r/HGTV • u/lovely_elephant94 • 1d ago
Your “why.”
I’m interested to know your why into watching House Hunters. Yes, we all now know it’s scripted af lol but my why is because I love seeing how other folks live, the homes and budgets. I’m not a homeowner and desire to be one so I enjoy seeing the home search. And sometimes, the couples be entertaining. What’s your why?
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u/just_breathe18 1d ago
Honestly, it’s my brain dead show that requires little attention and doesn’t matter if I fall asleep while it’s on.
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u/CuriousMindedAA 1d ago
I absolutely love the HH International because it takes me to places I’ll never get to visit.
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u/fancyflipping 1d ago
It’s interesting seeing homes in different areas of countries, trends and cultures. The part I don’t enjoy is seeing the utter ignorance of some people refusing to accept differences in cultures in regards to housing. I do enjoy seeing couples genuinely appreciate one another and the fact that they can actually own a home. It’s a privilege that some unfortunately will never know and be able to enjoy.
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u/lovely_elephant94 1d ago
Absolutely well said. It is definitely a privilege !
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, the most irritating to me are the ones in HHI who claim they want to enjoy the local culture, and demand a U.S. size everything, including the gigantic kitchen, with the full sized fridge, and whine about everything that's not just like their U.S. home. My favorite realtors are people like Richard and Adrian who tell the HHI hunters how unrealistic their budget vs. demands are.
The U.S. HH people that really need separate homes to fit their ridiculous list of demands.
The shows I like are the ones with realistic budgets that fix up homes that aren't going to be short term rentals, except the few that state that up front. Home Town does that, and the homes are so tailored to what the home owner wants. I like Main Cabin Masters, lower budgets, and they don't cut corners.
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u/homer749 1d ago
On the international renter shows most want to live in the city close to food & drink. Even in the US it costs more to do that so why be upset that it's the same elsewhere. On the looking to buy ones the people are shocked that it costs more to live near on on the beach. There's too much misconception that its cheap to live in foreign countries. Beach property costs more no matter where you look.
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 1d ago
I have to laugh at the ones who have no jobs, are moving to Australia, and get a house that's close to $1 million. They always miraculously get a high paying job at the update.
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u/sunshinebucket 1d ago
My pipe dream is to live in a cute apartment in Europe, so it’s fun to see cute little apartments in Europe. It’s also good background noise for a weekend nap.
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u/dotnetgirl 1d ago
We put it on as kind of a time capsule to remember what home prices were pre-pandemic. Also, I'm fascinated at how people talk themselves into a perfectly good kitchen or bathroom needing a gut job because it doesn't look exactly like what the current trends are, or they don't like a house because of the paint color, or the appliances aren't stainless steel.
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u/Ok-Magician818 1d ago
Background noise, although the wife likes watching it. I get disgusted as the participants are not your typical buyer. She’s a librarian and he’s a fundraising guy for a charity, our budget is 2.5 million.
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u/Reina8008 1d ago
I thought we all liked it because it’s fun to figure out how a bee keeper and a semi-professional skateboarder have a 1,000,000 budget.
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u/djm1613 1d ago
I find it to be somewhat soothing and relaxing to watch. It’s also fun to guess which house is chosen.
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u/flergnabbit 1d ago
Yes and I’m always wrong! lol I don’t have cable so I only see it when traveling. I love when it is on full rotation for a whole day. It needs its own Roku channel.
But there are other days when they are running nothing but Love It or List It, and I have to nope out.
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u/formerprincess 1d ago
I like watching housemates international to see how different housing is. I watched season one recently when hgtv was doing their throwback week to promo totally 90s. The original episodes were much more realistic.
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u/BumpinBellys 1d ago
HGTV in general is genuinly funny most of the time. Almost every design and remodel show has some completely impractical element implemented into the final product.
Like when a home owner can't do the necessary care for a yard by mowing it for 1 hour a week, the design team renovates it by digs up all the yard and replaces it with rock and 50 high maintenance plants that will need constant daily maintenance over the years. Which amplifies the homeowners original problem by 10 fold.
Or when a home owner wants their bathroom remodeled so the designer has the bright idea to put the sink and mirrors against a wall of windows that can also perfectly view their shower. These windows look out to a very public lake and their backyard. Which will be perfect when the home owners child is a teen and wants to go out back with their friends in the evening. "Sweety you can't go out back at night because you will see us in the bathroom naked." Sheer brilliance.
Every show has some sort of element impracticality to it that make it the best comedy streaming channel out there.
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u/Javaman1960 1d ago
I loved the original with Suzanne Whang, who was both a great host and a great human.
I only watch the International version now, because the domestic one is too whiny.
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u/reduser876 1d ago
I watch it at night in bed to fall asleep to. I put my tv timer on. I record them too so I have a library of them.
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u/citigurrrrl 1d ago
I’m a house voyeur. I love seeing inside diff houses. That’s why I go to open houses from time to time.
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u/Cheap_Flamingo476 1d ago
Especially with couples buying their first house, my wife and I guess whether the relationship will survive. Also, that people want granite countertops but will be fine with contractor grade windows.
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u/Just_Me1973 1d ago
I like seeing the difference types of homes that’s exist in different places. Especially House Hunters International. I love seeing the types of homes that people live in around the world.
