Are Home Improvement Shows Real? An Expert's Perspective

Reality TV can make it look like you can have a new kitchen in 24 hours, but the truth is that it's physically impossible. As with most reality TV shows, the word reality only loosely defines home makeover shows. According to Country Living, a Reddit user has family members who dispute the authenticity of these programs. The user claimed that on Love It Or List It, a couple recorded both endings of the show and the network chose which one they thought was better. The ending that was shown on television supposedly differed from the reality of the owners.

First, the house hunt at the beginning of the show is for show only. Yes, it's the same treatment House Hunters HGTV wants people who are already under contract in a house, according to show participant David Ridley, who appeared on Season 3 of Fixer Upper. They show you other houses but you already have one, Ridley told Fox News. After they select you, they send your home to Chip and Joanna and their design team. Regular viewers of HGTV programming may think that all they need to do is spend a trip to the home improvement store.

But in reality, reality TV has been all the rage, and home improvement shows are becoming more and more popular right now. For many HGTV reality shows, the main attraction is watching participants' lives improve with the help of success. A host walks into a large home improvement store and chooses two seemingly unsuspecting people for a once-in-a-lifetime makeover in the backyard. On TV, couples take a whirlwind trip to the home improvement store to pick up everything they usually need after the renovation has started. But in reality, this is not always possible as it takes time to plan and execute a renovation project. The truth is that home improvement shows are not always as real as they seem.

While some elements are real, such as the house hunt and renovation process, other elements are staged or exaggerated for dramatic effect. It's important to remember that these shows are entertainment first and foremost and should not be taken as an accurate representation of what it takes to renovate a home.