While not everyone can afford to buy a home, let alone put money into a renovation or buy beautiful new furniture and decorative objects, there's something soothing about watching HGTV. While fans love watching Love It Or List It, some parts of the show aren't real, and that's the case for many shows focusing on home buying or renovation.
Some HGTV stars have high net worths and it's true that the network has countless fans who really can't get enough of these enjoyable shows.
Keep reading to learn more about the experience of being on House Hunters and what making the show is really like.
One Couple's Experience
Fans of House Hunters have likely watched Joanna and Chip Gaines on Fixer Upper, which involves a couple buying a new home and having the stylish and beloved couple renovate and fix it up. Some things about Fixer Upper are staged for TV, like the fact that the couples have to pay to keep the furniture.
What is it really like being on House Hunters? There are some things that fans should know about.
In 2019, Elizabeth Newcamp wrote a piece for Slate about appearing on House Hunters two times.
Elizabeth and her husband, Jeff, were on House Hunters which filmed in Florida and also House Hunters International. She wrote for the publication that they weren't in the process of looking for and purchasing a home: instead, they had been in their home for a year already, and in the other situation, they had already bought a house.
A lot goes into the production of a reality series, especially one about house hunting, and as it turns out, sometimes the couple sees a house that isn't on the market.
This is what happened when Elizabeth and Jeff filmed House Hunters International. They were looking in Delft, the Netherlands, and while viewers thought they were watching a real estate agent who lived in that area, the "agent" was the couple's friend who worked in the IT industry. The two houses that the couple looked at on the show were Airbnbs, not actually on the real estate market to be purchased.
According to Insider, Bobi Jensen was interviewed by Hooked On Houses in 2012 and said she found houses that belonged to people in her social circle. She explained, "The ones we looked at weren't even for sale. They were just our two friends' houses who were nice enough to madly clean for days in preparation for the cameras!"
Elizabeth wrote for Slate that she understands why people have fun watching the show: she said, "You should absolutely enjoy House Hunters. I still do. Don’t worry about how these people with these jobs afford these houses. Enjoy the real estate and enjoy the fake arguments. But like everything you see on TV, you shouldn’t take it at face value."
More On The Making Of The Show
Insider also reported that the couple could have actually found their house when they are cast on the show. People are paid $500 to appear on House Hunters, and there are hundreds of applications coming in on a weekly basis.
As a woman who appeared on the show shared in a thread on Reddit, she has a "positive" outlook and the show encouraged her to point out things wrong with the houses. She explained, "I bought the 'fixer' of the 3, so the other two were beautiful houses. In real life, I wouldn't have a single complaint with either."
What Does A Realtor Say?
Leslie Remy, a realtor, was interviewed by Dallas News about being on House Hunters. She said that she wore a black outfit that was more plain than some of the outfits she brought with her, and while she shot the show in three days, the couple was filmed for a period of five days.
Remy explained that couples will be asked to keep talking until "the perfect shot" is found. She said, "It's not scripted, so the couple is saying how they really feel about it and their opinions on the home. To get the perfect shot, they have to continue to repeat their opinion over and over again. There were at least four good shots of each room or of each scene."
It's enjoyable to sit down at the end of a long day and watch some episodes of House Hunters, but it's smart to keep in mind that some parts of the show are created for good TV. This is true of most shows that are reality, so it makes sense, and it doesn't take away from the fun of seeing what houses look like in each city.