This is one of the top searches that brings people to my blog for answers each day: “Is Love It or List It fake?”
Apparently there are a lot of people out there who 1) watch the popular show on HGTV but 2) aren’t buying that all the drama in the episodes is real.
Other common searches: “Are Hilary and David married in real life?” and “Why were David and Hilary replaced by new hosts?”
Today I’ve got the answers for you!
#1. Is “Love It or List It” Fake?
Let’s put it this way: these kinds of shows are entertainment. They are not documentaries.
And if you really believe that the same basic pattern plays out naturally in every episode (the homeowners don’t trust Hilary’s plan, they hate the first house David shows them, Hilary runs into a major construction/financial problem that requires eliminating one of the projects she promised the homeowners she’d do, and then David finds them their dream house),well, I have a bridge to sell you.
I’ve heard rumors that two endings are always filmed, with the homeowners saying both “We’re going to love it!” and “We’re going to list it!” Then the producers choose which one to air during the final edit.
So…if that’s true, then the outcome has nothing to do with what happened in real life. At least not all the time.
A reader named Jen wrote me about this, saying:
Many people that appear on the show have no intentions of actually moving, but signed up for the show so they could get their renovations done at a discount. I’m not sure what the actual discount is, perhaps lower labor costs, but it’s cheaper than if they had hired an independent contractor to do the work.
If she’s right, then it would make sense for the producers to choose how each episode ends. Otherwise most homeowners would end up loving their newly remodeled houses and staying put, and poor David would never get to “win.”
I heard from a reader who was on the show and he answered some of these questions here.
Another reader told me:
I live in the area and know a couple who were on the show. What we don’t see is that some of the houses the couple are looking at are not actually for sale.
As well, the “after” shots of the rooms are not actually finished sometimes. My friend’s room was only half finished as they ran into more problems during the renos, so they took the shot to look as though the rooms are complete. Actually, they even did not finish sewing some of the cushions for the couches and just wrapped the fabric and placed it just so to look as though it was.
I’ve heard similar stories from people who were on House Hunters and Designed to Sell.
I always assumed that the constantly complaining homeowners were being “encouraged” by producers to act up a bit. But the designer on the show Hilary Farr insisted in an interview that the tension is all real:
“The show is not at all scripted and the reactions of the homeowners to renovation realities and bad news is very real. We see a one-hour rendition of a three-week process. It’s a lot for the home owners to process and the anxiety is apparent.”
In the end I’m not sure how much it matters if the show’s drama is “faked” a bit for TV. We get to do a little house hunting with the couple (even if they’re not always serious about moving) and it’s fun seeing how the renovations turn out.
#2. Are Hilary and David married in real life?
Ummm…no. I’m not sure why so many people think they might be.
Maybe because they bicker like an old married couple on the show?
However, Hilary says of her relationship with her costar, whom she met after they were cast together for the show,
“There’s a genuine deep affection between us and a really good, genuine, healthy competition. What you see is what you get. We do bicker. We are exact opposites. We adore each other. We make each other laugh a lot.”
#3. Why were Hilary and David replaced by that young couple?
This month a new version of the show premiered in the States (it was already airing in Canada) called “Love It or List It Too.”
Designer Jillian Harris (remember her as The Bachelorette?) and real estate agent Todd Talbot are the hosts of this one, which takes place in Vancouver instead of Toronto.
This seems to have caused a lot of viewer confusion and angst. A lot of people think this means David and Hilary got the boot. Some have told me they’re boycotting the show until the original hosts return or are calling for petitions to get them back.
But HGTV’s general manager Kathleen Fince explains:
“One of our biggest hits is Love It or List It…so we’re adding a companion spin-off series and welcoming two new talents to the HGTV family with Love It or List It Too.”
In other words, the original is getting great ratings but there are only so many episodes of it they can air…so now they have a second team creating more original programming with the same concept.
*UPDATE: Marci tells us what it was like to be on the show.*
Visit my HGTV page to learn more scoop about your favorite shows!
That’s funny they call it Love It Or List It Too in the US – here in Canada it is basically just the Vancouver edition. I can see why with a title ending of “too” one might think the hosts have been replaced.
The whole show seems staged to me. The drama actually annoys me, so I usually don’t watch it. I did watch an episode yesterday that was so drama-filled I actually started laughing 😉
the ads clearly state this is in addition to the original and that it’s just set on the west coast. i’m surprised there’s any confusion.
I completely agree, I love the idea of the show but the drama an the people having to choose being completely annoying and rude. it’s hard to watch
I agree – it is totally ridiculous a homeowner can ask for three floors to be renovated and then give a budget of $35K. My kitchen cost $25K and bathroom was over $10K. Nothing realistic about anybody thinking a reno is going to happen without wiring or structure problems. Actually annoys me when Hillary has to tell homeowner about a problem and the homeowners have the nerve to be angry.
I find it annoying that Hilary is so incredibly rude and mean to the home owners. As the seasoned veteran of renos you should be clear and honest with them about what their money will get them. She knows something always goes wrong, and yet doesn’t prepare for it. I refuse to watch this show now, and watch property brothers instead. They are nice, professional and realistic. No time for bitchy Hilary drama.
Also, I’ve been told by a friend who’s best friend (I know, friend of a friend of a friend, but this was a reliable, one step removed source) was on the Toronto version that they are told they need to go bicker now, or fight then. And that they must decide beforehand if they want to stay in their home, or if they will move… Not after the show as suggested,
Actually, I find the homeowners to be annoying, ignorant and totally unrealistic. You give Hilary $30K to reno multiple rooms on two floors, and, when she tells you that your furnace is kaput because you have a cracked heat exchanger and the first thing out of the homeowner’s mouth is “what did you do to it?” And then they expect her to replace the furnace and still do all the planned renos. Or the folks whose waste water is (illegally) going into the storm drain instead of the sewer and somehow THAT is not only Hilary’s fault but it’s also her fault she didn’t PLAN for this in the budget!!! Frankly, when something unrelated like that comes up, I think it should NOT be Hilary’s responsibility to pay for it…just fix it in the most cost-effective manner possibly.
agree….this is so annoying!!!. always the same story. it looks and feels very fake…boring!!
I can’t believe that Hilary always fails to put money aside for unexpected repairs when she plans out her renovations — you would think she would learn to do this after a couple of these experiences 😉
I know that Jonathan and Drew ALWAYS put money aside fo emergency matter when figuring out the reno budget. That’s why 99% of the time, a home inspection is contingent on the buyers’ offer for the house.
I wonder if anyone knows why are so many of HGTVs real estate/reno shows filmed in Canada, and it seems particularly around Toronto I am guessing. Are production costs cheaper there? I thought HGTV was actually based in Knoxville TN?
Anyone know the scoop on that?
Canadian broadcasting mandates that a certain portion of all on-air content (radio and television) must be done in Canada and/or by Canadians.
Although the Food Network and HGTV air in Canada, most American viewers would not recognize their programming. Because so much content is being created, I believe that is why it bleeds over to the US schedule.
I believe that Vancouver has offered lots of tax breaks for filming, which is why many TV pilots and movies are made there.
Gotta love the good ole U.S. of A. keeping costs up so businesses are driven out of the country. I also assumed the majority of HGTV shows are filmed in Canada, because the number of Americans that can afford to renovate or buy a new house has dropped significantly due to the recession (depression?). Bitter? Me? You’re darn right! 😉
The Canadian government gives subsidies to ensure that Canadian TV has enough Canadian content. That is shown at the end of these shows’ credits. This is not driving Americans out of the country, these are uniquely Canadian shows. It is probably cheaper for HGTV to buy access to the shows. Just like PBS buys BBC or TV 1 content. Toronto is an incredibly expensive city and without subsidies, I’m sure few shows could be made there.
I was a long time Detroit resident and enjoyed having access to Canadian TV while living there.
That being said, the people on Love It or List it are very unpleasant and I only watch when I am desparate for decorating shows.
It has nothing to do with the American recession. It’s a show produced in Canada by Canadians and starring Canadians. HGTV just pays for the right to air the show in the US.
I agree wholeheartedly, Heather! It’s sad, but true.
If that were the reason, why would HGTV be purchasing and airing the shows at all? Seriously, it has nothing to do with the US recession or economy. Canadian production companies make these shows and networks all over the world pay for the right to air them. That’s it. Nothing more.
Heather: If you really were a fan of this show, you would know it is a CANADIAN production.
Lifetime films their movies there too. Must be cheap but the homes are not cheap at all on the shows. They’re too close together, small and cost a lot of money.
You’re right about the lower cost to film in Canada. One of my siblings is a producer for a film production company that makes films almost exclusively for Lifetime Network. Up until the early 2000s her company was based out of Los Angeles and most of the films were produced and filmed in or around the greater Los Angeles area. They not only made movies for cable network, but also made movies for major networks like CBS. Around the late 1990s, the tax and spend Los Angeles City Council, in their ‘infinite wisdom’, decided to increase the regulations and fees required to shoot a film in Los Angeles. While other cities were creating incentives to film in their area, Los Angeles was going the other direction and in some cases increasing the fees tenfold. It was not a mere coincidence that at this time, film production companies began the exodus out of Hollywood/Los Angeles and setting up shop in places like Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Detroit and in the Southern U.S.
A bit of non-essential information: Even though my sibling is the head producer for several of the movies you see on Lifetime, due to Canadian rules and regulations, as my sibling is a U.S. citizen/resident(even though living in Canada 6 months a year, every year for the past decade) my sibling cannot be listed in the film credits as the producer, only as a consultant. My sibling still performs the same duties and has the same responsibilities as when making films in the U.S., where when making films in the U.S., my sibling is listed as the “producer”, but due to labor regulations, can only be listed as a consultant when filming in Canada.
Interesting! Thanks, John.
Tired of watching these shows from Canada. Houses and budgets are unrealistic for most people to believe here in the USA. These shows getting to be the same d same old.
Totally with you on that Ellie. Completely different housing culture, economy, etc… And how many buy-design-renovate-sell-decorate-buy-and-buy-some-more shows can they send us from up North? Is the US market really that important to Canadian real estate agents?
I LOVE this show!! I’ve always thought that the “drama” probably was a bit exaggerated, after all, it’s entertainment. I really just like seeing other people’s houses to give me ideas for my own. A girl can dream, can’t she? 🙂
I don’t like the idea that two endings are possibly filmed. That’s a bit deceiving in my eyes. I don’t think that everyone would stay put. They only reno a few rooms and the rest of the house might still look like crap, be too small, etc. I’d love to know whether those families that I’ve invested an hour of my time to do actually love it or list it!
I love the competition between Hilary and David. I find David hilarious. I haven’t seen the spinoff show because it doesn’t come on until 11 PM. Whether the show is real or not, I think it’s great to be able to get ideas from it.
we get sucked into that show from time to time, but it HAS to be fake. it couldn’t be more scripted and the same exact senario does play out over and over. not my fav.
Uh-oh, Julia…you are opening another can of HGTV worms! I have watched this from time to time. The drama is over the top, and the arguing…..ugh. I haven’t seen the new show. HGTV’s antics over the years are so unprofessional and dishonest, I’m surprised anyone bothers with them anymore.
I’ve only watched a few times and what turned me off was the bad acting! 🙂 I’m a big fan of House Hunters (solely for looking at homes) and Income Property (for before and afters), but this show does nothing for me and seems contrived.
Oh, Income Property. I cannot watch that show. And it’s on all. the. time!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Just curious: What don’t you like about it?
I used to like it! But the hosts voice….it grates on my nerves! Not to mention, it’s on all the time. I just can’t stand to watch a marathon of landlords. His designs are always fantastic, however!!!
When I initally watched the show I thought it was interesting, however – it soon became too predictable and thus boring.
The basis of the show is interesting, to bad it’s ruined by bad acting and scripting.
HGTV really needs to have a makeover on it’s programming.
Who are these people worried about the show being cancelled? That would be an answer to my prayers! This show is HORRIBLE! The drama is so fake (seriously, what designer goes blindly into a renovation without taking logistics into account??) It annoys me to no end, and we always change the channel when it comes on. Would love for it to be replaced by something else. ANYTHING ELSE!
Sing it, sister! I would LOVE to see this show cancelled. Everyone is always so angry and tense, and I hate the bickering. I like my HGTV to be light and fun. If I want scripted tension I’ll watch Law and Order or something.
I am SO with you on this. I cannot STAND this show. It seems like it’s on every time I turn on HGTV lately. I don’t like the bickering or how contrived it is–not appealing.
Amen! I’ve watched a few episodes and I hate the hammy, over-the-top bickering between the hosts. Reno drama, fine, but I want to see them focus on the solutions, not homeowners stamping their feet and having four-year-old-esque temper tantrums. I’ll change the channel now if this show comes on, which, unfortunately, is super often lately. HGTV definitely needs some new concepts/shows so they don’t need to do marathons of the same crap for four hours in a row.
Is there a reason you guys just don’t change the channel if you don’t like it? I mean really, who cares? The manufactured drama can be fun!
The manufactured drama is *never* fun. Adults behaving like children is not the least bit entertaining and to manufacture or encourage that kind of behavior is beyond disgusting.
I change the channel often when these shows become too much, but I do like to see the befores/afters. If they would just stick to the actual work and ideas this and shows like it would be so much more enjoyable.
Are you listening, HGTV? We don’t need drama; there’s enough of that in real life. (And we can always watch soap operas or read novels if we want that.) Give us shows with interesting renovation ideas and behind-the-scenes looks at how they’re done, and you’ll have a lot of satisfied customers. Fill your niche, don’t just jump on some lame bandwagon.
I’m with you Matt. I enjoy the show. If you don’t- change the channel. Problem solved!
I find this show very annoying, like most shows now on HGTV. The only one that’s fun sometimes is House Hunters International. I actually miss Trading Spaces. At least that was real (I think!)
OMG House Hunters International is the WORST. A bunch of overprivileged people being “ugly Americans” abroad.
Most of the “Americans” on House Hunters International are actually British or Canadian, and many of the people moving shown who are moving from the U.S. are originally from another country and moving back to their homeland.
Also, while some people on the show are wealthy or at least affluent, several are grad students or individuals with fairly ordinary jobs like teachers, travel agents, etc.
That said, I think the show gets repetitive and can be a bit boring at times.
I occasionally watch but am appalled at the inferior apartments and homes available in so many foreign countries, and the prices they command. It’s like New York City all over again; location costs dearly.
Most of the affluent people on the show are buying beach homes in the Caribbean, and those are shockingly expensive, too.
No offense, but I think this is where “ugly american” comments like Angela’s stem from – the expectation that you should get exactly what you had in the US, despite moving to another country.
That said, you are happy to expect what you expect if it is the norm where you are.
I like the show when it’s really international and I get to see housing stock in less familiar places like the former East Berlin, Australia or Scandinavia. But the minute we go to one more island paradise to find that oh-so-special second home, I switch channels. Although I do get a kick out of clueless Americans who think no one can live without them demanding huge American-style kitchens, dining rooms, and multiple bedrooms for “when our friends visit.” Yeah, your friends are going to fly from Seattle to Costa RIca for the weekend just to eat dinner and sleep in your showpiece getaway.
