House-flipping showshave dominated the reality landscape for over 20 years and show no signs of slowing down.HGTV has arguably perfected the home design formulaby offering a multitude of house-flipping programs. The idea behind house-flipping shows seems self-explanatory, but it’s really not. Basically, a contractor or a group of contractors is faced with a home that needs to be fixed up, repaired, or renovated. The contractors then design a new look for the house and begin building.
When everything is said and done, the people who own the property usually stay in their newly updated home, but, in some cases, they decide to sell it. Yes, the goal of house-flipping shows is to make a profit. Ideally, the amount the contractors spend should be less than how much the property sells for. But just because house-flipping shows are about making money in real estate doesn’t mean they can’t be entertaining, emotional and even life-changing.
Flipping Out
Cast
Flipping Out is a reality television series focusing on Los Angeles designer Jeff Lewis and his team, including project manager Jenni, housekeeper Zoila, business manager and boyfriend Gage, and assistant. The series showcases the dynamics within Lewis’s professional and personal life as he manages various design projects.
Airing on Bravo for 11 seasons,Flipping Outfollowed designer Jeff Lewis renovating homes in Los Angeles. The show also featured Lewis' executive assistant Jenni Pulos, his housekeeper Zoila Chavez, and his boyfriend/business manager Gage Edward among other staff members. After the housing market crashed in 2007, Lewis shifted the show’s focus to decorating. But, starting in season 4, Lewis considered flipping small projects.
It’s interesting thatFlipping Outfocuses more on decorating than house flipping. Although renovations were certainly a part of the show, especially in season 1,Lewis' design skills are what madeFlipping Outinteresting to watch. The show ended in 2018, and at the time,Flipping Outwas riddled with lawsuits because Lewis' surrogate claimed that Bravo filmed her giving birth without her permission. However, there is talk of a reboot in the works (viaYahoo!).
Rock the Block
HGTV renovation stars race to renovate four identical homes with limited time and budget. The designer who adds the most property value wins bragging rights and has the street named after them.
Hosted by house-flipping show icon Ty Pennington,Rock the Blockis more of a competition show than a show based on flipping homes for the benefit of property owners.Four contestants are given blank slate houses on the same block and tasked with remodeling themin their style. The contestant whose home gets the highest appraisal value on the home they designed wins the competition. Winners get bragging rights and a street named after them.
Winners should be given the home that they put so much work into. But, hey, the contestants are doing what they love, live on television, so that’s worth something.
No, these prizes don’t seem like much. Winners should be given the home that they put so much work into. But, hey, the contestants are doing what they love, live on television, so that’s worth something. Even though each contestant is given the same blank slate to begin with, they each create something unique by the end of the show.Rock the Blockhighlights the creativity behind home renovations.
Holmes on Homes
Holmes on Homes is a Canadian television series starring contractor Mike Holmes, who assists homeowners with problematic renovations. Premiering in 2003, the series aired on HGTV in Canada and internationally, gaining popularity for its hour-long format and special episodes addressing renovation challenges and solutions.
Holmes on Homeshas an intriguing angle. The show’s star, contractor Mike Holmes, is dedicated to exposing poor and potentially dangerous renovations left by the last contractors who worked on a home.Holmes is interested in helping homeowners properly repair their homes and firmly believes in getting things right the first time.His knowledge is welcome, as many homeowners on the show (and in real life) have been scammed by contractors, leaving them with miserable living conditions and thousands of dollars in debt.
In every episode, Holmes fixes everything that he can while educating both homeowners and viewers about how to make more informed decisions when selecting a contractor in the future. His cause is both noble and educational because so many people are ill-informed about home renovations. Since the show exposes poor home repairs and offers advice to the audience, it is an essential watch for fans of house-flipping shows and homeowners alike.
Hoarder House Flippers
Hoarder House Flippers follows three house-flipping teams as they transform cluttered and neglected properties into attractive homes. Released in 2022, the film highlights the challenges of revitalizing overlooked houses and capitalizing on their hidden potential for substantial financial gain.
Hoarder House Flippersis exactly what it sounds like. A team of contractors works together to take some of the most decrepit hoarder homes they can find and make them into something beautiful.The show focuses on homes that many contractors would have given up on a long time ago, but the people behindHoarder House Flippersdo their best to shift through the trash and debrisand put their talents to use to make something exceptional.
The show is mindful not to make light of the hoarding houses they encounter. The contractors know that hoarding is a serious mental condition.
In a way, the show mirrors how people with hoarding issues can get help for their condition and eventually transform their lives.Hoarder House Flippersalsodeserves credit for its sensitivity. The show is mindful not to make light of the hoarding houses they encounter. The contractors know that hoarding is a serious mental condition. AlthoughHoarder House Flippersoriginally aired on HGTV Canada American viewers can watch it on Prime Video and Hulu.
Good Bones
Good Bones is a reality TV series on HGTV that features mother-daughter duo Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk. They rehabilitate properties in their hometown of Indianapolis, transforming dilapidated houses into stylish, functional homes. The show highlights their hands-on approach to renovations, emphasizing design, craftsmanship, and family dynamics as they manage their business, Two Chicks and a Hammer.
