There is something so universal about the desire to play House. As kids we all pretended that we were little families with little lives and little adventures. Playing House was always a great way to feel grown up. Now that we are grown up (sort of) we all wish we could grow back down and go back to the days when our imaginary husband was our biggest problem. Going back in time and reverting may be impossible, but we can relive the good old days with the next best thing: house shows. House shows can be found on HGTV and are AMAZING. All of the pretty houses of actual house hunting, without the threat of a crippling mortgage! As the summer draws to an end and real world responsibilities begin to loom, house shows let us all take a step back, melt our brains and feel like little kids again. Here are seven house shows to waste the last two weeks of summers with.
1. Love It or List It
This show is as simple as it is addicting. When a family or couple decides that their house is no longer fulfilling their needs, they call upon Hilary Farr and David Visentin. The two compete to convince the homeowners to either Love the updates and renovations that designer Hilary makes to their existing home, or List their house and move to a new one that real estate agent David finds. Each hour long episode follows the dramas and pitfalls of home renovation and real estate, as well as the dynamic between David, Hilary and the homeowners. “Love It or List It” is completely worth wasting your day with.
2. Flip or Flop
Tarek and Christina El Moussa run this show in which they buy run down and dilapidated houses and flip them for profit. The two create a design and the crew renovates and executes it. The added drama in this show comes from the houses and properties they buy—sometimes, sight unseen. These houses are often full of hazards and not nearly up to code. This means expensive surprises and changes to plans. Sometimes unfortunate for Tarek and Christina, but very entertaining for us.
3. Fixer Upper
Real estate is all about location, and Chip and Joanna Gaines know that. They help homeowners renovate awful houses in beautiful locations. Chip and Joanna are, unlike so many TV personalities, generally good people. Their charm makes this show one of the best to watch when you have a long hard day ahead of you on the couch.
4. Tiny House, Big Living
The tiny house craze is sweeping the nation, so of course there is a television program about it (actually, there are four just on HGTV). My personal favorite is “Tiny House, Big Living” because you get to watch the tiny houses being built and see the choices and ideas the tiny homeowners have. For those of you who don’t know, a tiny house is just what it sounds like: it’s the smallest possible house you can make, taking advantage of loft spaces, hidden storage and more. The clever ways these people save space and money make “Tiny House, Big Living” a great show to add to your binge list.
5. Property Brothers
Jonathan and Drew Scott get the last three shows on my list. The “Property Brothers” work with potential home owners by showing them diamond-in-the-rough homes with potential, then looking at how they can be transformed. The brothers use CGI to show their visions for the properties that Drew, the real estate agent, finds. The client then chooses a home and Jonathan gets to work with the renovation. With this show, the beautiful end products are just as entertaining as the adventures they go through to get them that way.
6. Buying and Selling
Sticking with the brothers, “Buying and Selling” flips the process of the first show. Jonathan renovates the homeowners’ current residence for the best sell, and Drew finds them a new home. Same brothers, different drama. Clients now have to find a perfect, move-in ready home and say goodbye to a freshly renovated home they have had for years.
7. Brother vs. Brother
Last on my list is “Brother vs. Brother.” Where their other two shows merely tolerate the twins’ competitive natures, this show celebrates it. Each brother buys a property to be renovated within a specific time and budget, and they compete to see who can have a better profit margin. Each episode is focused on a different part of the house and comes with a different challenge and reward or punishment. It is the best combination of reality TV and “ooh, look, pretty house.”
Although there are so many things to get done before the summer is over, it is hard to justify not watching all of these great shows. So, just for a day, put off the job and scholarship applications. Forget about relearning what you need to know for your upcoming classes. Set aside the back to school shopping list. It’s time to play house.