I find HH Iinternational quite interesting when these couples are in the Caribbean looking for their vacation homes!! Having been there many times, I have to laugh at how stupid these people are. They don’t like the furniture because it is too “tropical looking” but then they have their huge, heavy American furniture and rugs shipped (or they buy it and have it shipped) and my first thought is “Wait until they find out what they have to do before hurricane season starts!!!” The salt water damages just about everything if it is not protected. Even appliances have to be covered!! The salt water in the air “eats” the metal that the appliances are made of. I saw this first hand when we were thinking of buying a condo in St. Croix. It was another ballgame buying something in the Caribbean. Not to mention, hurricane insurance is VERY costly!! Yeah – and EVERYONE wants their vacation home or European apartment to have all the same amenities as their American residences. It ain’t gonna happen!! Don’t these people do any research on what lies ahead???
My least favorite HGTV show.
Amen.
I like the original. I watch it because I think it’s fun to see the renovations. I do think that the drama is a bit staged and fakey. I’ve seen the “too” version and I did not like it. The main reason is that I don’t want to see these new people act like Hillary and David. Especially the guy, he seems to be trying too much to act like David and it bugs me. I wish they would just act like themselves. Seeing their own personalities would be MUCH better.
I agree! I enjoy seeing the new scenery but I hate how they have adopted identical personalities to Hilary and David.
I agree with Jenn, I don’t like the Too show for the same reason, I just don’t watch it!
I wonder what ever happened to the ” David and Hillary’s Favorite Moments”
It never aired! I didn’t like the show when I first saw it, but now I watch the newer episodes and some of the older ones I’ve never seen. I usually tape it because of too many commercials and then I can just forward towatch the final renovatons.
I love Hillary and David on Love It or List it Please dont through the younger people in with an idential script and totally boring presentation. I am retired so watch HGTV a lot. No, I dont like replacement for Sandra Rinomato. Please show Sandra’s new show. I feel the success of these shows is with a good host you look forward to viewing. Replacements just dont do it for me. I change the channel. I used to watch Divine Design but it became silly with clown antics from her staff and lost its quality showmanship. Love the Brothers
THEN YOU SHOULD WATCH REALITY TV ….HGTV IT’S JUST THAT PLAIN AND SIMPLE….NO MORE GOOD DESIGNERS WITH GREAT TIPS ON DECORATION,REMODELING,ETC…THEY LOST THEIR SOUL AND PURPOSE…HGTV MANAGEMENT FORGOT IT’S HOME AND GARDEN NOT REALITY TV FROM CANADA
The concept of the show is good, however, like many others have stated, the acting annoys me. It feels forced &/or fake. The ending is the most silly part of the entire show. When the homeowners “disscuss” what they plan on doing, while Hilary and David “peer” into the room to guess what they going to do. I mean REALLY!! They are standing RIGHT THERE!!! That part always gets me! lol
It’s like every other “reality” show out there….faked for 99% of it. It scares me that one day there will only be reality shows available. I have watched this twice and it was like watching the exact same program just with two different home owners…boring and predictable.
I like this show a lot, but I wish they had a U.S. version.
I want a love it of list it three, here in the USA
I really need my house to have an in law suite
added! HGTV do you hear me?
I used to love watching this show, but because the pattern and drama is exactly the same in every episode, I stopped watching.
I’m waiting for the episode where there are no “surprises” and the homeowners get everything on their list. Now that would be a twist!
I did see one episode where there was a surprise but the couple just have Hilary more money and so they didn’t get any projects taken away.
I appreciated that because David can always go over the budget to find the perfect house. That makes me sick! Real life isn’t like that.
Of course it is. I know people househunting who have had their realtors do that.
I remember one show when the camera caught the Realtor lock box on the back door (the door the homeowners used instead of the front door) in the middle of renovations and while they are discussing selling or staying. Also, this same homeowner slipped & said, “Oh look, there’s our old house!”. While standing on the back balcony of a house he & his wife were looking at with David. The wife said, “Oops! You just gave it away!” Or something. I knew then that they were going to list, and sure enough, they did! The bickering and drama is so stressful, I turn this show off everytime it’s on. From most of the comments here it seems to me that this show isn’t as popular as HGTV would like to think. Maybe HGTV isn’t facing “reality” as they should, with this reality TV show! 🙂
Well I personally love both the old and new versions of this show. Vancouver is a gorgeous city, which is why the houses are soooo expensive. I realize that the drama can seem exaggerated, but I do think it would be stressful handing over your hard earned dollars to a designer and not always getting everything you want. I think people are forgetting why we watch the show…..because we’re hooked on houses! For goodness sakes, have you not noticed how fabulous the design is? Hillary and Jillian are both amazing designers. That’s why I watch the show.
I don’t actually always love the designs, which I get is personal taste, but my problem is that it’s not even really about the designs. How much time do they actually spend discussing the concept of the space/working on it/finding items for it/etc. compared to the time they focus on everyone talking to the camera about drama? I’d rather have a strict design show, like Color Swap or Candice Olsen or that guy who also always paints a new piece of art for the room (blanking on his name/show), then some design shoehorned into watching the two hosts sniping, ‘oh my design is better than your house-hunting skills. they’ll stay’ ‘no, they won’t!’ back and forth. Even Property Brothers, having a similar format every episode, is more entertaining because the hosts are likable and there is more emphasis on what they get done.
“Love it or List it” is another show that I find boring. What has happened to HGTV? There was once a time when I actually enjoyed watching it and it was one of my favorite channels. Now HGTV is boring and it seems like they only care about making money instead of making shows that appeal to their viewers. That is exactly why I’ve stopped watching.
I agree Kim, I used to watch HGTV all the time, but now it is so contrived and predictable with way too much fake drama. Also, what happened to the garden part of HGTV??? I miss those shows.
I have no idea, but I agree with you, I wish they still had gardening shows on hgtv. Those were my favorites.
I agree. I miss shows with REAL designers; Christopher Lowell, Chris Madden, Kenneth Brown, et al, that actually taught us something. I’m so weary of destroying rooms and redoing them – all in modern, contemporary styling. Apparently, HGTV hates any style of decor other than contemporary. And it hurts when I see perfectly good kitchen cabinets sledgehammered rather than carefully removed to take to Habitat for Humanity. Enough with the instant makeovers.
Totally agree! I miss all the designers, and when a new Design Star wins their own show, they bury them in time slot hell so you never really see them again.
I miss Clive and talented Lisa LaPorte and also enjoyed the Designed to Sell shows, which you’d think would fly now when it’s so hard to sell a home.
I think a lot of this show is staged. Just the fact that people go on this show with a house that is at least 100 years old and they whine towards Hilary about not being able complete a renovation of their kitchen, bathroom, basement and bedroom all while adding a new mudroom and more storage for a whopping $25,000 seems pretty obvious to me. LOL. It drives me nuts.
This bugs me too. The homeowners have large wish lists with modest budgets. And get angry when Hilary finds an issue/problem that must be rectified. Some of the homeowner reactions are over the top, just plain nasty. But I do enjoy the original over the new version. The two Vancouver hosts are irritating. I prefer Income Property and Property Brothers much more. Wish the twins would come to my house.
I love the property brothers too! 🙂 Just FYI….this was originally a Canadian show as well, although I have noticed that recent episodes are filmed in the US.
Agreed, I wish Hilary would say, “I often find problems with this old houses, we will do our best to meet your needs, but problems do arise.” I enjoyed the show for a while, then it became predictable. So I would watch the beginning, a few houses in the middle and the end and just skip over the arguing part.
I like Jillian though, even though her acting is pretty bad. Ha! I loved her on the Bachelorette. I want to hang out with her.
But I dislike the Property Brothers because it also seems so staged and I really don’t like their designs and the fact that they sort of strut like pretty boys. Ooh, that sounds terribly rude of me doesn’t it! The two men I like are the kitchen brothers. They seem natural on tv to me.
This is my big complaint about this show – although I do watch it frequently. I like Hillary and her designs, but it is so unrealistic to take a laundry list of “must haves” and then have the HOMEOWNER tell you what they’ll pay, instead of the designer telling them what it will cost. Plus, David ALWAYS finds them a “dream home” that’s “only” $100K more than their top budget, and they jump at the chance to buy it, but if Hillary needs more money because they have to completely fix the electrical or replace the roof or the HVAC in the house, forget it! If Hillary could always have an extra $100K she could probably give them a whole new house! I also dislike the bickering of the couples, but I know this is done to add “drama” and “interest” to what is ostensibly a reality show. I actually like to listen to Hillary and David bicker. I haven’t seen the LILI-Too show because it’s on too late at night for me. Hope they’ll post episodes online or start showing it during the evening hours.
You must have never had major work done on your house. You have a budget and you tell the people what you can afford. Their job is to tell you whether they can do the work for that amount – with an estimate. That’s the one thing they don’t seem to do on the show. Give an estimate first. They just jump right into the work then “discover” the money may not be enough. But unforseen problems arise that may cause increased costs. Happened to me, even after the estimate before the work started.
I don’t watch it because I thinkg Hillary and David are horrible, so maybe I’ll give the new people a try!
I could barely tolerate the bickering from my children, I am certainly not going to waste my time watching “Love It Or List It”! I watched exactly 2 minutes of it once, and never again.
LOVE the Property Brothers, except for when they have obnoxious clients.
The HGTV show “Hawaiian Life” also gets on my last nerve, mostly because I live here and there is SO MUCH they don’t tell or show about living here, it’s almost criminal.
Good to know! Care to share some insider information????
I don’t want to go off topic on this thread but I’ll give the lowlights…. extremely high cost of living coupled with lower than mainland wages, broken public school system, isolation from family and friends back home. The airfares during holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc) triple in rates, so seldom do we see family for these (as today, I am alone while my family back home is having a gathering of 18!) Some find it hard to assimilate into a social life here- you have to really make an effort to get involved. Vog from the Kilauea volcano! (vog is created when volcanic gases (primarily oxides of sulfur) react with sunlight, oxygen and moisture. The result includes sulphuric acid and other sulfates. Vog is made up of a mixture of gases and aerosols which makes it hard to study and potentially more dangerous than either on their own. Tsunamis (we’ve had three in 5 years), houses need spraying and tenting for destructive termites, pesky cockroaches and biting centipedes. It’s lovely here, but it’s not the “move to paradise and be happy forever” story that they’re selling.
Oh my, biting centipedes would be enough to send me running!
This so much! And bougainvillaeas. My god. They are freaking ant colonies, and when you hack their roots to bits, they grow back!
The only nice places are new ones and stuff in town, everyone here does NOT know how to surf, and there is a very simple pronunciation system that should be followed with Hawai’ian words! Like hookaahea. (Hoh-oh-kah-ah-heh-ah.)
O = oh. A = ah. E = eh. I = ee. U = oo.
W = v. (Possibly because the translator was German.)
That show downright stereotypes us while mispronouncing everything!
I think you are wrong they have so many great ideas.
Wasn’t one show bad enough? Now we have the clones, OMG.
I love HGTV but this has got to be THE WORST SHOW EVER, and for some reason they play it all the time! One good thing, it’s made me turn the tv off and read more books 🙂
~ Kim
They play it all the time because it’s one of their most watched shows in the history of the channel. I’m not saying that makes it great, but if something gets string ratings, the network will keep showing more of it.
I happen to live in Vancouver where the show is called “Love it or List it Vancouver.”
Vancouver is the most expensive place to live in Canada. Most of the houses within city limits are small and very expensive.What the realtor host does not mention is, to move to bigger homes means out in the suburbs and a long commute. Because of the high tax base, most of the homes have basement suites which are rented out to help cover the mortgage costs. I still prefer David and Hilary.
I watch the show but it does seem pretty staged. I always think that Hilary looks incompetent & if she really were she wouldn’t be a designer for long. I’ve seen the new one once -it was okay but I’m sure I’ll get used to them. 🙂
Thank you! If Hillary came to my house and offered a free renovation I think I would run the other way. She sure is a screw-up when it comes to doing her due diligence beforehand. No professional would do that. I’d bet anything that the whole show is a fake.
I’ve seen this show a couple of times and IMO it glorifies incompetence of realtors and contractors and the “something for nothing” homeowner mentality.
If Hilary was my GC and brought in the poor results she does on the show I would sue her in a red hot minute. The Realtor shows houses that are clearly unsuitable, mostly because they are not even near the stated desired neighborhood. The couples are ignorant of the market, construction costs, and basic principles of value. They’re greedy and petulant. And EVEN IF they are “acting” for the show, they are idiots to allow themselves to be used in that way and greedy for acting like louts on tv to lower their renovation costs.
Agree with you, especially about the obnoxious home owners. Yet when we were house hunting ourselves, and very clearly stated what we wanted and did not want, agents ignored us and showed us whatever houses happened to be on the market in the price range we’d indicated, even when the houses were clearly unsuitable. It also doesn’t take a lot of effort to read the MLS and find houses for sale, but David appears to make heavy work of it. Fake.
My husband and I watch this show occasionally. I’ll admit that when I watch HGTV shows, I’m thinking about how much of the show is scripted or made “just so” by the producers. It doesn’t stop me from watching though. I like to see the afters even if they are staged! 😉
I find it interesting that the contest HGTV was running required you to watch “Love It or Leave It” to get the clues. I watched once to see the program and then again to see if it was as bad as I remembered. It was.
After the second or third time of watching “Love It or List It”, I realized it was going to be the same scenario played out over and over. Hillary and her team would renovate the homeowners current house but never without some drama where they would run into some unexpected problem and had to cut one of the improvements. Then David would try to convince the homeowners they needed to sell their old place but the first two properties he would show them would never meet their expectations and finally the third house would be the charm!
It became a little annoying with the same plot basically over and over. The only part I really like about the show was seeing the renovations to the old house. Yes, I would say alot of it was staged. I doubt that the homeowners ever bought any of the properties David showed them even when they decided ot sell.
ALL of hgtv has become so fake. Bad scripting and bad acting all over it. I can hardly watch anything on there anymore.
Typical HGTV, a show becomes popular so they saturate the airwaves with multiple episodes during the day and multiple versions. I canceled cable recently and I dont miss the Real Estate Network known as HGTV one bit.
“Real Estate Network known as HGTV”
That’s true. I’ve wondered what happened to the “G” part of the name. It’s just about buying and improving houses.
I never made it though an ep of “Love It or List It”. The theatrics on that one are just too silly for me. I’ve seen quite a few “Househunters”, but at this point I usually just leave the audio off and forget the phony shopping chatter.
The audio on House Hunters is awful. “It’s so open.” “There’s no granite.” This is a very good show when I need to take a nap.
I am very glad to hear that David and Hilary are still on. I was checking out the station on Monday night and I saw the New people and I got very up set to see them. now boby can replace David and Hilary ever. They are the show. I will try very hard to give the one that is in the State ok. But it will not be the same as the old one. I am in hopes that you guys there at HGTV are listening and give those guys an pay raise to make sure that you keep them.I just LOVE them. I watch them all on the week end. Know if you guys will help me to win the HGTV dream house. I would love you guys to pieces. My husband and I real like to have some thing very nice for a change.
I wonder why this show can’t be produced in the United States? There are probably people here that would like help…why both shows in Canada? The other day I watched the show where the family wanted a double sink in their Master bath and Hilery couldn’t figure out how to do it…My bathroom is much smaller than the one she was working with and my contractor used my same base cupboards and put in a molded double sink in place of the single sink that was on it and routed the plumbing from one sink to the other so there was no wall plumbing that had to be done. I am also tired of the dumps that David shows the people…fake or no, let’s be realistic. Who would want any of those, especially with the price tag that goes with them.
