Top 13 Best House Flipping Shows | Real Estate Skills

House Flipping TV Shows have become increasingly popular over the years! While house flipping shows are a great way to be introduced to the real estate industry, there is still lots to learn that’s not being covered on your television.

Flipping a house entails purchasing a home with the intention of renovating it and reselling it to make a profit.

Whether you’re planning to flip a house, or in the middle of a project, watching these shows can provide helpful instruction and inspiration.

Let’s give you the run-down on house flipping shows so you can see the reality behind it all!

• The History Of House Flipping Shows
• Top 13 Best House Flipping Shows
• Where To Watch House Flipping Shows
• New House Flipping Shows
• The Main Differences Between Real Life & House Flipping Shows
• Is Watching Real Estate TV Shows A Good Way To Get Started Investing?
• How To Become A Real Estate Investor If You Like House Flipping Shows?
• House Flipping Shows: FAQs
• Final Thoughts

The History Of House Flipping Shows

So, how did house flipping shows start? Well, the great economic recession hit the world in the 1980s. During this time, earnings from the stock market were down as house foreclosures went up. Guess what started to happen?

Savvy investors were able to get great discounted prices on houses and began buying foreclosed homes, fixing them up, and reselling them to make a nice profit. The common phrase of “house flipping” really started to take off during this time in the 1980s.

Additionally, with more & more houses being built in the 80s and 90s, the notion of remodeling or renovating older homes became popular.

During this time, television shows like “This Old House” emerged. Now, average homeowners were becoming encouraged to renovate their own homes instead of demolishing them by media personalities like Bob Vila, who was the host of This Old House.

Source

To keep up with the excitement, Lowe’s and Home Depot began building their mega stores in almost every suburban community. This made it easier for the average person to tackle their DIY home improvement projects

This trend also led to the emergence of more popular shows featuring experienced house flippers.

Today, the opportunity of flipping older homes is not limited to carpenters and contractors only. The opportunity to build a successful house flipping business is possible for anyone who is willing to get the right education and put in the work (and a little elbow grease)!

Top 13 Best House Flipping Shows

1. Genevieve's Renovation

Genevieve Gorder is one of the country's most popular interior designers and home makeover show hosts. She first gained popularity from the show Trading Spaces; a popular home renovation reality show that aired on TLC and Discovery Home.

Genevieve also hosted several other home improvement shows, including Netflix's hit series, Stay Here, and HGTV's White Christmas. In Genevieve's Renovation, the talented designer takes on the renovation of her apartment in Manhattan. The show runs for six episodes and offers a personal look at her life and what it's like to be a client as an already-experienced interior designer.

2. Holmes On Homes

Were you recently frustrated by a contractor's shoddy workmanship? The reality show Holmes on Homes is proof you're not alone. In this house flipping show, Mike Holmes, a certified contractor, visits and offers home remodels to homeowners who are also victims of poor home renovation projects by hired contractors.

The series first aired in 30-minute episodes on Home & Garden Television in Canada but later transitioned to one-hour long episodes due to viewer demand. It has seven seasons and a remix series that Mike himself narrates.

3. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is one of the most popular home improvement reality shows. Designer Ty Pennington and his crew offer families in need complete home renovations in only a week. The show had nine seasons before it ended in 2012 but was revived again by HGTV in 2020.

The spinoff ran for only ten episodes, but generally, the show remains one of the best home makeovers shows ever to grace our silver screens. You can stream it on Hulu, Disney plus, and ESPN+.

4. Flip Or Flop

Watch Tarek El Moussa, and Christina Haack put their money on the line to purchase and renovate dilapidated properties into luxurious homes for sale in the reality show Flip or Flop. Although the duo is now divorced, their show remains one of the best to watch if you're looking at house flipping as an investing strategy. Stream it from Prime Video, Discovery+ or rent it on iTunes and Google Play.

5. Property Brothers

Home renovations are typically costly, but this Canadian home flipping show shows you how to do them on a budget. The Property Brothers show follows two brothers, Drew Scott, a real estate expert, and Jonathan Scott, a licensed contractor, in their quest to help house-hunting families find, buy, and renovate fixer-uppers into incredible spaces on a strict budget.

6. Designed To Sell

Are you planning to sell your home soon? Or are you looking for ways to increase buyer interest in your flips? If you answered yes to either or both questions, Designed to Sell should be on the top of your must-watch home improvement shows. It showcases a team of real estate experts and designers taking on projects that make a property more attractive to first-time buyers on a tight budget.

