Before there was the show “Fixer Upper”, that totally remade the home renovation game and went on to have extreme success that led to a destination location in the once forgotten town of Waco, Texas, there existed the show “This Old House”. This is the show that started it all and launched the HGTV brand in the 1990’s.
It was Kenneth Lowe that first conceived of this idea, and what some thought would be a dud has turned into a very popular TV industry. In fact, apart from “Fixer Upper” and “This Old House”, there are many other TV shows centered around home improvement and design, and HGTV isn’t the only one in the game anymore.
Good Bones
This cute show features the fun mother-daughter duo team of Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak. They take some of the worst and old dilapidated homes and remake them into true gems. By embracing the uniqueness of each home, and some of the old charm, they truly make each home rehab more of a restoration. They are rejuvenating Indianapolis one super colorful home at a time. It is mixed with a little bit of glam decorating and design by Mina, and some cute gardening and wallpapering tips from mom, Karen.
Dream Home Makeover
This is Netflix’s own home decorating show. This show features husband and wife couple Shea and Syd McGee. With a quirky husband landing a supportive role to his wife and her vision, they add laughs along the way to designing beautiful custom homes from California to the mountains of Utah. They also mix in a few one room designs to make the design appear more attainable and realistic. This attainable design element is also supported by their Target line.
Income Property
The host of this show, Scott McGillivray is estimated to own 100 of his own income properties. He helps first time home buyers see the potential in their own home, helps to renovate them and turn part of their homes into rental properties. His show truly helps viewers evaluate ways to become property managers by turning their homes into incomes.
Flip or Flop
This show, based in California, follows once married couple Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall. The relationship between the two is relatable with the constant struggle to combine luxury design with practical spending. Christina focuses on design while Tarek implements it with construction. They find homes in need of rehab and show the ups and downs of the process, ultimately flipping the home for a hopeful big return.
No Demo Reno
This show follows instagram star Jenn Todryk, known also as The Rambling Redhead. It incorporates more practical renovations without tearing down any walls and working within the main space and layout of the home. This helps to limit expenses for the homeowner. It also mixes in a bit of motherhood with her entertaining and silly family.
Conclusion
These shows are all fun to watch for decorating or investment ideas, easy to binge on repeat, and fun to dream about the hidden potentials all around you. Once you experience one home show, it is not hard to become hooked, or at least appreciate the beauty of the before and afters.
You can often find these shows being shown in public spaces, either in real time or as reruns because they are easy and passive consumption that don’t require attentive watching to understand. Additionally they are usually safe for all audiences. It is no wonder that these family friendly shows have had an ever present space on TV, as more networks and streaming programs embrace the successful formula.