These are Canadian shows made by Big Coat Productions, which is out of Toronto. HGTV buys them to play on their network.
It’s not a matter of HGTV deciding to film two shows in Canada, all HGTV does is pay for the right to air them.
“Love it or List It” annoys the ever-lovin’ heck out of me. It’s the same thing over and over. But what surprises me is that these homeowners are willing to show their filthy, disgusting homes on TV. They should be filming “Hoarders” in some of these houses.
I love Property Brothers, though. And Property Virgins (with Sandra, not that other lady). What I like about Property Virgins is that the buyers don’t always get a house because they don’t qualify or they get outbid, etc. Just like in Real Life.
In Canada a lot of the design shows (Love it or List It, Sarah Richardson, Bryan Bauemler, Mike Holmes) are done out of the greater Toronto area, because, as all Canadians know, Toronto is the centre of the universe (said in jest). I think it’s because the heads of the networks are based out of there. Although Sarah Richardson has done a few renos out west. It does get frustrating when all the casting calls for the renovation shows include the “you have to live near Toronto” when Canada is such a big country.
I love it when there are design shows from Vancouver! This includes Love it of List it too/Vancouver and I’ve heard that Property Brothers are filming out here too. I think they have an office in Vancouver anyway? A mom from school says her neighbours are going to be on PB.
There was a show recently about de-cluttering that I liked, but I can’t remember the name of it. I’d be scared to show my messy, cluttered house on that one. It seemed real and I admired the homeowners on that show 🙂
PB does have offices in Vancouver and Las Vegas. Also, the new show, Buying and Selling? That’s done in Texas I think? Which is I think is so random.
I read that Buying and Selling is being filmed in Austin, TX and Toronto, because that’s where HGTV got the most people writing in that they wanted to be on the show. They said the two stars (is it David and Jonathan???) now live in Las Vegas, but travel around to do the show. The article also said that they will be doing some shows in Vancouver for the next season.
Like many others, I am just sick of the hours and hours of reruns of the exact same shows. HGTV used to be so creative and fresh – now it’s the same old thing hour after hour. Not everyone wants to see their house! Bring back true decorating shows, design shows, and garden shows.
One show I’ll plug is the new one that’s been on Saturday mornings – West End Salvage out of Des Moines, Iowa – it was filmed in Des Moines and the owners of a great store called West End Architectural Salvage revamp rooms for homeowners using, you guesses it – architectural salvage. At least it’s not a buying/selling show!
My friend was on the show a year or so ago. They actually do film two endings but the homeowners don’t know which until the show airs. On the show their basement was refinished at a cost of $60,000, but she told me it was worth at least $100,000 since trades and suppliers will give reduced prices and discount items in return for for recognition at the end of each show.
Nothing was scripted for them but they were encouraged to exaggerate bothe the negatives and positives.
Interesting! Thanks, Krista.
Speaking of messy houses, I watched an episode of Love It or List It this morning. There was so much stuff/clutter in the house Hilary told the homeowners they had to clear it up before she could begin on the rehab.
I spent a couple of weeks helping out my elderly parents, and subjected my dad to watching this show several times. He finally said, “If most of these people would just clean up their houses and get rid of a lot of their crap, their houses would be plenty big enough for them!” That cracked me up, since he’s 90!!! He also pointed out that these couples with two little kids who just can’t seem to live together in a 1500 square foot house because it’s too small should stop buying so many toys. My folks raised 6 children in a 1500 square foot house, so he has no sympathy for them.
LOL Thank you,DG! I agree with your father. I don’t understand why kids can’t share a room anymore? I had 4 boys in one big room and my daughter in a small room and our master had a small bathroom – never would I call it an on-suite!! People do have too much stuff now and why does everyone need a home office?? Do they all work at home? The house I grew up in was a transformed barn, I can say that I am not traumatized by my upbringing in it. LOL
I get a little tired of the scripted feeling on most of the shows as well. However, there was a show on several years ago that I really liked, but I can’t recall the name. The host was a young guy with dark curly hair and he would go into someone’s place (usually an apartment) and using their own stuff, would redecorate rooms, pulling furniture, rugs, etc. from other rooms and making them
work in new ways. It was a fresh challenge each time, and he gave me some really good ideas. I wish the show hadn’t been pulled.
What I’ve always hated is when a couple are being interviewed and they say “We’re very active and we want a house to match our active lifestyle”.. What the hell does that mean??
Open floor plans with room for everyone to run around without bumping into walls. Huge mudrooms for everyone’s junk. Granite counters for durability. A separate play are for the kids to be loud without disturbing the rest of the family.
I guess. 😉
I miss “If Walls Could Talk”. Historic Preservation is one of my favorite things & I loved that show. But of course, it is no more…
I agree, Debbie. I wish they would bring back that show. I’ve looked and looked for it on the TV Guide channel and haven’t seen it for quite some time.
I like Love It Or List It ok but it’s been humdrum for some time now, so I won’t be watching it much longer and the last thing I want is a “Too”. I watched it once and it was like watching a bad immitation of David and Hilary and they’re fake enough without help. If it wasn’t for seeing the completed reno, I would have quit watching this some time ago.
I haven’t seen PB on in a while…did they do away with them along with If Walls Could Talk? What about some gardening shows? I used to hear about them from my cousin before I ever watched HGTV but I don’t see them now that I’ve started to watch the channel more.
Me, too! I loved that show. That and wasn’t there a show called Dream Home or something? Where we followed a homeowner as they completely renovated their house into their dream home.
I can’t stand Selling New York.
I have watched a few episodes. In two I noticed the “homeowners” were the contractor that they use for every episode and another episode was Hilary’s assistant. In both episodes they acted like they had never met . . .totally turned me off and I have not watched again since.
I saw the ep with the assistant Desta’s house and they made it very clear multiple times that it was her assistant Desta. At one point, Hillary even says she can’t believe this is her assistant Desta because of the way she is acting.
In the “Eddie” episode, it was also made very clear that Eddie was a member of her crew. In fact, the premise was that he works in other people’s homes and never finishes his own projects, so for HIS WIFE’S SAKE, they made his home an episode. He was supposed to STAY OUT of the renovation, just like homeowners in other episodes. But, whether fake or real, he puts his nose in their business and creates more drama. I originally hated the show and bickering. I have since grown to like Hillary and David. I guess enough of their real relationship as friends has come through, I’ve added them all together, and now I don’t see their jousting as total bickering – kind of like some couples we might know in real life who love each other but are always taking jabs at each other. I do find it irritating that Hillary always seems to have allotted her entire budget such that something has to be cut. Also, can’t she just assume that in a 100-year-old house, the wiring will not meet code? That’s one thing I like about Income Property. Scott McGillivray seems to be totally real and makes comments from the git-go that this or that will probably need to be totally redone. When surprises do come, they usually are true surprises (shoddy workmanship in a newer home that was not expected, etc.).
I felt from the beginning that it was likely staged. Partly because I am married to a Canadian and in the last 15-years I’ve come to know many of his friends and family plus we have traveled extensively through out Canada. I can say that in my experience, the reactions on the show are not typical of the way the average Canadian communicates. Obviously, I don’t know ALL Canadians. Perhaps the tension is real in that the couple has to process the bad news and they feel really upset at whatever is cut. But, no way that many people are THAT rude. I just don’t buy it. The one that actually made me mad was an episode that was to include Hillary taking down the back wall to expand the kitchen. There was a tree in the back yard and it turned out that there were regulations prohibiting building or digging within a certain distance of the tree roots. The couple completely came unglued and yelled at Hillary. Not just a WTF Hillary but they stood there and berated her. NO flipping way!
However, I love the byplay between Hillary and David. It is SO obvious that they are very good friends. The way they bicker is endearing to me.
I cannot always guess if they are going to Love it or List it, so it rings true that the show (possibly) films both reactions. I think of the couple where the man got an amazing office and he said he was not worth it. Hillary scolded him and said of course he was worth it. I was 1000% sure they were going to Love it and they Listed it. I searched to see if there are any follow-ups to show List it couples in the new houses and I cannot find anything. Which really makes me wonder how many truly end up moving? There are episodes with families to large for the current home and Hillary ends up not being able to add the bedrooms or the extra needed bathrooms. It makes sense that these families would end up moving.
ANYWAY I love the show, and I keep watching it even with the possibility that it is all staged. Plus, I adore Desta Ostapyk and I want to be friends with her LOL. I loved the episode they did of her house. I felt like most of the interactions were so tough in cheek that they had a hard time not laughing. The one exception that felt real was when Hillary was snarking to the stand in designer that Desta NEVER had her over for dinner and the stand in designer said how fun it was to come to Desta’s house and she was there often and Hillary seemed to be truly annoyed by it.
I used to wonder WHERE ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH people were getting that kind of appraisal on those dumps of houses until I found out the show was filmed in Canada. I feel sorry for Canadians; I wouldn’t give $100K for most of the homes that are supposedly valued at half a million or more.
Sorry we dont all live in the middle of nowhere. We pay the high price to live in a beautiful city
I’ve visited Toronto several times. It is a wonderful city though expensive. But worth the expense.
I want to know where on earth you can get a house for 100,000!!
The average price for a detached house in Vancouver is over a million dollars. 800,000 is considered “entry level”.
It’s a great place to live. Unfortunately, too many people know this, and it drives property values up. I listed my 25 year old 2 bedroom condo a few years back for $499,000 and had people lined up to buy it because it was priced so “low”. I ended up getting $526,000 for it.
West Texas, and many other areas in the US have houses under $100,000. I want to know what Canadians make for salaries that they can afford these homes? I couldn’t touch anything I’ve seen on this show on my salary. But I own a home in Massachusetts. I could afford to live in Canada! It boggles my mind at the prices and I am always wondering what these people make a year to afford them????
Just saw an episode of LIOLI Vancouver, and one home that realtor Todd showed the couple was 1) about 1-1/2 hours away from their existing house 2) currently not for sale and 3) had been on another HGTV show “Massive Moves”. It does make you wonder where they find these “houses for sale”.
Interesting! It does make you wonder.
Not a fan of this show at all. Just not a fan of the overall premise nor of the hosts. Sometimes a lot of the HGTV hosts come off of as self righteous. While many of the designs are very pretty and nice some are so also ostentatious and over the top, while others are so cheap it’s tacky. Like let’s turn these 500 wine corks into a side table! Where’s the medium with a genuine host? This show just screams disingenuous.
I am enjoying the new Hawaii Life, such a beautiful island and I love seeing all the tropical design features. Also loving House Hunters International and of course House Hunters. For me knowing just how fake it all is I now try to figure out which houses are the fake ones. Plus I still love peeking into the windows. Enjoying the You Live In What type shows too.
I would love to see some shows based around international design. From Tropical to African to Asian to European, all those different countries have some unique and varied designs and features. Then there’s Ikeas success with Swedish. From the houses themselves to the designs there is so much I would like to see.
I love Hilary’s decorating ideas – and it’s true, the chemistry between them is wonderful! I don’t really care what’s staged and what’s not. I just love looking at the houses – and the reveal is so much fun.
For those of you who like the Property Brothers, Google them. You’ll find out that they are both actors who have appeared in tv shows and who have a film-making company. They are both realtors but only to support their film company. So, nothing on HGTV is really real. Where is Christopher Lowell? He made five living spaces out of one bedroom! His show was great!
I met a lady last year who tried to get on House Hunters. She was told that the show was interested in using her family, but, to ‘call back’ after she had a house under contract. The show is totally staged, the people who do this show already know which house they are buying before filming begins!
That’s true. I’ve heard a lot of stories like that. Here’s a post I wrote about one of them: https://hookedonhouses.net/2012/06/11/house-hunters-what-it-was-like-to-be-on-the-show/
There is an episode of Love it or List it where the owners decide to list (US title “Mom moved in”, 2011, couple’s names are Alana and Mark). They wanted to re-do the upper level and make the basement an in-law suite for the mother of the husband. Because of budget issues they were only able to get one room in the basement finished (they joked it would be a “mom-cave”). I swear that there is an episode of Income Property featuring the same house where Scott finishes the basement for a different couple. The LIOLI episode was just on which is why I have the details for it, I don’t remember any details from the income property episode. Maybe in at least one LIOLI episode when they said list it, they meant it.
Seriously, I HATE this show!! I hope HGTV is reading because we NEVER watch this!!!!! Part of the reason is their annoying personalities. 😉
Why are people so obsessed with “Is it real?” What difference does it matter? It’s just entertainment. Don’t like it? Don’t watch it. There are those of us that DO like it- fake situations or not. And let’s face it- anyone who thinks Hillary can redo three floors of a 100-year-old on a $35,000 budget and NOT cut something is seriously out of touch.
I’ve recently started watching both the east and west coast versions. The bickering and bad acting aside, does anyone else think the contractor guys are milking as much money as they can? I know most of the older houses have problems but seriously, these guys are over the top. I bet most of the money these poor home owners give for the reno goes to these leeches and the rest goes to the custom storage that seems to be their solution every time! No wonder Hillary can’t get every thing in the list done, the money is going towards these rip off contractors. One week of watching this and I’m already bored and pissed at how these home owners get taken. I just watched an eposide where they had $90k for renos and she only did 2 things on the list! $90k can go a lot farther in real life.
Yes, the electrical issues in particular seem to always be a stupendous cost. And that’s not true to life. Hilary’s custom built-ins are probably a lot more expensive than pulling a batch of Romex.
I am not thrilled with Love it or list it. I can tolerate once a week and enjoy some of the bickering, That is all I enjoy. I have been a BIG FAN of HGTV for many years.
That said what is happening? I could enjoy Property Brothers once or twice a week. Same with Kitchen Cousins…Then they (the producers extend each show) into an hour version and broadcast that show along with the originalshow. Same with INCOME PROPERTY. I am disabled an I am unable to go out very much. Did you know that most days the producers show ONE SHOW for 6-8 per day back to back? The show are not that great Why can’t we see some of the olser way back showes during the day instead of back-to-back-toback,,sorry,
So I do not watch HGTV hardly ever anymore I check the listings for it everydayand 90% of the time I forget it and watch reruns of Law and Order.
PS: Do you know WHERE and WHY Vern; Candice, David Bromstead’ June Lockheart among many others Genievve (SP?) Sarah Richardson all go> Mainly WHY? What is wrong with these producers? Ratings up my I; not around here.
ps: I am sorry to Jlia and her fans I am sicker than usual
I don’t care if its rigged or not I can’t stand the show and I feel like HGTV is cramming in down my throat with all the airings. I guess it has to be popular or they wouldn’t but I definitely don’t watch it.
I like old houses, but they never have shows about revovating them. Everything is modern & contemporary. There needs to be more shows on HGTV for period revovations like DIY’s “Rehab Addict”.
Totally agree with this. I like to see the designs but I am not a fan of contemporary style at all. I have watched Rehab Addict and just love her
and her appreciation of the old and unique. I wish HGTV would have shows that dealt with real renos that don’t all look the same.
I’m not feeling the new version. Hilary and David are a hoot, and the original version is very entertaining, due almost entirely to Hilary and David’s onscreen chemistry. But producers can’t simply bottle that and repackage the formula with two entirely different hosts. it doesn’t work because it’s contrived. What Hilary and David have is spontaneous and organic, and they can’t just replicate that with two entirely different people. Love the original version, but the new version is painful to watch.
Ditto. I feel as though we are NOT seeing two real people with the “too” hosts.
