Restructuring reality shows on HGTV usually don’t depict the real world. The timelines are always too fast, for one thing. It’s enough to leave viewers expecting an entire home remodel to take 2 weeks. Any designer will tell you that’s nearly impossible. HGTV’s Love It or List It mainstay has its fair share of deceptions. But there are a few elements that make this Canadian program much closer to reality than many other network shows.
The long-running series Love It or List It pits real estate expert David Visentin against designer Hilary Farr. David Visentin tries to convince homeowners to find a new home while Hilary Farr redesigns their current property to help them fall in love with it again. In the end, the show’s participants decide whether to love their home and stay in it or sell it.
The series offers a lot of manufactured drama and over-the-top topics, just like any reality show. However, it scores points for its depiction of some truths.
Some programs make it seem like whole-house renovations can be done without any regard for budget. But on Love It or List It, Hilary Farr always stays within the homeowner’s budget and forces them to choose which projects to prioritize. These can change based on unexpected issues that pop up along the way.
Often, homeowners are forced to increase their budgets to get what they want. And even then, they never get everything.
The Designs On ‘Love It Or List It’ Don’t Always Look The Same
A common complaint about HGTV’s makeover shows is how repetitive they all are. But that’s not the case with Love It or List It. Hilary Farr takes homeowners’ requests into consideration even when he disagrees with their layout and decorating ideas. This is very different from how some designers approach design on other favorite HGTV shows.
The result is a diverse catalog of renovations that are closer to what an interior designer has to produce in his or her real job. So all the modern farmhouse takeover sufferers on HGTV can have a little respite.