7. Divine Design

Divine Design is a home improvement show that follows Candice Olson, a renowned Canadian designer, and her crew as they transform ordinary homes into divinely designed spaces. The show airs on HGTV in the US and W Network in Canada. It features 30-minute episodes showcasing the step-by-step process of each redesign process.

8. Stay Here

Did you know you can now rent out rooms in your home to vacationers? If not, Stay Here is just the show for you. Watch interior designer Genevieve Gorder and her partner, Peter Lorimer, a broker, work with homeowners to transform their primary or secondary homes into short-term rentals. The best part? You can rent out the houses featured on the show should you ever find yourself heading to these locales.

9. Fixer Upper

Chip and Joanna Gaines are the ultimate husband-wife duo of home improvement shows, and their show Fixer Upper is among the most successful ever to hit our silver screen. The show first aired in 2013 and was an instant hit from the word go. It ran for five seasons and ended with a spinoff where Chip and Joanna showcase how they come up with the home renovation designs you'll find on the show.

10. Zombie House Flipping

Ever thought of transforming the distressed property up your block? If so, Zombie House Flipping might tickle your fancy. The show follows Justin Stamper and his team as they remodel dilapidated, foreclosed, and abandoned properties into magazine-cover-worthy homes.

11. Queer Eye

Queer Eye, an Emmy-winning reality show, is one of the best home makeovers shows on Netflix. In this series, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Ness, Tan France, and Bobby Berk, or the fab-five as they're fondly known, do more than renovate homes. They spend a week revamping each participant's home, fashion, and lifestyle in each episode, transforming lives for the better. The show is a reboot of Bravo's 2003-07 show known as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

11. Fix My Frankenhouse

Fix My Frankenhouse, a new HGTV home improvement show set to premiere in 2023, follows Denese, and Mike, as they tackle home renovation projects in the Boston area. In each episode, the husband-wife duo will work with family members to remodel unlovable homes into cozy spaces that reflect the owners' ancestral heritage.

12. Unsellable Houses

Trying to sell an old home but can't keep up with the new, modern properties in your neighborhood? Watch Unsellable Houses, and you're sure to walk away with some game-changing tips. The show is about twin sisters Leslie and Lyndsay, who take on renovation projects that transform dilapidated houses into dream homes.

13. Home Town Takeover

Home Town Takeover, featuring Ben and Erin Napier, take on an ambitious journey as they makeover and take over an entire small town. Ben and Erin lead a team of renovation experts to tackle these big projects. With an eye for style and graphic design, Erin Napier brings her renovation visions to life, while her husband Ben Napier takes on the woodwork and building skills that help form the foundation of the Home Town team.

Where To Watch House Flipping Shows

So, your favorite home flipping just ended, and you don't know what to watch next? Here is a list of platforms you can turn to alongside their most popular home improvement shows:

Best House Flipping Shows On Netflix

Here are some great real estate shows to binge on Netflix:

• Queer Eye
• Interior Design Masters
• Tiny House Nation
• How to Live Mortgage Free
• Dream Home Makeover
• Grand Design
• Instant Hotels
• Stay Here
• Big Timber
• The Vanilla Ice Project

A&E House Flipping Shows

A&E has real estate shows, such as:

• 50/50 Flip
• Rustic Remodel
• The Way Home
• Flipping Down South
• Living Smaller
• Flipping Down South
• Sell this House
• Zombie House Flipping

HGTV House Flipping Shows

HGTV lovers enjoy a wide variety of house flipping shows, including:

• Building Roots
• Property Brothers
• Unsellable Houses
• Family ancestry
• Holmes on Homes
• Flip or Flop
• Luxe for Less
• Designed to Sell
• Fix My Frankenhouse
• English Escape
• Design on a Dime
• Revealed
• Small Town Overhauls

House Flipping Shows On HBO Max

Home flipping shows aren't as popular on HBO Max, but there are several good ones, such as:

• Ellen's Next Great Designer
• Star Power

House Flipping Shows On Amazon Prime

Got a lot of downtime and don't know what to do? Binge watch the following home improvement and renovation shows on Amazon Prime: 

• Family Home Overhaul
• Extreme Makeover; Home Edition
• The Great Interior Design Challenge
• Big Dreams, Small Spaces
• Escape to the Chateau; DIY
• The Block
• Design Matters
• Brand New House on a Budget
• Restoration Man
• Hometown
• Love it or List it
• My Dream Derelict Design
• Building the Dream Nashville
• Simple Honest Design
• HELP! I Wrecked My House
• The Great Interior Design Challenge
• Good Bones
• Maine Cabin Masters
• Homemade
• Love it or Lose it
• Reno Rumble
• Dream Home
• Tiny House World
• Life on the Mar's: The Home Makeover Show