I like these shows. Sure it may be contrived and a bit overdone at times but both couples, Hillary and David and Jillian and Todd, do a good job of playing off one another and I like seeing the finished product. Would rather watch these than some of the junk that’s passing for reality t.v. these days.
Most of the home owners are annoying and rude ,I would like to watch the show more but it’s too intense with the rude owners ,they should be greatful for what Is being done for them ~like the outcome and the homes just can’t stand that it’s always the same attitude ..they should change this if they want more viewers
I record the show, watch the beginning for the issues, walk-thru and budget, then fast forward almost to the end to see the best house and then the reveal. A lot less drama this way!
i love love it or list it but the young new hosts aren’t as good as hillary and david they try to be like them but it just doesn’t work the other thing about the show is that someone in the couple is always negative towards hillary or david
here are my favorite episodes of the show
mckeon brice
olmstead
desta and mark
chris and patrea
colin and beth
adamids
sproat
smyth
I love the show, I’ve probably seen every episode by now. But it drives me so crazy that every episode goes the same way. I already know these shows actually show many more homes than they put in the episode, and pick the best 3 different reactions. What bothers me most is that there is always a huge problem with everyone’s home and a big part of the original plan has to be taken out. How can that be possible in every home? And then midway through construction, the homeowners come see their house and they hate something so Hilary has to change it up. What a waste of money. I think it’s 95% scripted.
Have you ever in even one show finished what you said you would finish..why all the drama..please just finish One home like you promise. This is soo annoying.
It is always the same thing. The couple only like the last home they are shown, only part of the renovations are completed-the homes are always old with lots of problems, so the money goes for repairs-and the arguing seems so staged. Just watch the last 10-15 minutes to see the before and after of the home. I do other things during the middle of the show. Actually, I don’t watch the show as much ss I use to because I can always predict the outcome of it.
Excellent synopsis!
Love, Love the original Love it or List it. David and Hilary are priceless!! Not too sure of the spinoff with Jillian and Todd….they seem too fake where David and Hilary are naturals.
Plus the ideas are awesome!!!
I love the show, especially the compention between the hosts. David’s sense of humor and the amazing way Hillary comes up with the designs. So what if it has a little drama. It gives me ideas on what I can do to my home.
Is there anyway that you can come to the United States of America. I would love to have you do my home in Georgia.
God bless
how do you choose homes, people, for the show? i am newly widowed, my husband did all work on house. it is nearly completed, i would like to finish our dream; no intention of selling. need help with design and reputable(and fair price) of someone as competent as my talented husband Ric. please lend an opionion, or direction for me to work with, this is all so out of my experience.
thank you.
jeanne
i dont care if its real or fake or mixed i like to see how they renovate and decorate the old places.
I have a love hate relationship with this show. I like looking at the renos and seeing what hilary does to the old houses and I like touring the possible move ins. The drama is definitely annoying and the fact that every episode is the exact same. I dvr the show so I can fast forward a lot of it. I would love to see an episode where hilary uses some of the homeowners things instead of spending money on new art/furniture/decor which would allow more of the money to go towards the reno problems; some of the homeowners have a nicely put together house. Obviously these are old houses and i’m sure hilary and probably the homeowners are already aware of the “issues” that arise and have already agreed for it to be fixed.
I like the show but the bickering between the hosts is almost unbearable..sometimes I change it until the end, when I can see the end results…
I LOVE love it or list it! It’s a great show! The best parts are at the end and to see Hillary’s new fixtures. This is a great show but I wish there wasn’t always a problem with basement and that it could go perfectly for once.There is alot of drama with the clients. It seems like always with couples one is on Hillary’s team and one is on David’s: strange. So thats that. Love it or list it too in my opinion is kind of boring; but I know it will improve because they are just starting out. Some parts are weird because Jillian and Todd try to act like Hillary and David but don’t do much of a good job. especially the part when Jillian says to Todd : “Get down” when there was a beam infront of his head! Thats exactly what Hillary said to David! Anyways; I rather watch Love it or List it rather than Love it or List it too because it seems like young actors trying to be someone else. I give Jillian and Todd an A+ for having the courage to be like Hillary and David 🙂
Yes I agree, There shouldn’t always be a problem with the basement! I also think love it or list it is more interesting than love it or list it too:)
There pretty much has to be a problem between the homeowners. If they both wanted to love it or both wanted to list it, there would be no show. 🙂
But I’m with you on the basements, and L or L too. He is WAY over the top.
I think it’s funny how many people think Hillary’s construction problems feel scripted. We’ve done THREE separate renos, and each time it’s played out like a Love it or List it episode. Something shocking and unexpected was discovered, much angst ensued, it was all somehow resolved, and the finished room/addition looked awesome. Sad but true.
Scripted? That really is the premise of the show. One wants to leave, one wants to stay. Is it over the top sometimes. Sure, but it is entertaining most of the time. Honestly, I like the show, but mostly because Hillary is a smokin hot milf 😉
I agree. I watch mostly because Hilary is sexy as hell!
Light entertainment but have it memorized it’s sooo predictable!
I just watch the last episode which someone did not review it before it aired. The couple had two boys and wanted a room for each boy since one had to walk through the others to get to his room.
Whe David was showing the couple a home he said that there are two seperate rooms for the girls. Even made a muss that one girl had her seperate bathroom and he had a better one for the wife since he did not want the daughter to outdo her. Please———-Girls the couple had two boys. Bad goof!!!!!!
Funny! I missed that episode.
Regarding your response to the following question:
” #2. Are Hilary and David married in real life?
“Ummm…no. I’m not sure why so many people think they might be….”
The answer is because there is body language, and familiarity that tells the viewer this. I mean, she bumped him with her rump when they were walking side by side in one episode. She makes a sacastic remark (in fun) about her being able to sell him with just a little fixing up–and he is clearly ticked and charmed by her remarks. So that’s why I thought they were married in real life. At any rate, they are a great match, and I like them, much more than the younger couple. Hillary give us an added bonus. In her smashing clothes, she is smashing looking. She can really wear them and knows how to put an outfit together.
I’m sure that’s not the first time she’s bumped him with her rump! Seriously though, they are definitely getting it on, you can see it in their faces.
Interesting article and comments. I’m from the Toronto area and I read a newspaper article a while back where David said the people on the show almost always choose to list because his “budget” is bigger (if you look at the difference in the price of their house and what they’re willing to spend on a new home compared with what they give Hillary to work with on the renovations) and while Hillary is good she can’t make a house bigger which is what makes all the difference. Makes sense that they’d film the two different endings otherwise it would just be called “List It”.
As much as I enjoy watching the show…..I HATE the couples…..where do they find these awful, awful people????????????????
My number one pet peeve is that in any home renovation, the return on investment is astronimically exaggerated. So annoying, she tends to spend $50k, take that money, do a bunch of high end finishes, with little actual marketable value for the sale of the home and it adds $100k in value. So stupid.
Why are all the homes built so stupidly in Canada? Does every Canadian house have a set of stairs in the back? What a waste. Also the homes are insanely close to each other. And why are many homes split in half for two families to live in. That is the dumbest possible floor plan imaginable. Is there no such thing as zoning in Canada either? It seems like every home is literally built in front of a major highway.
Wow, al, have you ever been in a big city? A big city with a dense downtown area that is very attractive to live in? Older houses were built to specs that were attractive in the day and older homes have been subdivided. I think insulting the whole country of Canada is more than a bit out of line. Old cities in the U.S. have similiar or worse features.
okay i live in nyc and the older apts here are built stupidly as well. no offense to canadians, they build awful places here too. There must have been absolutely no regulations or anything whatsoever in either us or canada back in the day. I only point out canada because that is the only place where this show takes place. they need to make one here too, so everyone can see shoddy workmanship.
I caught a single episode today and immediately google searched “love it or list it bad acting” and this site was the first hit. ‘Nuff said.
My house is so bad I need you to come fix it
I love Hillary and David and I can’t stand that new couple. Give the new couple the boot! I can’t get through one half of one episode before I turn it. They’re awful!
amen!!!
ok. If you watch this show you are in danger of losing brain cells out of sheer stupidness. I hate this show so much i actually made time to rant about it.
1. it is so fake.
2. yeah lets use some characters with british accents because it is so hip. makes me sick
3. they always run into problems. cant they come up with some variety? i mean its the spice of life after all.
4. its too formulaic. same thing every time my wife watches it. how boring is that?
5. its “renovation” not “reno” you way-too-cool-to-use-the-whole-word hipsters! reno is a city in “nev”….oh, thats the new way to say nevada, because we are too lazy to say NEVADA!
The only reason this show has any following is the occasional bribe of a contest t pay off your mortgage. Bad bad writing, same thing every single time. So annoying and it didn’t change with new hosts. Too bad because if they let it really play out it could be a good show.
Wow, nice to find a site that addressed exactly what I was concerned about! Thanks! Guess it shows I am not the only one who wonders about the drama. Your right, the show is a lot of fun to watch! But, I have always asked myself- Wouldn’t Hillary warn the homeowner at the start, that unexpected things might pop up when they start tearing into the walls. The disappointment I can buy, but the acting like the news is coming out of left field gets annoying. Either it’s faked or they are withholding information to jack up the drama. It’s gotta be one or the other!
I would like to know why Hilary never get’s the Home owner what they want in there home, and never has enough money to finish but she always have money to but new appliance’s and other stuff , I think I would want my house done .
Totally agree. Forget the stainless steel appliances and add the new bathroom they really need. Also, I personally would want to be consulted on appliance choices, not surprised with them.
What annoys me is that Hilary doesn’t think of low cost solutions to problems. Unsightly wires in the corner? Let’s reroute the house! Or we could, y’know, just put a decorative covering on, but that’s too hard, right?
The wall’s load-bearing and you want open-concept? Let’s make this other wall load-bearing, which will cost thousands! Or, y’know, just Make it a half-wall or a see-through wall (like a bookshelf) or something similar.
Then Hilary ignored a huge issue- this kid had no door. So what does she do? Hang a freaking curtain that doesn’t even go all the way across. Not even a simple room divider!
I’m pretty sure these shows lean more towards entertainment, than reality. Jillian from Love it or List it Vancouver is not a certified Interior Designer. She brings more of a “host” quality to the show.
Umm…yes she is. She had been an interior designer for many years before she was on the Bachelorette.
i don’t get it on house hunters international. aren’t these people fearful for their lives not to mention their 6 figure homes when they decide to buy in some little town in mexico, or guatemala, or third world country. don’t we here on the news quite often these are dangerous places, people getting murdered, or vandalism, etc. you name it. are they nuts?!! come on you can’t be serious!
I just watched this show for the first time. I don’t mind Hilary and David…they’re bickering is amusing. However, I thought the couple on the show (episode “Duplex Dilemma”/Season 6, Episode 8) was very obnoxious and would not budge on anything. They had little money for renovations or were looking to purchase a renovated home in the same neighborhood for the same amount of $$.They wanted everything under the sun! Why did they even go on this show? They absolutely wanted their kitchen moved from upstairs to downstairs, although Hilary told them it would not work. Both criticized EVERYTHING Hilary and David suggested. After watching for 15 minutes, I thought Hilary should have walked out the door and not return. They were so incredulous when Hilary said she had a buyer for their old kitchen…to help defray reno costs. However the guy told her “you’re not selling my kitchen’! They ended up keeping their house anyway…because Hilary and crew did a great job on the renovations! I really wonder sometimes about these couples that appear on these home renovation shows. LOL.
I saw that episode! I thought the guy did have a slight point (sell the kitchen for closer to what it was actually worth, rather than take the first couple thousand someone offers for it – I think the offer was for about 10% of the original cost).
What I didn’t understand at all was if they already had *most* of this really great kitchen, why not just MAKE THAT THE KITCHEN???? I mean, yeah, it was on the second floor, which was kind of weird, but it was 80% done. Hilary should have just kept that as the kitchen and gutted that teeny tiny one downstairs.
The two sets of hosts, original and the new ones are SO OVER ACTING! Even the dramas the homeowners have to act are so fake. It pains me to watch. The property brothers are more natural and easy on the eyes. And please, can somebody do something with David’s hair do? A totally bald head might be better than a half and half, REALLY! Where do i send the same comments to the producer so this will get to them?
i think the new hosts are trying too hard to be funny or alot like david and hillary. david and hillary are spontaneous, and they are natural and genuine. i love how they go back and forth, bickering, outdoing each other. david is funny and i think handsome. i love his hair. hillary is darling and quite talented. desta is a cutie, and love those glasses they look good on her. i have a good chuckle watching them. thanks for your blog. patty
I actually only recently started watching Love It or List it because on the promos I couldn’t stand the bickering between David and Hillary. I wanted to slap them. I also tend not to like the shows made in Canada because it’s hard to identify with them. Tho if I never watched the shows made in Canada there would be practically NO HGTV to watch.
But I ended up watching one of the Saturday L or L marathons and got kind of hooked on it. I still hate the bickering, especially David, and I always know it’s essentially fake because as many houses as Hillary has done, she should KNOW about load bearing walls and century old basements leaking.
What I usually do is DVR it, FF til they tell the budgets and then watch minus the commercials. THEN I can wonder why David took the lady with lupus who was trying to find a house with fewer stairs to a split-level, or why Hillary would remove the third bedroom from a three bedroom house – or the closet out of one of the kid’s room to put a linen closet in the bathroom.
The main thing I always wonder is whether the homeowners have any say in the design/colors, etc. Since my favorite color is blue, I don’t think I could have my house done by ANYBODY on HGTV.
I miss Decorating Cents 🙁
When this show is on immediately switch it. Hillary never comes in on budget and never finishes anything she promised. If she is a professional she would not screw up every week. I would not want her on anything I did.This is the bottom of HGTV.
I think the formula for editing is the problem. A few episodes made it clear that they actually look at more than three homes. The just don’t have time to show them all. I know I looked at over two dozen homes before I bought one in Ohio and the types and styles were SO different in a given price range and relative suburb around the central city of Youngstown that I simply had to keep looking until I found what I wanted in both house and neighborhood. I still only drive 15 minutes to work downtown from a safe beautiful neighborhood in the Boardman suburb so I think David’s push for more money is 100% bullcrap (one layout not working hardly means all houses in that price range won’t work; that’s why I viewed so many to find what I wanted (in my case 4 family/living rooms to make a studio, home theater, game room and living room plus one bedroom is a large den/home office). I think they call the worst showing the “first” one and some of their reactions are so snooty (especially on “character”) you just want to slap them. Hillary is so HOT though (Sandra Bullock with a British accent), I can overlook a lot of nonsense, though I wish they would mix up the showings etc like on house hunters instead of the same (increasingly annoying and predictable) order.
“Sandra Bullock with a British accent.” Love that. Ha.
Friends of mine were going through the process of being on one of these real estate shows (unfortunately, I can’t remember which one). Part of the criteria to be considered for the show was that they actually had to be under contract for a house. They would then be filmed seeing a couple of different houses, as well as the one they had already chosen. Their feeling was that the show didn’t want to go through the expense of producing an episode where they couldn’t show the couple choosing any of the homes they were shown.
That sounds exactly like the stories other people have told me. They want to reenact the process of house hunting–not follow it. It makes sense from a production standpoint.
Hilary is freaking gorgeous! I want her phone number….
Love it or List It: do the homeowners sell their home in time enough to buy the new one? And do they get the price they want?
