5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About HGTV’s ‘Fixer to Fabulous’

1. Jenny & Dave renovate multiple houses at one time

Three homes at one time, to be exact. While discussing what surprised her most about filming the HGTV show, Jenny revealed that there’s no time to waste during production. “I guess for me, I was surprised by the timelines we work on because we have to get these renovations done, so they can edit and create its own look and feel,” she told PureWow. “So, we do about three houses at a time in about a five-week period.”

2. Once the homeowners leave, Jenny & Dave have full control

As for the decision-making process, Jenny and Dave confirmed that once the homeowners leave, they (AKA the renovators) have full jurisdiction. “I was amazed that people put so much trust in us. They’ll literally move out of their house for five to six weeks and give up full control,” Dave explained. “Our business prior to this was custom—with a custom house, you’re really getting input every step of the way. But with [the show], we have an initial conversation with the homeowners and then after that, they really leave. And then it’s a surprise.”

3. The homeowners don’t always keep the furniture

You know how the homes are always decorated to the nines on Fixer to Fabulous? Well, that’s all thanks to Jenny. Since HGTV doesn’t pay for the renovations, she always tries to use the clients’ existing pieces. If it doesn’t work with the new space, she will bring in staging furniture and give homeowners the option to purchase the new additions.

“If there’s a piece of their furniture that we can use, we do,” she said. “But otherwise, I work with a local firm and pretty much figure out what I would do for the client. And then the homeowners have the option to buy it at a discounted rate.”

The conversation happens off-camera, but it usually takes place after the big reveal. “They come in and if they like everything, it’s done, and they move right in,” Jenny added. “Or if they don’t and want to bring their old furniture back in, then we’ll move it out.”

4. Things don’t always go as planned

Some issues—like an unstable foundation and water damage—are addressed on Fixer to Fabulous, but there is far more than meets the eye. Although Jenny and Dave are used to running into problems during renovations, they always recommend hiring an additional inspector to assess unforeseen costs.

“It’s another set of eyes. It’s someone that deals with it every day and can hopefully warn you off from catastrophic events, whether it’s the foundation or a lot of mold or water,” Dave explained. “We recommend to people that we built custom homes for, ‘Hey, when we’re done, have a home inspector come in and keep in mind they’re going to find something that we missed, even if it’s something little.’”

5. House hunting isn’t as glamorous as it looks on TV

Dave revealed that hunting for a fixer upper isn’t always easy. He explained that he always makes sure his clients know what they’re looking for, because it’s nearly impossible to change the original style of the home.

“Every now and then, we’ll go look at a home either for HGTV or customers, and they literally want to change the actual style,” he said. “You either need to decide, ‘OK. I want to be in a location. So, I’m going to work around that location.’ Or ‘I really want this style for a house.’”

Dave continued, “If you want a modern house, maybe start there instead of adapting the house. It could save a whole lot of time and money and, probably, heartache.”

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