Despite theGood Bonesstars being embroiled in a feud, the showis still worth watching. Itrevolves around mother-daughter duo, Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak, as they renovate houses in their home state of Indiana. The women first caught the attention of HGTV after forming their home improvement company, Two Chicks and a Hammer. Since then,Good Boneshas taken off, with other members of Laine and Starsiak’s family helping flip houses for profit in the Indianapolis area.
Good Boneswas unique as it focused on a mother-daughter contracting team, which is seldom seen in house-flipping shows. Despite Laine and Starsiak having a tumultuous relationship off-screen, their on-screen relationship could be touching.Good Bonesran for eight seasons, ending in 2023. The show spawned a spin-off,Good Bones: New Beginnings,which notably followed Laine and Starsiak undertaking separate renovation ventures.
Bargain Block
Keith and Evan seek out abandoned or ailing properties and use their expertise in home renovation to turn them into beautiful, affordable homes for first-time homeowners.
Bargain Block!first came on the HGTV scene in 2021. The show centers aroundpartners Keith Bynum, Evan Thomas, and their realtor Shea Hicks-Whitfield as they restore historic properties around Detroit. Bynum crafts designs for homes and Thomas is a carpenter and builder. Bynum and Thomas are not only business partners but partners in life. They’ve been together for over 10 years. It’s rare to see a house-flipping show revolve around an LGBTQ+ couple, as the reality TV subgenre is sadly not very diverse.
Bargain Block: Hosts Appreciated for Being Hands-On During Renovations
HGTV’s newest renovation show has already caught the audience’s attention for a few reasons, particularly the willingness of the hosts to do the work.
Most fixer-upper shows center on a husband-and-wife team or a group of contractors, butBargain Block!bucks the trend. The show also highlights Detroit and depicts some of the most scenic aspects of the city, which is often seen as a run-down city. Through the work of Bynum, Thomas and Hick-Whitfield, they are able to bring some additional beauty to the city.
Flip or Flop
Flip or Flop is a reality television series about flipping homes that starred formerly married couple Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall. It aired for ten seasons on HGTV from 2013-2022. Tarek and Christina worked together to buy, renovate, and resell homes on the popular series.
Flip or Flopwas a success for HGTV, as it was on the air for nearly 10 years. Aproperty flipping team and formerly married couple, Tarek and Christina, buy battered homes for cash and renovate them for a profit. Sometimes, Tarek and Christina don’t even see the property before they buy, which ensures that each episode is full of surprises. The hosts often buy homes from auctions, hoping their renovations will be enough to flip the home.
The stakes are high as sometimes Tarek and Christina’s best efforts fail and they lose the moneythey put into the home. By adding the potential of losing money on a renovation,Flip or Flopdoes a great job of adding tension to a genre that is often formulaic. But, often, the team does excellent work, as properties are often unrecognizable by the end of an episode.
8Unsellable Houses (2019 - Present)
Twin Sisters Help Homeowners With Renovations
Twins take on homes in this HGTV show.Unsellable Housesfollows twin sisters and real estate consultants Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb search for homes that need some love.After looking at comparable homes nearby, the real estate duo convinces timid homeowners to renovate their properties. Homeowners can then decide if they want to keep their remodeled homes or sell them.Unsellable Housesis based in Davis and Lamb’s home region of the Pacific Northwest, United States.
The twins gave back to the Children’s Hospital of Seattlebecause the hospital helped Lamb’s son when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. However, Lamb and Davis' charitable work is just one aspect ofUnsellable Housesto admire. The show does a great job at giving insight into the real estate aspect of home-flipping, which is an essential part of the business.
50/50 Flip
50/50 Flip follows Krystal and Dedric Polite as they utilize their 50/50 flip strategy to renovate homes. Released in 2022, this film depicts their objective to complete a renovation with a budget of less than $50,000 in under 50 days, aiming for maximum profitability.
A&E’s50/50 Fliphas yet to flop. The show began in 2022 and already has two seasons under its belt, with a third on the way. Husband and wife duo Krystal and Dedric Polite abide by the 50/50 principle in order to maximize their time and potential profits.The couple only spends $50,000 on each home and 50 days to complete the proper renovations.50/50 Flipalso focuses on Krystal’s hometown of Burlington, North Carolina.
Above all, the Polites believe in creating affordable housing by only pouring in a relatively small amount into home renovations. The couple is also interested in giving back to their community.50/50 Fliphas an interesting hook by setting limits on the renovations, which shows viewers they don’t have to sink a fortune into their homes to remodel. Both folks in Burlington and at home can bring their vision to life without breaking the bank.
6Home Town (2016 - Present)
A Married Couple Gives Back To Their Community Through Home Renovations
AlthoughHome Towncombines many elements viewers have seen in HGTV shows before, it still feels fresh and authentic.Home Townfollows a husband-and-wife team, Ben and Erin Napier, as they renovate properties in their rural hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. Every moment the couple is on-screen, it’s clear that they are interested in giving back to a community that has long been forgotten. The Napiers are interested in re-inventing Laurel bydrenching each property in Southern charm.
Again,Home Townfocuses on many common tropes that viewers have seen in the house-flipping genre before. But unlike many of the other shows listed,Home Townfocuses on the relationships between the Napiers and their community. Their interactions are heartfelt and the couple speaks to every homeowner with respect. MaybeHome Townis not the most original show, but it has heart and that counts for a lot. In 2021,Home Townlauched two spinoffs —Home Town: Ben’s WorkshopandHome Town Takeover.