I like the show BUT – when the reno invariably goes wrong, I would rather live with my old furniture and still have some of the upgrades vs. stuff left undone just to have a bunch of new gucci furniture and accessories.
There is nothing to love about Love it or List it. The bickering and fighting between everyone on the show is just tiring to watch. ALL the episodes are exactly the same, the exact same story line with fights and misunderstandings about the same things! Do the producers of this show really believe that what we want from a decorating show is a lot of fighting and unpleasant behavior? I for one have just watch my last
Love it or List it show!
think the show is entertaining. compared to network reality shows, the housing issues are better because most of us live in a house or an apartment.
The actors are “housing specialists” and they do a good job.
The home owners seem clueless about an older home when mold or leaks appear. That is more often than not. Can’t see how an owner does not know about mold or water leaks in a bathroom/kitchen sink area.
I do enjoy the show and will continue to watch it. Sad to guess that the lower price homes in the U.S. will be tough to renovate and compete with a newer updated house. Frankly, HGTV is better than network news.
I do like Love it or List it. But constantly, Hilary hardly ever has the true budget to get it done and tired of it. They’ll spend an extra $100,000 or $300,000 to buy a house but won’t spend an extra $10,000 because their 100 yo house is not in compliance with code. Sorry its faked with two endings.
I feel the same way. Hilary always has to stay within a specific budget, however David seems to find his way out the couple’s desired neighborhood and spend over their max budget every time. It’s not a fair game.
My husband and I enjoy this show even though we realize that much of it is pure drama. However, we both get angry that David almost always goes over budget and Hillary is very seldom allowed even a penny over budget no matter how many problems occur that have nothing to do with the design she is expected to complete. We truly believe the content of the show would be even more entertaining if they had a hard fast rule that if one goes over budget the other does as well. But, if Hillary is not allowed more budget then David should not be allowed to show anything over budget.
both shows are terrible. HGTV has REALLY gone down the crapper. It’s barely watchable now.
As far as Love It or List It, Too I will not be watching. I really dislike when networks do that, it’s never the same.
I love this show but what i want to know is the new beautiful furniture,beds,pillows, tables etc all come out of their budget & if so then that is s lot of money. If not then do they use them just for displaying the end product? And then give their old
Furniture back?
I would love to see a followup show where we find out if their house sold & for how much. Or if they actually got the house if they chose to “list”.
Also, do they get any fee for this?
Just curious…
They showed a house they described it as way out in the ‘suburbs’, good size and listed at 560,000 the idea being that you have to move out of town to get decent space. The reality was, the house they showed was 15-20 minutes from downtown Toronto, in East York, and is listed at 750,000. I know because it’s right around the corner from where I live.
Interesting!
Yes, I recognized a house as well, and in reality, it was about 40,000 MORE than what they said it was listed at.
I absolutely love this show! I realize that at least some of it has to be faked, because the format is always the same, but I still find it entertaining. I think that Hillary is such a great designer, and I love what she comes up with! I wish that there was a show like this based in Chicago, I would love for her to come to my house!
hey, me too! i’m in love with david. i think he’s so funny, and handsome. he’s so good with hillary, and i love their bickering, so adorable. i think she is very talented and love her work. she’s so adorable. in fact when their show is not on, i actually miss them and so look forward to their show. i love how hgtv plays their show one episode after the next. it’s like a marathon. their show is real , because the way it plays out is life in general. you can’t have everything you want all the time!
This is what I’ve learned while watching Love It or List It:
1) Never buy a 100 yr. old house in Toronto.
2) Never buy a 100 yr old house in Toronto.
3) Many people equate architectural details with “character”.
4) Even if every piece of the reno went perfectly, the budget Hillary gets would NEVER pay for the amount of reno on the people’s lists.
5) Never buy a 100 yr old house in Toronto.
I don’t like the hosts of the new version. They’re very dull, especially compared to Hillary and David. It was almost painful to watch.
And I don’t care how or if it’s faked (with Hillary and David anyway). They and the show are a lot of fun to watch.
Of course it’s fake! It’s TV! That said, I’m ready for the LIOLI Too crew to head south to where I live in Washington state and do my house. Come on down!
Love It or List It Too doesn’t even try to make it realistic! First time watching, today. It’s called “Hand-Me-Down House” and while the female host has changed her outfits regularly, the homeowners are wearing the same EXACT clothing throughout the “supposed” 3 weeks of construction and house hunting. Come on! It’s insulting!!!
Please fire that god-awful narrator! Her sing-song delivery is SO annoying!!!
i appreciate the designs, but Hilary should really do her homework prior to starting a renovation project. I am tired of hearing, “oh, we did not expect this bearing wall …” She should talk about the value of an engineer to evaluate her designs and discuss the structural issues BEFORE taking a hamer to the old walls. No one starts a project without doing some investigating of structure. She is not being fair to her clients without doing the basic research available from a profesional first.
I hope that the next version out of Vancouver has more trained and empathetic “experts” who leave their arrogance behind. So much of what Hilary does is a big “oops” that would NEVER happen in my 25 years of licensed interior design in residential and hospitality work. If these costly surprises by her and her crew occurred we would all be at the curb and out of a job! Houses prior to 1960 HAVE asbestos!!! Old plumbing and ducts are part of the superstructure any half wit DESIGNER identifies in the original site survey. This is a far cry from ” This Old House” and does no credit to professional designers or builders. Know it is all about “drama ” but hope Vancouver show is one step up from Mutt and Jeff on ” Love it or List it”!!! It is time to remind us of the Real Trained Pro out of Toronto- Candice Olson who actually knows what she is doing and connects to the clients rather than fights with them. This show is the epitome of making soap operas out of real professions. Will be watching if the Bachelorette is more than a pretty face and if her credentials could pass the NCIDQ exam or get a license to do more than decorate!!!
This show is so boring . It’s the same old same old. So fake can’t you come up with a better idea. At least do a show without so much trauma. I love house decorating shows but this is childish and ridiculous.
I am sooo there with you. On top of being repetitive and boring, it’s on way too much.
I think the arguing on Love It Or List it is horrible. I nearly always switch the channel.
House Hunters is good… my favorite is the show with Matt Fox and Shari Hiller. Please give them a new show!
At least give the homeowners some acting lessons, the over the top, hammy reactions are pathetic!
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Love it or list it used to be my favorite show. I was surprised at myself at how long it took me to figure it out, and now I loath the show. I am not a contractor, but after just three shows I would watch the beginning and immediately start with bashing Hillary. Is this woman just lacking IQ or what?
Even I could see that 1) thats a load baring wall ($10,000) 2) that kitchen will be $30,000, 3)the bathroom $15,000 4) the plumbing is 50 years old ($10,000), and 5) new electric ($5,000), all totaling, at the very least $70,000. All of this at a”budget” of $35,000. C’mon.
The was a remodel works is….. 1) you say what you want… 2) a (reputable)contractor does some poking around to see if there are any surprises. 3) the contractor gives you a price. 4) the work is done at that price.
Plain and simple. I question how some of these homeowners have not strangled her. To make matters worse, she gets defensive when even I knew that it was going to be more expensive than it was budgeted.
Bob W. Hilary is making money by acting dumb. This show is clearly fake.
I’ve watched both shows, love or list it and love it or list too, and these are the most ridicules shows HGTV has ever had!!! Why on earth do you think this is helpful much less entertaining!!! I’ve Read the other comments and seems a lot of people think this same. Bring back some of your old shows or something else new!! I love house hunters and other shows but these two are just ‘dum’.
I’m hooked. It’s like watching a train wreck. You know you should look away but you can’t. I would like them to go back the the couples a few years later and see if the people are happy with their decision or if they are even still married. Some of the couples treat each other horribly. And the sense of entitlement, “why couldn’t you do the impossible with the very small budget we gave you?”.
It is disappointing to find out the ending may not be what happens. Regardless, my wife and I do have fun watching it and trying to predict the ending. We have also watched Love It or List It Too/Vancouver and we are not fans of either host. In fact, it’s usually the time when my wife actually changes away from HGTV.
Really, we’re debating whether this is real/fake. Come on people… this is 21st century television at it’s unfortunate best. Seeing that shows are all going to “reality tv”, I think we’re in it for the long haul. Add some drama and a happy ending and most people are too stupid to care.
Did I forget to mention… Hillary is hot!! Only reason I watch.
This show is absolutely atrocious. The sarcastic, unoriginal, ever-so non-witty banter between David and Hilary is mind-numbingly awful and boorish. The so-called homeowners are all in dire need of acting lessons, particularly when they have the predictable “meltdown” when snotty and arrogant Hilary explains to them some big expensive unplanned discovery that will eat up most of the budget (*yawn*), bla bla bla. I love home shows related to DIY, decor and decorating so I really did TRY to give this one the benefit of a doubt but I would seriously rather eat paste while watching WWF Wrestling with Korean Subtitles than watch this sad, fake mess of a so-called TV show. Now excuse me while I go hurl.
I do like the show although it is terribly formulaic and the homeowners are usually very unlikable. One thing that REALLY annoys me is that Hilary has to stay within her budget, despite all the inevitable setbacks, but David is apparently free to show homes way over budget. Not fair!
I hate the drama so don’t watch it. I used to watch HGTV daily to learn design tips but they are few and far between now. I find I rarely watch the channel anymore.
Thanks for a little peek behind the curtain; I’m one of those people who found your site after searching “Is Love It Or List It Fake?” 🙂
A tip for everyone who hates the middle part of the show with the bratty behavior – DVR the episodes. Watch the first 8 or so minutes showing the house’s problems, the homeowners’ story, and the budget, then fast forward and watch the last 8ish minutes where David shows them the “perfect” house, you get the post-reno reveal, and the homeowner’s decision (if you care; I don’t). Cuts the show from 60 minutes of manufactured drama and commercials to under 20 minutes that’s actually interesting.
Gotta admit that’s what I do now, too. I mostly like seeing how the renos turn out. 🙂
What I do is TIVO the show. Then when I replay it to watch it, I simply watch the first few minutes (tour of owners’ home, list of wants, budget, Hillary’s floor plan), and the last few minutes (David’s final house showing, Hillary’s reveal). This gets me what I want, without the intervening 50 minutes of drama and hype.
I am so tired of this show! And the one with the twin brothers. I mean I like the shows but they are on almost 24/7! Why is this? How is it such a hit? It is a formula show that is scripted for sure. You can tell because some of the homeowners are bad actors and Hillary ALWAYS has a problem with each house. I know things come up but is she that bad of a designer/contractor that she can’t budget for some of those things? It is just so crazy. I don’t watch much HGTV anymore because of the shows. I miss Curb Appeal: the Block and some of the other older shows. I absolutely love Rehab Addict. Now that is a real show. Please show less of Love it or List it and Property Brothers and show a different variety!
This show is fake, fake, fake. I could have sworn that I saw the same exteriors of the “owners” houses on other shows as as well.
Well, I know people who did this show. The only thing fake about it was that they film both endings, and the one they show might not be the one they actually chose.
Do the couples in the renovation get to keep all the furniture, or is it taken back after the show is over?
I’m not sure. Does anyone know?
I am not a fan of the spinoff…they do try to act too much like Hilary and David. The original Love It or List It is all we need. Even their antics mimic Hilary and David, which seems a bit weird. I surely do not like it as much as the original.
What I’ve been wondering is… Will there ever be a follow up show featuring the homeowners that list it, and/love it. Preferably the ones that list it and move on to the new house they chose at the end if the show.
I think that the hosts should do something that would totally freak out their audience. What i was thinking was that they should do a big long kiss on one of their episodes. With all the fighting that they have done the should. But I do love the original Love it or List it. It should not be replaced.
that would be immoral if they are married, and would not be funny, but even if one are married it would be adultery. think if your spouse got a kiss from another lady, you would be upset. keep this show clean.
they should do a kiss on the show.
immoral, have respect for marriages. this show is clean. don’t tarnish their reputation.
Well, Patty…..since most of us are saying the whole show is fake and the everyone is acting, I think a kiss would be funny and fictional. Like any other comedy or drama show, it isn’t real!
hi donna, the show is somewhat fake, but the damage that a kiss would do would not be fake. an affair or infidelity is not funny and there’s potential with even a fictitious kiss, for it to be hurtful. either spouse would feel resentful or even a little jealous. why do you think there are so many divorces experienced by celebs.
I still love the show. Have you noticed how the homes “for sale” always have the same for sale sign. That was another tip that more might be staged than I first thought.
That’s a digital image placed over the actual sign in order to protect the privacy of the listing agent and sellers. They do the same thing on Property Brothers.
I think that the director and the producer should make them kiss on a new episode. I love this show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I enjoy the concept of the show but am really over the drama and bickering. It detracts from the entertainment value of the show.
I used to love this show but was very surprised and turned off recently when David showed a house on my street and outright lied about the listed price of the home, inflating it by $40k! I won’t be watching the show again knowing its fake.
I noticed the same thing, but opposite! A house was shown in my neighbourhood, but it was about 40,000 UNDER the list price. I wonder why they do that?
I like the show, but I find the cost of renovations exaggerated. For what they do, here in Quebec it would be half the cost at least…..
This show is so scripted. Every show Hillary has to cut one or two projects because of problems. David shows them 3 homes they always hate the first two and the third one is fabulously perfect. Do they think viewers don’t see this on every show. But I watch it anyways cause its so predictably funny
Love It or List It consistently ends up comparing APPLES TO ORANGES money wise. Hillary has to renovate the existing house often for far less money than the replacement houses will cost. Also realtor`s 6% commission is totally ignored always. Your show would be better if these issues were dealt with. We enjoy it but poor ol` Hillary is at a severe disadvantage. Perhaps you should sometimes raise the renovation budget to an APPLES to APPLES level.
Horrible show. Both hosts are unwatchable!
I like the show with HIllary and David. I know it is scripted to some point, however, they do a great job of acting natural. The new people it seemed obvious that the show is “scripted”. They do not have the same chemistry and need some more acting lessons. I am glad to know I can still watch the one with HIllary and David.
My husband and I watch this show religiously on the weekends and days he works from home they play reruns for several hours. I just like how they transform the shitty Canadian dumps into something new
We also like the Property Brothers
i love this show and am entertained when i watch it seeing how those folks live. Unfortunately with the high cost of renovations, it would be unrealistic if the owners always got everything on their wish lists. I have grown very fond of Hillary- who is hot and funny, and David I am in love with. He is so handsome. i just could keep watching him. You have to take this show with a grain of salt. The bickering between david an hillary is hilarious.
Love it or List it is so negative and fake I cringe when I hear it come on,which seems to be nonstop now. HGTV used to be my favorite channel until they started playing Love It or List It, now I can barely watch it. What happened to all of the great shows with real designers remodeling and updating and giving design tips…without a bad attitude? Please please please cancel love it or list it HGTV!!!!!!!!
I absolutely cannot stand the hosts on this show. They are far too rude and confrontational with both the homeowners and the renovation staff. On the epusode I just watched Hilary got mad at her own staff for telling her about problems they found because it affected her plans and budget. If I worked for her and she spoke to me like that I’d tell her where to go and how to get there.
