Going through the home buying process is definitely stressful, and it's a lot more fun and peaceful to watch other people go through it instead. This is why HGTV shows are so popular, but people also have many questions about them.
Fans wonder how real House Hunters is, and there also seems to be some staging going on with Love It Or List It.
There's a new HGTV show that is super realistic and easy to relate to, and that's No Demo Reno with host Jennifer Todyrk. This series has a totally unique premise, so let's take a look at it.
The No Demo Premise
There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes of HGTV shows. For instance, when fans watch Fixer Upper, they might not realize that the couples don't get to keep the furniture. They can buy it if they want, though. Fixer Upper features gorgeous homes and there are tons of renovations that have to happen to make them look good.
While many home design shows feature renovations, as contractors tear down walls, move kitchens and other rooms around, and things become messy, that's not the focus of this HGTV show.
No Demo Reno is just what it sounds like: host Jennifer Todryk doesn't do any renovations. According to HGTV.com, this saves clients a ton of money, as they don't have to pay to have any major work done to their home. Jenn makes sure to keep the bones of the house and as she explains, "Changing a house's floorplan takes time and money. It adds up quick and sometimes you don't need it. You can fall in love with your house all over again, but without the sweat and money that goes along with a full demolition."
This is definitely an interesting concept for a show, as most of the time, people end up spending more money than they originally planned. If something goes wrong, like if wiring has to be fixed or there's a problem with the foundation of the house, that's even more cash that needs to be spent. Those hidden costs don't happen here since no renovations are being done.
No Demo Reno is an incredibly realistic HGTV show because it seems very accessible. Jenn likes to keep what people already have, and one cool thing that she does is repaint kitchen cabinets so they look brand new and beautiful. Sometimes, Jenn will sell something, make some cash, and put that toward the renovation.
The Host
Jenn Todryk is beloved on Instagram, and she also has a blog and YouTube channel called Life As A Rambling Redhead. She talks about home design, promotes the show, and shares her family life on her social media, and people really enjoy following her.
Jenn and her husband Mike got married in Mexico and, according to The List, they have three children. Back in 2015, one of her children wasn't behaving very well, and she talked about it on her blog. Soon people were reading and loving her website and she became very popular.
According to The List, a production company asked Jenn if she would be interested in a TV show, and when she was expecting baby number three, it didn't seem like the timing was right. Another company asked her about a show and this time, it worked out. In June of 2020, Jenn let her social media fans know that a show was coming and that it would be on TV in approximately a year.
Jenn explained more about the show in a June 2020 blog post on her website: she said, "Mike and the kiddos will be in every episode alongside me during our 'slices of life' throughout the episodes but the bulk of the show will be the cameras following me as I renovate and design twenty homes for this season."
Fans really love Jenn Todryk, as she has a funny, light-hearted personality. The bio page on her blog explains more about her fun vibe that people are really attracted to: "Things get a little loud and chaotic over here from time to time. I blame the three child beasts...and Mike is loud too. But, I hope to bring you nothing but happiness, inspiration, good home décor and only the comfiest clothing recommendations because, who really enjoys pants....? And most importantly a good laugh. I hope you laugh a lot…even if it’s at my expense."
Some Feedback
It's always interesting to hear how people respond to a show, and the ratings are really high: according to The List, HGTV's April 2021 press release said that the show had over 13.3 million viewers in the past month.
According to Heavy.com, a fan of the show posted on Reddit and said that there is a deno done in some episodes, and a few people agreed, as sometimes Jenn will cut down half of a wall or something like that in order to make her design plan work. A viewer wrote, "Someone had commented on this show before that it should be called 'Low Demo Reno' and honestly I think it would have been way better fitting."
Many people don't mind, though, as there are no huge renovations being done, as no one has to get any permits. A fan wrote on Reddit, "I love how 'real life' Her design is" and Jenn has "a quirky sense of humor."