The Top Five HGTV Shows
1. House Hunters
Hosted By: Suzanne Whang
Airs: Weeknights 10pm ET
This highest-rated HGTV show places us beyond the front door and behind the scenes of buying a house. Individuals, both couples and families, learn the ins and outs of how to look for and purchase a new home. Focusing on the buyers emotions during the home-buying process, each episode shows the roller coaster ride to ownership.
The participants receive a $500 check simply for allowing their likenesses to grace the show. For quicker turn-around, producers sometimes choose buyers who are already in escrow with one of the three locations shown. The other two choices that are filmed, are only shown to allow viewers the option of making the choice themselves.
For the first few years of filming, home prices and locations were never given to the public. However, now the viewing audience knows where each property is located along with the amount being asked for each. Also, in earlier episodes, the last part of the show featured the buyer waiting to see if they got the house they chose. Now, each episode ends by showing them currently living in one of the properties. Only on rare occasions does the buyer not get the house they wanted and have to choose their next option.
House Hunters International, also hosted by Whang, concentrates on houses in Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America.
2. Curb Appeal
Hosted By: Dan Schachner, Rick Spence, Sasha Andreev, Bill Duggan
Airs: Mondays 8:30pm ET
As per the title of the show, Curb Appeal focuses on helping homeowners make the outside appearance of their home more appealing. Every episode features a real home with real owners who bring in design experts to give unique perspectives on how to improve their yard. When the crew and landscape designers begin to work on each project, the yards turn from eye-sores to eye-catching.
3. Hidden Potential
Hosted By: Brandie Malay, Peggy Bunker
Airs: Weeknights 9:pm ET
Hidden Potential brings our dreams to fruition as they give home buyers a fresh perspective on home improvements. Buyers will get the option of three homes and as they tour each home, the design experts show in CGI detail how the house could look. This is a fun show for viewers because they get to see and root for the different ways that a house could look with a few changes(and time…and money!)
Brandie and Peggy are perfect hosts for this show, because they truly make the episodes exciting and fun to watch.
4. Spice Up My Kitchen
Hosted By: Lauren Lake
Airs: Tuesdays 8:30pm ET
Everyone loves to eat in a beautiful kitchen. When a kitchen is so sloppy and ugly that tv dinners are the norm, it is time for Spice Up My Kitchen. Designer Lauren Lake gives the homeowners two design options based on their budget and current wish list. The homeowners choose the plan that best fits, and turn their eating space over to the design team. Depending on the budget used, Spice Up can change or recreate appliances, flooring, and lighting to make a brand new kitchen.
5. Design on A Dime
Hosted By: Brice Cooper, Kristan Cunningham, Frank Fontana, Lee Snijders, Kahi Lee
Airs: Wednesdays 9:30pm ET
After a six-year run, Design on a Dime will end production after 2008. This favorite show gave a design team a $1000 budget to take on certain problem areas in the home. This may have been a isolated office workroom, drab bedroom, or a cluttered kitchen. The transformations are incredible. Together, the team transforms the mess into a masterpiece. With how-to training and quick wit, the designers show us simple methods to truly designing on a dime. The best part of each episode is seeing the homeowners’s reaction to the finished project. The budget is minuscule, but the results are impressive.