I think the drama is totally faked and the homeowners egged on to take things over the top, but then thats the case with most “reality” tv. I won’t be watching another episode of this until they change the hosts
I almost died last night watching Hilary tear out a cedar closet to give the homeowner the bigger bathroom and laundry they wanted. Of course the homeowner had a fit. Well she had a fit about everything; she was probably the most unlikable homeowner yet, but in that case she was justified. As Hilary showed her the replacement, which looked shallower and had plain wood doors instead of cedar, she seemed to accept it. I wondered if they cut the homeowner giving her hell. The homeowners ended up choosing to stay, which I thought was stupid since they still could have each had a bathroom instead of sharing a bathroom in the basement ??? And what is up with Canadians and their finished basements?
Yes, I like to see the houses, and can tolerate that the couples are overdoing their reactions to things – made obvious by the repetitiveness of the format – but if they are trying to make reality into more of a story, then I want to know how the story ends. Not a pretend end. That’s like reading a book and then being given two alternative endings to the book. And I don’t care for the people scoffing at those of us who believed that the important elements of shows like this and House Hunters – choosing a house not already bought – must be true. Most of us may not have been around for the scandal described in Quiz Show, but it was certainly considered a prosecutable scandal to lead the public on to root for different quiz show contestants when some were being fed the answers. Why is it not just as scandalous and wrong when a show presents itself as “Love it or List it?” – with no disclaimers – and leads the audience to believe that a genuine choice is being made, and then has the gall to film two different endings that don’t even represent what the couple does? This isn’t simply a homeowner going into it with no real plan to sell it, or a “bachelor” going into it for no real plan to marry, this is as if the production company filmed 3 different “bachelor” endings and then decided which would play better. These HGTV shows have been a big part of my life for some years now. I don’t really understand how it’s legal for them to fix things to the extent that they have.
I would like to see Hilary redo a property that has no ridulous basement space that is impossible to renovate in a cost effective manner. I would like to see at least ONE episode that goes off as promised, without the structural problems. It makes it took like all Toronto residents live in houses that are about to fall down. I also do not care for the spin-off series. Why did they do that, anyway? I do not care for the hosts and their banter.
Hilary gets on my nerves. And the way every episode is structured in the exact same way gets old… Hilary’s renos all start to look the same. Bright colors, cheap cabinetry… I’m over it. But I watch it anyway. I definitely prefer the Property Brothers.
I just want to say how much I use to like Love it or List it. I still watch it but find I am turning it off. Where are they getting these people they are helping. I am so sick of the bitchy people/homeowners that they are trying to help. These homeowners complain and are so nasty. David and Hilary try so hard to help these people and do amazing job….I hope they can find better couples to help out so I can enjoy what David and Hilary do and enjoy the show again.
I’ve only seen two episodes and Jillin got both families wanted to love it. It’s so fixed. Give me a break. Will Jillian go home and cry if she doesn’t get it. Because in the other show it was evenly mixed between loving it and listing it, I think because of who Jillian is the show is showing that Jillian is the hot new designer. I won’t watch it again. It’s too predictable.
The show is strictly for entertainment.
The show is in fact quite staged. The benefits of being on this show are a potential $25,000 in free furniture and decor. The reason I say this show is fake is this: Hilary is not the designer. She is simply the paid actress. This makes a lot more sense when you look at multiple final products and realize there is no consistency. When watching a show like Candice Olson Tells All you very clearly tell she is the designer through her consistent work. Additionally, the couple are a full part of the renovation process. The final product comes as no surprise to them and they are involved from the very beginning often picking cabinetry and tile. I am not entirely sure if David is a real estate agent or not but one this is for sure, there is a team of people working behind both of them.
Personally, I love this show and despite some of it being faked for television I don’t really care. I will continue watching such an interesting and entertaining show.
I think for the perfect scene it should be winter outside and Hilary should slip and David should catch her you know all romantic then they should do a long kiss. if they do that would be the most biggest shocker ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lily, immoral, immoral, immoral!
pattyhaddenham what does that exactly mean that would be the perfect scene Ever!
pattyhaddenham what does that exactly mean that would be the perfect scene Ever! Why do’t you think that it would make my heart soar. I want to actually see that in a new episode.
Hi Sarah!
I hope you do. I’ll just close my eyes. I adore David, he’s so handsome! Hillary is so beautiful! I have nothing bad to say about the show. I think It’s so entertaining.Hillary and David are so adorable together.I think they are very funny. I think the bickering is endearing. The things they come up with and say to each other are genuine. They are naturally funny, unlike the other pair- Gillian and Todd. The show is realistic in that the owners don’t get exactly everything they want and Hillary runs into surprises. I can see that she is genuinely upset.
You can’t fake that. If I was married it would hurt my feelings if my husband and another woman even just touched lips.
None of those shows are actually ‘real’. They’re not scripted, but it’s not real. Just like the Property Bros. Just like Mike Holmes. Just like House Hunters. Just like all design shows. They’re not documentaries, they’re entertainment. If you watch the credits, there are other designers listed, so I wonder if the Prop Bros or Hilary even do the designing. Regardless, they are great fun to watch, they are all great hosts, and that’s the point of these shows.
my mom seems to think that their is an episode of Love it or List it where Eddie the contractor and Desta are a couple and have their home renovated. Is this true or not? I know they have each of their own homes done on seperate episodes but I don’t recall an episode with them together as a couple getting their house fixed.
I know someone above mentioned the episode with Desta as the client/homeowner. I don’t know if Eddie was her husband though, I didn’t see the episode.
This episode is on right now – the crewmember is named Mark, not Eddie.
I cannot stand to watch this show because it is the same in every episode. David always shows 2 horrible houses and then finds a great house and there is always at least one big disaster to the renovation, which means something will not get finished. Really? In every house? It would be a good show if every episode didn’t play out the same.
Today my husband and I went through an entire week’s worth of listings to find (and set to record) ANYTHING BUT Love It or List It. We used to really enjoy watching HGTV shows but this one — which is supposedly the most popular — is awful…and totally predictable, as well as impossible to avoid if we tune in to HGTV in the evenings. Reading through the comments here, I have to say I don’t dislike Hilary (she’s actually OK because she comes up with some good designs, which is why we watch these shows in the first place), nor is it the silly couples who expect more than they’re willing to pay (and whose problems oftentimes would be solved with some simple organization and decluttering of their houses). It’s DAVID! He’s a jerk. No realtor would insult a client like he does. Yes, I know it’s staged. He’s basically an actor. And the show is mostly fiction because I doubt people actually list theirs (after they’ve gotten a free — or discounted — renovation and lots of new furniture!!) or buy the new place. I wish they’d bring back David Bronstadt and some of the others who actually do design, not this silliness.
Why are all of the shows filmed in Canada? I don’t get it. Has HGTV been bought out or can’t come up with any new show ideas?
People are too wrapped up in these shows when they lose it over a new host. Get a life! The only thing I don’t like is if something is working and they decide to change the host, like Yard Crash and getting rid of Ahmed! Why?!
Where is Curb Appeal? Either you have a show or you don’t. They were in Atlanta, now in San Francisco. How far will $20,000 go in San Fran? Not far at all. I’ve minimized watching the inconsistent HGTV channel drastically over the last year. You can tell there are a lot of young, inexperienced producers on that network.
Also, Design Star is a great show but I no longer count on the winner having a show. Where are all the past winners? I see one of the losers from last year’s show on a talk show more than the winners have been seen on their own.
They are Canadian shows, produced by a Canadian production company. HGTV pays the production company for the right to air them. I guess American production companies are not making such shows.
I saw an episode of Love It or List It Too/Vancouver the other day and while doing the renovations they discovered the furnace was broken/on its last legs.
JILLIAN ACTUALLY HAD A CONTINGENCY FUND.
I couldn’t believe it, that she had honest to god set money aside for a potential problem.
Of course, she still ended up asking for more money, because instead of replacing what the homeowners had, she wanted to replace it with a more expensive high efficiency furnace and get rid of the chimney attached, to make the kitchen larger. Doing so meant there wasn’t enough money for a second bathroom, and the husband agreed. The wife was not happy. I wouldn’t be either – it did not add *that* much space to the kitchen and a second bathroom for a family of five would be far preferable to a smaller furnace IMHO.
I really don’t like this show. I know House Hunters is also a fake, but it’s very well done one and I enjoy it. LIOLI has two annoying hosts and follows the same recipe show after show: the List It guy shows them two dogs, hams it up a lot, than shows them a final viable house. At least House Hunters gets 3 houses that are competitive with each other. Meanwhile, Ms Love It discovers some wretched structural nightmare she claims will prevent her from doing anything cosmetic at all. The person who wants to love it has a meltdown over this news and walks outside. In the last five minutes of the show we learn that Ms. Love It was able to do something after all and see some amazing, but oddly phony looking set design. Then the couple makes their “decision.” And they drag this all out to make an hour show! Gak! Very dismayed the we now have an American version and endless marathons of this turkey. I wish HGTV would return to design shows like they had several years ago and forget this one and all the Extreme Homes, Bizarre Homes, Million Dollar Homes, Selling NY/LA etc. I want to see real people and inspiring ideas that I can adapt to my own space, not Aaron Spelling’s widow tooling around her warehouse of tack.
Bring back Matt Fox and Shari Hiller! Also Sandra Rinomato was good on HouseHunters
As many have stated, most of these shows across the cable spectrum are almost entirely scripted. Also, many have said that even though it is scripted or staged, it is for entertainment and as such they enjoy watching these shows.
The issue is, these shows are portrayed as being real and factual. As such, I find it frustrating watching any of these scripted and staged reality shows. I also find it alarming and distressing that these shows are so successful and are so prevalent. What I find distressing is the fact that the success of these shows is a symptom of the decreasing intellect and further dumbing down of America. Take for instance the History Channel, at one time, they actual had programming that dealt with World and U.S. History. Today, at any given time, turn on the HIstory Channel and you’ll most likely see the Pawn Stars, American Pickers or American Restoration, the most scripted and phony television shows out there. Remember the Biography Channel, this channel is completely dedicated to pop culture personalities, nothing more. A&E considers Dog the Bounty Hunter arts and entertainment? The list goes on and on. But I guess this is what the mind numbed American public wants or is willing to settle with.
Don’t give me the line, “it’s for entertainment purposes”, yeah so to is a true, non-staged, non-fictionalized documentary or a show depicting factual events. You’re not watching a true documentary for exercise, you’re also watching it for entertainment purposes. Sadly, many desired to be entertained by getting smoke blown up their… . Why not watch a soap opera or a bad movie or sitcom. You like watching these shows because while in the moment of watching these phony shows, you slip into a mindset, where you allow yourself to believe these shows are reality. If the producers came out in a Rod Serling-esque intro, with a clear verbal statement, indicating that the show is scripted and staged, these shows wouldn’t last one season; this is because most of the dumb-down audience believes these shows are a documentary, factual, unscripted and unstaged. If these shows are about as staged as a sitcom or television drama(where both sitcoms and t.v. dramas are based in some form of reality), how long would a sitcom or drama last that showed someone selling a house or fixing up a house and selling it? The answer is, not long.
DYI started out by showing how to do projects, step by step. Now DYI is nothing more than a series of product placement commercials. Most of the shows that have the host or the homeowners working on projects are just quick shots to give the illusion that the homeowner or host is doing the project, where in reality the job is started and completed by a contractor and crew. Many of the hosts never worked in the construction or building industry for any length of time before becoming a personality on DYI. Some have worked in the industry, but most haven’t. You can tell who worked in the industry and who didn’t by the way they handle the tools and materials. And what contractor is dressed like they are doing a photo spread for L.L Bean. These people started flipping or got their contractors license for the sole purpose of getting a gig on DYI or HGTV. Most were looking for a gig in the entertainment industry long before they appeared on these two networks.
My question is why do they spend so much money on accessories (Knick-nacks, lamps, mirrors, etc)…Do you see where I am coming from? I would have used the money towards what they originally wanted. Extras are nice but a new floor is nicer.
Could someone please find out if Hillary is a man? She gotta be! The man hands and neck not to mention the broad shoulders and lack of hips. It’s killing me to know for sure but I know my suspense has got to be right.
That would be hard to pull off, though there is a bit of weirdness there. One day they shot her doing something — shot from above, focusing on her hands. I was shocked — looked like my grandmother’s hands when she was in her late 80s! Ancient. So I looked up her wiki and it said she was born in 1962. Something off there. I’m a decade older and even in the worst light my hands don’t look like that. Maybe they were someone else’s hands but if so, wouldn’t they have gotten someone with young hands??
I actually like Love it or List it. yes it’s predictable but Hillary always manages to giveme something pretty to look at. David makes me laugh. Meanwhile the other show Love it or list it too is simply horrible. I saw an episode where jillian managed to turn 100grand into decorating 3 rooms and adding a door. no kitchen no bathroon. where sis the money go. on a property brothers or even Hillary would have made a new home for that kind of money. I think they should just cancel love it or list it too. the characters are dry. waaay too dry.
I completely agree. The original hosts are amazing and Hillary is top notch. My only critique as a designer myself is a little too much money is spent on staging decor. I watch the show religiously and record in order to not miss an episode. Then you hosts are just awful. I too saw the episode with the hundred thousand dollar renovation. I don’t know what’s that “designer” Jillian thinking putting hundred thousand dollars into a home without renovating the kitchen first. Her decor taste is bland and who puts a jungle gym in an office. She completely ripped those homeowners off. Hillary on the other hand puts the most important rooms first. When a room gets cut off the list it is because of serious construction issues that need to be addressed. The new hosts just try to copy the original and a copy is always falls short. And I agree the home owners are ridiculous with their expectations and budgets. Even though in the end its win win for them. They end up with money in their pockets for a new home or a world class renovation. And it just so happens the new hosts get much more feasible budgets and still don’t deliver like the original hosts.
hey Lenaya,
I was so glad to read your comments. it’s about time someone says positive things about liolt. i also think hillary is very talented and beautiful. I’m in love with david. i think he’s so handsome! if i had him as my husband i would think every day was heaven. they both are naturally funny and have a quick wit. the things they come up with even their bickering is off the wall. i love them. i’ts realistic in that life is unpredictable, and we can’t expect to have everything perfect. If people think that all their wishes can come true their not living in reality by far.
I watch all the House Hunters/ Love it or List it and the rest of HGTV’s shows. It’s ok to say I’m addicted. & It is entertainment not a documentary- so who cares if most of it is staged. BUT on “Love it or List it” it IS annoying how the same ‘script’ is followed . i.e. constuction problems, couples taking sides, hateing it blah blah loving or listing it. I can just WATCH it w/o the volume which is what I do often. I dont need to hear the same words over & over. I never did think the ‘host or hostess’ does the finish up work…like painting or carpentry. It is a “SHOW”. I mainly LOVE HH Int’l. Ilove to see what type of houses are listed in foreign countires.
OH OH OH before I forget. I HATE HATE HATE seeing the new home owners ALWAYS chopping vegtables as a sign they are ‘settled into’ their new home’. or sometimes they switch it out & show people ‘using the kitchen cutting board’ in the beginning of the show. I cant relate & HOW many other people ‘dont cook’ – it annoys me. ok thanks, the end.
So true about how they’re always chopping vegetables! Ha!
It’s not just LIoLI…most of the home remodel or house purchasing shows have the couple happily conversing while chopping vegetables, or making a fruit salad! I never really thought about it before, so THANKS!!! Now I’ll have another reason to be driven CRAZY while watching HGTV!!!
It would be nice if every single show was not the same. In every show, Hillary runs into wiring, plumbing, or construction “unexpected” problems. That should be expected in old homes but it always seems to come as a huge surprise and not enough money to fix everything. Every show is disgruntled homeowners and an hour of arguing.
