscape discussions too.

In some ways it reminds me of the original THIS OLD HOUSE, with Bob Villa, void of the very technical discussions.

Love show but not a fan of the sit down talking ones!

[agilitylady-94463 · 9/10 · 24 August 2019]

Love show but not a fan of the sit down talking ones!!!

Not impressed

[jblichmann · 3/10 · 16 March 2021]

I decided to watch an episode to see if it was something I might enjoy. I made it to 17 minutes in the first episode, and decided it was a big no for me.

More power to the ladies in pursuing a career dominated by men, but a few things turned me off from the get-go.

1. Karen chastising her brother for his lack of safety. Seriously? I didn't see anyone wearing safety glasses, gloves or safety shoes, and she complains. I thought she was "the boss".

2. Juvenile behavior in a construction zone. Refer back to #1.

It's unlikely that I will view any other episode of their five seasons (that in itself, is surprising.)

Later ladies, I'll find something else to watch.

More

Hooked on this show immediately

[taschmal · 10/10 · 12 May 2020]

These ladies clearly enjoy what they do and are very good at it! Mina is super sharp and her mom Karen has a fantastic fun energy. Just love watching them in action as they take some of the roughest looking spots and turn them into neighborhood treasures. For me it is so appealing to see this kind of proactive community-centered attitude, especially having grown up near Indy.

I miss the beginnings....

[Fjlovie · 5/10 · 21 September 2021]

The earlier shows, first 2-3 seasons, were fun to watch. There was more variety in houses and designs. The mother- daughter duo seemed to get along pretty well. I enjoyed Karen and her projects the most out of anything. Now they have minimized Karen and it was a gradual minimization, which means the show's quality has gradually gone down. Now that the daughter must be the center of attention and everything has to be her way or else, it's less enjoyable to watch. Her designs are the same every episode. There is no humor or fun in the show. I miss Karen, and I hope she's enjoying her retirement!