“What's the big deal about the HGTV network?”
Um, I’m sorry, have you seen the "Property Brothers?" While some people may scream at their favorite football team for making a bad pass during a game, I yell at couples on "House Hunters" for picking the wrong house. I have never been so enthusiastic about a TV network until I found HGTV, but I’m completely in love with every show on that channel.
For the past two years, the Home and Gardening Network has been an influential pastime for me. Without their infinite home improvement shows, I would never know exactly what my future $12 million mansion would look like (right down to the backsplash in my stainless steel kitchen). Unlike other networks, HGTV produces shows that not only entertain, but teach people how to be good homeowners.
Along with feeding my unhealthy obsession for finding the perfect house, the network does a nice job of showing the realistic side of owning a house. Every show has its own element of what homeownership is like, whether it’s displaying the drama of buying a new home or the chaos of renovations. Unlike other reality-based shows where the drama seems unreasonable, HGTV keeps it practical. Except for "Love It or List It," because there’s no way that many houses just happen to have budget-breaking water problems in their unfinished basements -- come on, Hilary!
I will be honest: sometime the shows can be a little too dramatic. I catch myself rolling my eyes at the couple buying their second vacation home and complaining that one bedroom is smaller than the others. But it’s no worse than "The Bachelor." At least I'm semi-prepared for the real world.
I constantly daydream about traveling the world, so you can imagine my excitement every time my favorite HGTV show, "House Hunters International," comes on while I’m home. Without even leaving my living room, I’ve already picked out my estates in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Not to mention my “weekend getaway” flat in London and summer home in the South of France. That show, and the others like it, have encouraged my goals of traveling and living in other countries someday. Don’t even get me started with "House Hunters International Renovation."
Along with raising my expectations for living abroad, HGTV also shows me the time and effort it takes to make a home. "Flip or Flop" is a great example of the hard work it takes to create a successful house in a demanding market. Without getting too technical, it teaches me that with improvement and determination, anything has the potential to be beautiful.
My obsession with HGTV is healthy, I promise. I don’t let it take over the other tasks I have in my life, but occasionally I indulge in an all-day marathon. But unlike TLC’s shows, where they teach you to be picky about your body, wedding dress, or husband, HGTV teaches you to be picky about something more practical: ownership of a house. Not only are there variations in the houses shown, but also in the people who purchase their homes. Some of the participants are rich, but others are first-time home buyers who have lower budgets. It sets a realistic bar for someone who truly wants to take the show's advice. As long as my desire to solve problems and tour beautiful architecture stays with me, I will always love HGTV.