My question is, if they “List it”, do they actually BUY the house that they picked over the reno of their own home? The disclaimer at the end of the show indicates they are now “open to the options that are out there” but never says whether they put their own house up for sale and actually BUY the better house for them.
Nope. I guarantee you of that. I’ve seen several of the houses that the owners supposedly choose to “buy” are still on the market. It’s absolutely a fake show. They cast homeowners who want a renovation done and then get them to play the roles.
I’m always amused by David showing the homeowner’s new listing price and saying that the house he showed them was now affordable with some haggling. Does he think the only one doing the haggling is his client and not the potential buyers for the redecorated listing! Real or not, he’s annoying.
Bottom line..the remodel/construction costs are so expensive in the US and Canada…that the designers are forced to splash out on soft furnishings to wow the viewer…pretty lamps, furniture etc from China are cheaper than labor costs in both countries. Most of the time I would list the old/ new redesign as well. The designers don’t seem to understand or recognise the structural issues and secrets they find when they bang the old house around. Some of the construction flaws are disgusting and positively criminal. And in this economy you can spend all you want and say it is now worth such and so. The realtor can say anything he wants BUT the new buyer will haggle. They know the soft furnishing and decorator furniture will not stay!
Why do people need someone to clean their house??? Duh!! List it ! Bigger house bigger pig pen!
Meant to say … Why clean your house?? Let a designer clean it!
Maria and some others brought up a good point, one I often wonder about when I watch. The problem in most cases is clutter. They should be on one of those Clean House shows, if any exist anymore, not Love It or List, which never shows what is done with all the junk while they’re working and afterward. Most of it obviously does not return.
Yesterday I had to turn the show off when Hilary destroyed the back staircase in a Victorian home. It was one of the few things the homeowners liked about the house. And jeez, it was an original Victorian. She could have prettied it up and installed a cool railing. It didn’t take up that much space, given they were expanding the back. If I were the homeowner I would have insisted they stop and immediately restore every piece of wood or face a lawsuit!
What I don’t get is this. So a homeowner put 60,000 into there house correct. And at the end they show the new value. So say 500,000 to start and the end number is 600,000. That is not a 100,000 dollar increase. It is only 40,000, no matter how you look at it. You put 5000 down on a 45000 dollar car doesn’t mean the price is less. Just means you only have 40000 left to pay. Okay I vented.
I HATE ALL THE HGTV CANADIAN SHOWS…I DON’T WATCH HGTV ANYMORE……………I MISSED DAVID..COLOR SPLASH….MILES OF STYLES…ETC…THE NEW HGTV PROGRAMS ARE A DISASTER
Kizzy, I am right there with you. HGTV has become a reality television channel, with VERY LITTLE home improvement or design tips that we can learn from and use. If I wanted drama, I’d watch the soaps!
Sorry….I meant Lizzy!
YOU’RE SO RIGHT!!!! HGTV SHOULD BE RELAX ……A LEARNING CHANNEL FOR DECORATION AND OTHER FUN STUFF…..SINCE LISA LAPORTA, CLYVE,TANYA, CANDICE,DAVID….LEFT I STOP WATCHING…I LEARNED A LOT FROM THOSE DESIGNERS…NOT ANYMORE
Where can a product list for a particular program be found? The show from 12pm, 9/1/13 tey did a slate fireplace that came in sections. We are interested in information.
This is not the official HGTV or “Love It or List It” site, so I’m afraid I don’t have any information about sources. Sorry. I’d check HGTV.com to see if they have anything like that.
This show is beyond fake it is pure BS. Every show has the exact scenario, they hate the first house, the second house is a bit better and the third one is really what they want and makes it a tough choice. Meanwhile back at their house an unexpected expense occurs the owners display their displeasure while the designer makes a change that she doesn’t tell the owners about (yeah that happens). Then the couple takes a walk and argues. Where do they find all the morons for this show, if the hosts weren’t bad enough actors.
And I thought houses in the U.S. were ugly, holy crap Canada has got the market on fugly houses, no style what so ever.
I like Love it or List it. As far as some of it being faked or staged, I have no idea. As a former actress, I can tell you that the house owners’ bickering looks very real to me, and also their anger, and Hillary stopping the work, as she did in one sequence. I can see a director telling Hillary and David to bicker; I think they’re funny, and I certainly believe they’re friends. I can also understand some of the houses they’re shown not being for sale. As far as the “pattern,” it’s possible the time sequence is off: they may find a house they love first but for the show they have to look at three houses (they may look at more than that); and I can certainly see Hillary running into problems that are unexpected. I don’t like the idea of the two endings, unless in fact people sign up for it just to get their home done at a discount and they have to let David win once in a while. I still enjoy it.
I personally enjoy the show although it does seem fake. I don’t know what the attraction is but I just have to watch to see what happens. There should always be a fudge factor when remodeling and that drives me nuts, along with the fact she always tries to accomplish too much with a tiny budget. Still I have to watch and can’t wait to hear David say “:Hillary will never give you this in your home” and “your own personal on-suite”. I’d never own home a home without a bathroom in the master and I haven’t seen a home without one in a long time.
I like the show. I always had a feeling it was somewhat staged, but today’s episode really takes the cake. Hillary’s team “discovers” that there was a major fire in the attic no the owners had no idea. Really? You expect us to believe that?
I’m always rooting for Hillary because she has it tougher. I think I’ve only seen one episode where they gave her extra money for her budget.
I think her and David are great and even though it’s formulaic, it still entertains.
I always thought a show like this would have been a good companion to “:Designed to Sell”. Several years ago, I even suggested to an HGTV producer to who I had sold a fountain (I worked for my family’s fountain and garden decor wholesale company) that the show be called “Designed Not to Sell” and be about a designer and contractor making changes to address homeowner’s complaints about their house (too small, no storage etc. She politely gave me the brushoff. This was before I had realized that HGTV was becoming what might as well be the “Real Estate Channel”.
On subject, I’m almost glad to read that these shows are heavily scripted (I should’ve known). From watching this show, I was beginning to think that Canadians were very unpleasant people.
If you love the HGTV shows strictly for the entertainment value, that’s fine. I just have a MAJOR problem with them running these contests. By definition a contest is something that everybody should/would have an EQUAL chance of winning. This is not the case with HGTV. HGTV pre-selects their winner(s) based upon income, zip codes and background checks. That immediately eliminates 95% of the contestants based solely upon their social stature in the country! That DOES NOT make it a contest! That makes it a tool for gathering ones personal information to sell to every spam organization we have in U.S. and nothing more. HGTV is merely an organization that shatters peoples hopes and dreams for their own personal gain! Just watch the show and see who the winners are! Do you REALLY expect the HGTV crew would pull up to your curb and announce you as a winner? Every winner had an income of 70K or more, already owned their own home and had a very good income and zip code. Its all about the ratings there, nothing more. I’d drop dead of heart failure if I saw HGTV pull up to an apartment complex in Compton or Brooklyn and hand over a 2 million dollar prize to somebody that actually could use it and needs it. If HGTV wants to have contests, then make them fair, give ALL participants an EQUAL chance of winning! Otherwise, call it what it is…. The 2013 Beach Home FIX IS IN show!! And stop crushing peoples hopes and dreams that they may ACTUALLY have a chance of winning something. SHAME ON HGTV!! Just read the contest rules, what a joke!!
I love the show I would love to have my home on it I hate my house love the location and view I live in a house built in 1957 a basic ranch I have done some changes but they were wrong I would love to have a professional change the interior like I have seen on the show
I’m watching a recorded new episode of LIOLI2, they found ‘big’ problems that meant a bathroom reno had to be scratched off the list. The ‘big’ problem? Behind a drywall panel, a rodent (long gone) pooped on the footer (about 5 seconds worth of broom/dustpan), chewed some insulation (an entire pack costs $40 max), one wire (15 minutes work by an electrician), and replace the one drywall panel. And that means no bathroom reno?
I really like the original love it or list it~ I was really excited to see a Vancouver version as that is where I live. Who casted Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot? what were you thinking? I’m sorry but I am not feeling it…I am sure Jillian is knowledgable but it really doesn’t come across as believable. Casting should of casted an older couple (hosts). It’s really hard to have the respect and trust. Sorry can’t stand the Vancouver version but LOVE the original Toronto version!!
I felt after a few episodes that this show was faked and the hosts were so annoying , now a new one same as the old one ? No thanks , more house hunters please !!!!
Tina, I heard that house hunters is faked too and that they audition people that are already in escrow and do multiple takes of different reactions to different houses. Can’t remember where I read it, but some one had pointed out that in almost every instance on House Hunters the house that is “selected” is usually the one that was already empty(aside from when the house comes furnished). I still enjoy watching it, though. 🙂
That’s right. Here’s my post about House Hunters:
https://hookedonhouses.net/2012/06/11/house-hunters-what-it-was-like-to-be-on-the-show/
When episodes of Love it…Too started airing with Jillian and Todd, it seemed like they were attempting to mimic the snarky dialogue and type of relationship that Hilary and David display on the original. That was annoying. It was as though Jillian was trying to act like Hilary or was being directed to do so, rather than just being herself. The more or Too that I watch, the more I see a more genuine Jillian and the two newer hosts developing their own rapport and chemistry. Thank goodness, because it was really hard to watch when it seemed like they were just trying to copy David and Hilary.
Even though Love it or List It is “predictable”…it is fun and the hosts are a good fit (the new ones have no magnetism…what a shame…I don’t like watching them, they are so boring)…
I would ask that you change your “narrator” her voice is so nasal and whiney….she talks like a depressed “Valley girl” with all her sentences ending in a downslope…really…irritating.
no matter if it was fake or not… fun looking at the design ideas….
You’re complaining about her sentences ending on a downslope? Generally, when a sentence ends on an upslope, the person is asking a question. Why would the narrator end statements on the upslope?
The narrator is Jacqueline Hennessy, the twin sister of Jill Hennessy. I can only assume that you are from an area with a different accent, so to your ears, her accent sounds nasal. Jacqueline Hennessy is from Edmonton.
Message to “Disappointed” (above): The reason HGTV has to pre-screen people for the contest shows is that in the United States, if you win something that has monetary value. you must pay INCOME TAXES on it. For something as valuable as a house worth $500K or more, the income taxes will be about half of the value of the property. So the winner must be able to afford to pay the income taxes, or be able to qualify for a mortgage on either their existing home or the prize home to cover the taxes. Otherwise, they cannot take possession of the new home. They must also be able to afford to pay for homeowners insurance and property taxes on the new home. For a home on the ocean, the property taxes could run $20K per year or more, and the insurance would also be in the $10K – $12K range, because you have to have hurricane insurance. Even if their plan is to win the home and then sell it, they STILL have to pay income taxes on it, and they will STILL have to insure it and pay property taxes on it for as long as they own the home. I suppose HGTV doesn’t really want people to win these houses and then end up in bankruptcy or foreclosure, or have the well-publicized homes stand vacant and fall into disrepair. Because once you won it, they’re done with it.
These homes are EXPENSIVE. They are expensive to buy, expensive to win, expensive to keep up. No point in even entering the contest if you really can’t afford it. Disappointing, I know. But that’s the reality.
What you said about the taxes is very true. The way “Extreme Makeover” was able to help the recipients was to rent the house from the owners for 2 weeks while the work was being done. There is some kind of loop hole that allowed the homeowners to not have to pay taxes on the improvements because it was being rented out while they were being done.
Love it or List it is my favorite HGTV show! Hillary and David have the best chemistry ever. Hillary is charming and David is such a comedian. If they weren’t already married, they’d be perfect for each other.
It is always interesting to see what people think is important and necessary for their homes. With David showing homes and Hillary in charge of design, there is plenty of variety in each episode.
Obviously Hillary is a professional and knows that there will always be problems that come up when renovating. The purpose for this constant theme through out the show is just to show that this is a common occurance, and also to add some spice to the show. The scipts are very entertaining and funny. I don’t understand why everyone is being so hard on this show. It’s just a show!
I will say that Love it or List it Too is horrible. Love it or List it is such a classic show that trying to impose a “spin off” is completely unnecessary and cannot compare to the original (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.) Five stars for Love it or List it!
I now believe that the houses are chosen BECAUSE they’ve got some awful “secret” that will cause major $$$ on major fix-ups. Otherwise, it couldn’t happen EVERY time :o)
I just saw a promo on the Discovery Fit & Health channel for a new show: “Rent versus Relocate”:
https://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/10/10/discovery-fit-and-health-brings-it-home-with-two-all-new-series-thursdays-in-november-818315/20131010health01/
Looks like it’s gonna be a total rip of “Love It or List It”. Sincerest form of flattery and whatnot.
Interesting! It does sound like pretty much the same kind of show. Thanks for the link.
It’s the same kind of show and it’s from Toronto Canada….again. SURELY something original could be conceived?
In the ending credits of an episode I recently saw, Hillary was listed as host. Someone else, who I never heard of, was listed as the designer. Does Hillary actually design on all the episodes?
No, I don’t think she does. From what I understand, they’re working on multiple houses at a time and I think her job is mainly to host.
I don’t think she does either. My friend was recently contracted to work on Property Brothers. He was hired to be the REAL contractor. The show also hires people to be the REAL designers. JOnathan and Drew are just the hosts. I’m sure it’s the same for Love it or List it.
Interesting! That’s what I’ve heard, too. Thanks, Tansey!
I have to wonder about things like pulling permits and putting together a design plan, which can both take weeks and would seem to require an inspection of the structural stability of the house. Also, I don’t think the families are the caliber of actor which could fake some of their frustrated reactions to setbacks in renovations. So many of these homeowners seem genuinely surprised when things go south, but forget that these are actually the very reasons they are interested in reno/moving; unless they truly think that simply slapping paint on walls and putting granite in the kitchen will make a real difference.
The “list” part just can’t be real. The homeowner not only has to “list” but they have to SELL in order to buy a new home, which can take weeks (unless they actually have always already listed and include the proposed renovations in the ask, with the option of taking the home off the market if they decide to “love it.) Offer, escrow, closing on a home purchase also take weeks. Do the producers negotiate with a seller to “hold” a house on a “first right of refusal” basis? If not then it is likely that none of the houses shown to the homeowners end up being their true “list it” choice, regardless of the finale/reveal. If the producers actually showed the homeowners making the move to the house for which they decided to “list it” I might be more impressed with that ending.
Homeowners: deferred maintenance is the problem! If you have not kept up with home repairs you cannot expect a “makeover” to do so and give you magazine ready results! Get a grip!
The list part isn’t real at all. I guarantee you. Houses that owners supposedly decide to “list” their home for are still for sale. There’s one just down the street from me. This show chooses families who want a professional renovation done on their home. There is NOTHING real about the “list it” part.
I have to give Hillary credit. Not only are her and her team’s designs amazing, but she always makes the effort to correct issues with the house the homeowners have no clue about. So many people have no education about the homes they buy and are simply ripped off. Subsequently they need the proper help to get the house up to today’s standards both for safety and beauty. I believe Hillary does it well, every time, even when she has to deal with owner’s ignorance. Kudos Hillary.
Kind of agree with you to an extent. ANYONE who buys a house should always insist on a home inspection, whether the sellers pay for it or the buyer. If a house is over 50 years old, that should be a MUST regardless of cost. A lot of the homes Hillary works on are old homes and the people who want to do renos seem to have “no clue” but my guess they do. No home owner is that stupid. If you live in a house that was built in 1900 – do you really think the house is still in good shape? And act surprised when the contractor tells you your plumbing is rotted away? Or your foundation? If they are that stupid – they have no business owning a home.