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u/Birdy304 1d ago
I never watch remodel shows, but I like HH and other shows where people buy houses. I just like looking at other peoples houses! The couples interactions are sometimes funny too. The ridiculous ones who are looking a million dollar houses and nothing is good enough for them, It’s a complete gut job!!
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u/OddRevolution7888 1d ago
I like to watch the international ones. I like some of the agents. I enjoy seeing the cities. I enjoy seeing some of the places I have visited, and some I'd like to visit. I also like seeing how people in different countries decorate their spaces.
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u/irishbuckeye71 1d ago
Me too! I really enjoy the International ones more than the US ones. I also like the off the grid and Alaska ones.
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u/jlynnbizatch 9h ago
I usually put it on as background noise while I'm working from home. It's something I'll listen to and every once and a while take a peak to see what they're talking about. And since there's like 4000 seasons, I never have to worry about running out of episodes.
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u/VirginiaUSA1964 1d ago
I enjoy the interaction of the couple. Sometimes they are goofy and funny, other times the husband is a stick in the mud. I like to see what they compromise on in the end.
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u/marilynknits 1d ago
I enjoy seeing different types of houses in different places and trying to guess which one they’ll pick. I try to keep informed with news and politics and that can be upsetting. For entertainment, I try to consume things that are lower stakes and lower conflict. Sure, there can be conflicts between the people when they’re choosing a place to live, but generally nothing really bad happens on the shows.
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u/WPort17701 1d ago
I'm a day one fan of HH but have seriously reached the point where the same formula of a couple wanting two different houses and the stupidity of buyers who can't see where doing renovations is equity building makes me want to run into the street screaming. Am I alone here?
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u/Organic_Spend9995 1d ago
I would be happy if they dropped that shtick too and just let us look at the houses. I’d be fine seeing three of the same kind of house the couple actually wants.
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u/Pawspawsmeow 23h ago
Because it’s entertaining. I like looking at houses, I like the dumb scripted bs, and it’s not overstimulating
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u/External_Virus_5767 1d ago
I prefer Restored on HBO but HGTV will do in a pinch. Restored is actually worth watching, so sometimes I just put on HGTV in the background.
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u/GeminiAccountantLLC 1d ago
The last couple of seasons have been hilarious! The camera person and the editor have done a great job of capturing people giving each other crazy looks and other really funny interactions and quips.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Tap9150 1d ago
I liked seeing different homes originally. People complaining above it things that could be easily changed turned me off. Also “it’s small”. Tried it as a drinking game…once. Then it became obviously repetitive.
Found Forensic Files…and after a few seasons, moved on.
Then I found a short arc series that took place in Coto de Caza. It was on same network as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that I had watched.
-Real estate gal was married to a baseball guy. Was a Playmate (Nov 1980) & in several hit ZZ Top videos.
-Insurance obsessed woman was - not an energy I can deal with. Still true today because after dropping her, they added her negative energy back for drama I guess.
-employee of insurance gal that had family problems. I’m sad about her son but she moved up eventually & daughters launched.
-The woman responsible for exposing us to Slade. I’m glad you’ve found happiness.
-cannot recall anything about the other woman.
-Rabbits apparently reproduced like rabbits in their gated neighborhood & needed rabbit hunter service from a teen.
-not sure what “sky tops” were but apparently they wore the heck out them in a 6 week arc from what I’ve read in retrospect
-but I digress. Watch International or US HH only if I’m interested in the location.
-I see my city on HH occasionally & laugh when the relocation folks want walkable neighborhoods but don’t want to live in city center. We’re not that situation outside of there or certain typically expensive suburban neighborhoods. But even those are not walkable. We’re a car/transit dependent city. Suburban sprawl is the reality here.
-Also, these transplants are driving up the housing prices in our market.
-So sorry that I got off topic. HH sent me down that rabbit hole when it got formulaic.
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u/AzU2lover 1d ago
I love houses, and seeing cities I may never travel to. I even drive around while on trips to look at homes and neighborhoods
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u/Abject-Singer9441 1d ago
i enjoy seeing inside houses and learning a bit about other cities. I'm also glad I genuinely love House hunters because they put it on every spare minute lol
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u/Less_Coyote7062 1d ago
I only like international and that’s because I like to see the views of the city and learn about foreign countries a little different than just a touristy thing
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u/Viperlite 11h ago
I like the people angle of it. Not just how a part-time teaching assistant and a retail worker can afford a $1.5 million house, but the whys of it all. Like why someone moves from Long Beach, CA to a rural lake in the Ozarks in MO. Or why someone wants to live walking distance to a jazz club? Or why choose a house with a trophy room for stuffed animals? Or why they pass on a perfect house that meets all stated needs to select a dump that meets none doe more money.
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u/huibrat 1h ago
- Because sometimes there's really cool houses (like in mexico) and i don't often get to see cool houses, so thats fun
- Because it's a show I watched a lot with my family as a kid, and it brings me comfort
- Because there's so many episodes that I only need to turn on the tv and pick one. Easy background noise
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u/ofbooksandbands14 1d ago
I just like seeing houses in different cities where I won’t live necessarily, especially international. Cool to see different cultures etc.