On a positive note: I do like Desta (designer) better than the airhead that is on the “Too” shows. That one always looks clueless, where as Desta works well with Hillary and comes up with her own great ideas.
I totally agree! She is the best designer I have seen, and I have toured a lot of model homes. She does awesome work.
I have to disagree somewhat. I like what she does as a designer. However, she makes all these plans and assumptions – take a wall down here – move that plumbing there – without checking with her contractors first. If I hired someone and they gave me a plan that included moving walls and then came back to me a few days later saying well that is a load bearing wall so it can’t be moved, I would fire them. If you don’t know that kind of basic and you don’t find out before you present a plan you are not doing a good job.
I’m sure that Hilary knows what going on, but they edit everything to fit the same script. I find that the most annoying aspect. I know they want to ramp up the drama, but do they have to do everything the same way every time?
after being in the construction industry for 20 yrs, running the onsite office for commercial construction, I am now an interior design major. After watching this show I definitely know I will try to stay out of residential design! I would have to beat some of those people with a chair rail after listening to their rants and crazy demands!
LOLOLOL I think the problem is many of these people, especially the younger ones (and no offense to anyone), they have champagne tastes on a beer budget!!! They want the $300,000 home but only have a $150,000 budget! They want all the upscale appliances, designs, etc. and they just can’t afford them!! If you DO decide to do residential design, i’m sure you know you’ll have to do your due diligence and see what types of budgets these people REALLY have. That sounds simple but as you can guess, it’s not. First clue would be to see what they already have. You can basically figure out if they have the means for the upscale stuff, or are just dreaming. Some things should not be scrimped on, such as floors because those have to last and any structural things such as plumbing, electrical, but there are plenty of nice appliances out there that do not cost an arm, a leg and your first born to have!! How many people REALLY need a 6 burner stove?? (IMO – just more to clean!) One of the things I like about the Property Brothers, they are not afraid when they take their clients shopping, suggesting less costly things. And they look just as nice.
If the people would just clean up their messes, they wouldn’t need remodeling!!!
That must be something they do before the show, pull everything out into the middle of the room so it looks as if they have no storage.
Yeah, I’ve heard they try to make them look as bad as possible in the beginning!
That could be true, but any family with kids, small ones at that, the house will always look cluttered and messy, storage or no storage. Some of these families DO live in too small of a house to make it look nice and orderly.
I came across this article when I was searching to find out the veracity of the show based on how Hilary treats the “homeowners” and “contractors.” Her “assistant, Desta, seems to do most of the actual design work and she just storms around with an attitude. If I were renovating my home I would expect the designer to come to me to decide which projects to keep and which to cut in a case of funding shortfall. She just wholesale makes decisions and then informs the homeowner of what she has determined is best for them. One one recent episode she even appears to get extra money from the husband to add another project while attempting to hide the transaction from the wife. If she really is a designer, I would NEVER hire her or her firm based on her TV persona.
Also, David seems to be trying to convince the homeowners to either pay more than they are comfortable paying for a new home or move an excessive distance from where they either live or work. That is defiantly not how a real Realtor does their work. If one does, they do not stay in the business very long.
I understand that for TV purposes HGTV and parent company, Scripps Networks, think they need tension. I would venture they might get more viewers if they spent a bit more on the “how-to” of renovating design and/or house-hunting than the manufactured drama, more like Property Brothers and Property Virgins.
The funny thing is Hilary IS a designer and has some well-known clients!! What makes the show fake is how Hillary goes about “designing” the rehabs!! She seems to pick things that are going to be unreasonably over priced for the budget she gets and then has a hissy fit when one of the guys tells her there are problems and she has to give up half of what the homeowners wanted to have done.
Exactly, she raises the homeowners expectations through the roof then when the inevitable problems arise she cancels one or more things, has fits, and treats contractors and homeowners like children. HGTV used to have good shows that actually taught people how to do various projects, now it seems to only try to make people feel bad about what they can’t afford, like the old Fine Living Network was known for. That channel ended up never making money and has been recast as the Cooking Channel since Scripps has so many game shows on Food Network now. I know a lot of the better programming has been shoved over to DIY, but that channel is not available without buying another tier of programing where I live. (Hmm, come to think of it Cooking is on that tier, too…maybe trying to force purchase of extra packages was Scripps plan all along.)
Good comments. I agree with everything you said. The negative drama diverts attention to what otherwise might be a really good show.
I’ve noticed HOUSE HUNTERS has slowly but surely been squeezed thin by other
Spinoffs. PLEASE STOP THIS!!!!
Bring back our favorite House Hunters shown frequently!!
Remember when HGTV had REAL decorating shows? Room by Room, Lynn Jennings, Design on a Dime, etc. Now it’s just people whining because they want the best house right now. Hey, you’re only 20-something, and , that white appliance works just as well as a stainless one!!!
LOLOLOL You are so right!!! Love it when these young kids buying a house want it ALL but on a beer budget!!! Spoiled brats!!! They want the huge houses their parents have not thinking the parents worked hard for that huge house and did things gradually and didn’t expect everything in their first home.
I don’t see that happening. What I see is a lot more emphasis on large scale, over priced construction designs and not low scale budget renovations that most of us can afford. 20-somethings have nothing to do with this but the channel catering to an older audience that is financially able to spend this money.
I am part of the “older audience” and although I am financially stable, there is no way I would buy such a large home nor do I need one. Bring back the sensible how to shows! Please.
Zahra: I disagree about the “older audience”. That older audience knows better and can do renovations within a budget. They are more realistic. Things get done on a more gradual basis instead of “slam bam I want that $50K kitchen and $25K master bath NOW” Also, an older audience is smart enough to take the basic knowledge that is presented on these shows and work with it; again, they are more realistic.
Except: what is the average age of HGTV viewers? I assume it skews older, so “real life” behaviours are irrelevant. And anyway, smug ageism is always ugly.
Pleaae come up with more episodes of buying and selling.love the show.
Please produce more House Hunters . I don’t care for House Hunters International at all. It’s just not as relevant to us in the U.S.
remember Room by Room? Would love to see an updated version of that or another show with Shari and Matt!
I remember that show. I loved it. Shari and Matt were so good. I miss Sell This House! also. Tonya and Roger were the best! On Design on a Dime the 3 original people, I think his name is Lee? he went nuts and left and started making movies in the p*rn business. I emailed him and told him I was praying for him. Please pray for him to have the strength to leave that business. He is super talented before DOAD, he worked at Disney in creations.
Hello
My wife always watch your show and sometime I join in just because I can’t change the channel. In any case, the more I watch with her the more I get into it as well.
Now the truth about my writing here is because I want to know if you can help me as well. I have a house with 3600 square foot of living space and un-finish basement of 1500 foot. The house have 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bath, an office room and huge room above the 3 car garage. It was built by US Home and it was called the cresendo model.
Now my wife wants a new house, a ranch style home. I also wanted too, but it’s smaller and more expensive than the one we have now. I’m wondering if you can help me with the decision to buy the new home or not. Perhaps, the house just need decoration and a finish basement for entertainment. Any response or help here would be appreciated.
Thx!
LOLOLOL Well, about selling the larger home – you don’t mention the age you and your wife are. IF you are older, let’s say coming close to 40, do think about a ranch style home, mostly for the future especially if you intend to live there for a long time. Actually, think about the future period, regardless of age. I read in the Real Estate section of our newspaper just a couple of weeks ago that ranch homes are making a comeback for various reasons, mainly because of the aging population and yeah – everyone gets older after awhile and stairs are VERY hard to handle not only for the homeowners but other family members. You also don’t mention of you have kids still at home. so that 3600 sq ft home is good, but if not – who really wants to keep up a house that size? No one can make this decision but you and your wife. Maybe you can go look at some ranch homes. You may change your mind!!!
Our home was featured on an HGTV program about ten years ago before the channel was dumbed down. The shows produced then were very interesting and had much higher production standards. The show we were on focused on a particular city in each episode and what homes sold for in a certain dollar range. All were filmed on site and homeowners were interviewed about their design style and what they loved about living in their city. Their was nothing fake or gimmicky about the experience. A very nice crew did the filming and interviewing, nothing contrived or coached. These days, never bother with watching the channel.
I hate all the arguing. If I watch it at all I watch it with sound off…especially how rude the man is…if it was real estate in the real world he would be fired.
You are all wrong about the show. My parents house is being shown sometime in Feb. The show uis run by Remax. The REAL idea is to get the home owner to SELL their home. That is why Hilary always finds a problem with the MAIN thing the homeowners need to stay.! At the end of the show the owners have not got what they need to stay, BUT the house has been decorated ready to put on the market!!!!! My mum’s house was filmed 8 weeks ago, and is not going on T.V.until Feb.(5 months later). House will be sold by then. Also, note the homes shown ALWAYS have the listing on front lawn covered up so that interested buyers watching the show cannot contact listing agents ! So, if you do agree to let your house be televised for great exposure which they offer! You get none because they don’t tell you where the house is either. Totally phoney
@barb: There have been times when the homeowners DID decide to stay because Hillary hit a home run. I keep seeing current LIOLI commercials on HGTV. It’s all an act with the friction between Hillary and David. They actually do admit they like working together.
i agree i think that they see that things are starting to heat up between them.
Sarah
The problem with this show is that DAVID never gets a place in the desired neighborhood or within the budget… and when people choose to leave they are always spending more money and moving further away… and if they just gave a few more dollars… instead of paying a higher mortgage… then it would be done right and great…
This has to be staged. Some of these people are totally clueless. Example, their home appraises for $800K and they give Hillary $50K and expect perfection……wake up! this is not reality!!!! my house appraises for $275K and my bathroom renovations alone cost $35K…..
@Joe: I notice that, too! The homeowners want perfection but $50k these days gets you very nice kitchen and that’s all. Hillary goes for the “big bucks” in all her designs. If she was more realistic, the homeowners could probably get most of what they want. On The Property Brothers, Jonathan and Drew DO take budgets into account and give the homeowners options that aren’t that expensive but still nice. Kinda like in the real world!!!
I think that there relationship should change. They should realize that there arguing shouldn’t be enough. They should do something romantic on the show.
I would love to hear from all you guys who agree with me!
@Sarah: I don’t think David’s wife would be too happy if anything romantic develops!! LOLOL What they DO have is a good working relationship and it should be shown more instead of the bickering. But then the show would get boring.
Love your program-Love Hilary and David. However, Hilary gets the raw end if the deal. I think your clients should be made well aware that unforseen costs may come up in a Reno and a contingency budget of 5 or 10 percent should be included for electrical,plumbing and other major issues that may occur..This makes for an even playing field and a fairer competition between Hilary and David. Thanks, carla
The thing that drives me crazy about all these design shows (even though I do enjoy them on a certain level)) is that all the homeowners want the exact same thing. Does EVERYBODY in the world really want stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, hard wood floors and open-concept EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME? Does everyone really want to see their messy kitchen from everywhere else in the house? I know I don’t. I raised two kids and I never felt any distress over not being able to see them every minute while I was cooking. I just think some if the ‘issues’ people have are drummed up a little for the drama value. That said, it is great fun to see the before-and-afters and the new designs are always lovely, if predictable.
@LMK – I do not want stainless steel appliances – they show every fingerprint!! I don’t mind granite countertops but in 20 years you will know when houses were built because of them. Carpet will make a comeback after awhile just as hardwoods did. Its all what is “in” right now. I don’t like the modern, sleek look that so many of these makeovers have at the end. Especially in a beautiful old house. I do crinch when they paint original woodwork as well. Generations of kids grew up in cramped houses and still are successful adults who remember the houses they lived in fondly. Society dictates what is in demand now and young people especially fall for it. So its all we see right now until the fad changes…………again. Drama could be left at the doorstep so to speak, I just want to see the final result!!
@Charlene: I agree with you! When the ex and I bought our second house (in 2007) we had part stainless steel and black for our appliances. The fridge we picked out ourselves and it “looked” like stainless but it wasn’t. It was a Whirlpool and VERY easy to keep clean. Our range on the other hand was AWFUL to keep clean. The black showed every single thing and it was extremely hard to clean. Some food spilled by one of the burners and I made the mistake of not wiping it up immediately. It dried and it wouldn’t come off! I tried just about everything I had to clean it, and even tried to use a SOS pad. BIG MISTAKE. It actually made scratches that would not or could not hide. As boring as they look, white appliances are the best.
I love all the drama in the show. It’s good entertainment. But just once I would like to see Hilary or Jillian finish a design with all the items on the homeowners list
Is anybody else getting sick and tired of the love it or list it shows that seems to be the only thing hgtv seems to air anymore 🙁
no way!!!! hgtv shows repeats of the same lioli 1&2, and i end up watching them over and over because Hillary is such a delight, beautiful, talented, funny, natural. and very professional. i love her accent too. so i can’t get enough of her. David is soooo handsome, has a quick wit, so professional, natural, extroverted, and a great realtor. i go wow every time i see him. i can’t get enough of him. together they are like magic. they are made for each other. sure there’s drama but for the most part every one of them: fergus, eddie, desta, hillary, and david are being their true selves. the way they go back and forth with the comments and deal with their frustrations is entertaining. lioli 2 i have grown to enjoy and is entertaining. i like the hosts jillian and todd. i surely couldn’t do a better job. i would freeze up on the set. most of all i watch hgtv because it’s clean tv, unlike 99% of tv which is crude,vulgar, violent, rude, selfish, inappropriate…. when children and teens see this, it affects their attitudes, and ultimately them as grown-ups. any one that says this is not true is living in denial. i am single and have no children but i enjoy a tv channell which is moral, and possitive over one that there is alot of negativity including the commercials.
patty
I was a contractor for over 35 years. I feel it is totally unfair that Hilary is allowed to decorate and David is stuck with either an empty house one decorated by the existing home owners. I also feel Hilary’s kitchen designs waste allot of space and are more what she likes and not what the home owners like. From my experience “interior designers” don’t really care about what the home owner want. They use lines like, ” Trust me, it will be beautiful.” That may be true. But 99 % of the projects I oversaw and worked on in the metro Washington DC area, had to be redone to the home owners taste. They said the designers product was pretty but not for them.
@James: I don’t like a lot of HIllary’s designs; it could be just me or yes, she does design for herself. Don’t the homeowners have any input on style on what she does? Or do we never see that part of it? I’ve seen her do things that the owners did not want or never addressed. I’ll be darn if I’m going to pay a lot of money for someone to reno my home and NOT have any say in anything!!! Now on Property Brothers, the homeowners are totally involved in the reno and 95% of the time (yeah, Jonathan has been known to say “trust me” to the owners!) pick out their own style of things from the floor to the light fixtures.
However, I have noticed that Hillary finds some unusual pieces of furniture. One that sticks in my mind was the desk that turns into a bed!!! Loved that! Don’t even know where one can get something like that; but the show IS filmed in Canada so I’m assuming it is only available there.
I agree the drama makes me switch channels until the last 5 minutes of LIOLI. I like house hunters international a lot because it shows how adventurous people are to try living in a different country. House hunters in the US is repetitive. I also liked Room by Room and Designed to Sell back in the day.
According to this article, Love it of List it is scripted.
https://www.torontolife.com/informer/features/2013/08/22/the-real-world/