House Flipping Shows On Hulu

Hulu subscribers also enjoy a wide variety of home improvement shows. These include but aren't limited to:

• Save My Reno
• Backyard Builds
• The Great House Revival
• Making it Home with Kortney & Kenny
• Save My Reno
• Extreme Home Makeover
• Sarah Beeny's Renovate Don't Relocate
• Family Home Overhaul
• House Hunters

New House Flipping Shows

Do you ever wonder what the new, hot home improvement shows are? Look no further. There are a variety of new home improvement shows coming to air in 2022 and 2023. These include but are not limited to:

• Revealed
• Renovation 911
• Luxe For Less
• Fix My Frankenhouse
• Small Town Potential
• Saving The Manor
• Building Roots
• Unsellable 

The Main Differences Between Real Life & House Flipping Shows

Watching a show about house flipping can easily make you want to start flipping houses to make serious cash. Unfortunately, what these shows depict is different from the reality.

The main difference between real life and these shows is that real estate transactions generally take longer to complete in real life than they do on the shows. For example, a 6-month-long renovation project can be cut down to one 30-minute episode!

Basically, watching these shows make many people think it’s easy to find and own a dream home. While real estate investing can be simple once you understand the processes, I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily easy.

Finding houses to wholesale or flip at the right prices takes time. Additionally, renovating a house requires careful coordination and planning. However, on house flipping shows, this planning of the renovation can literally take 5 minutes on the TV screen when it takes much longer in real life.

The best real estate investors start their planning before actually starting to renovate a house. The scope of work has to be created detailing what will be done. Bids have to be taken from various trades and contractors. A working schedule has to be developed and managed. Permits must be submitted, inspections done and much more.

Because of this, no rehab will happen as quickly as is shown on these shows!

Here's a quick video explaining why you may want to hire out the renovation work on a flip so you can focus on the growth & scale of your business:

Is Watching Real Estate TV Shows A Good Way To Get Started Investing?

We look at Real Estate TV Shows as a start for getting inspired and entertained. However, you should not depend on them as the only way to educate yourself about real estate investing.

In most cases, these shows do not provide sufficient education to investors. The primary focus of these shows is to tell you how easy investing can be, rather than show all of the headaches & obstacles.

So if you want to get started investing, watching real estate TV shows is a place to start, but then it is highly recommended to educate yourself through more training.

For instance, watch YouTube videos by successful real estate investors and continue reading our blog to always be on the cutting edge of investing.

How To Become A Real Estate Investor If You Like House Flipping Shows?

You have watched house flipping shows and now you feel inspired to become a house flipper. Well, you need to learn more than you have gathered from watching the shows. House flipping can be a profitable venture. However, it’s important to always have a growth mindset and to learn real estate investing lessons from others.

Here’s a list of resources to become a real estate investor just like those on the house flipping tv shows:

• Read the guide on flipping houses – This flipping houses article will educate you on how to find, fund, fix, and flip properties.
• Learn about wholesaling houses – Wholesaling houses is when you get a home under contract and then sell the rights to that contract to another investor, typically a fix & flipper. If you become great at wholesaling, you’ll always have another exit strategy to make a profit on the house besides solely having to renovate it!
• Get a real estate license - Getting a real estate license is a good idea when starting out. A license can open up more income opportunities. It also teaches you more about the entire real estate industry including the forms and vocabulary needed to purchase and sell properties.
• Build your real estate network – Building your real estate network or circle of influence with real estate professionals is a must for anyone who wants to flip houses. Flipping homes is a team sport and you have to work with others to be successful.
• Attend REIAs – REIAs are Real Estate Investors Associations where you can network and meet others to build your A-Team.
• Learn about & get access to the MLS – The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is the best place to find information on sold properties and properties available for sale. Therefore, get MLS access to take advantage of the service in growing your real estate business.
• Buy property! - When purchasing the house to flip, decide whether to get financing or pay the total amount upfront. Also, decide whether you will use the help of another investor to purchase the property or do it alone. Finally, consider the value trends of property in the area through real estate comps.
• Renovate the property! - Stick to the budget when renovating the property to maximize profit. Choose your contractor wisely and be specific on your scope of work in order to stay on budget.
• Sell the property! - After renovations, you’ll most likely want to sell the property with a real estate agent. However, you can represent your property and sell it if you are licensed. This way, you can save the commission you would pay an agent to sell your flipped house. This can normally save you 1.5% to 3% of the sales price of your property! In the end, this means more money in your pocket from the real estate deal
• Learn how to find and flip houses with little to no money – This is our world-class training showing you how to find and flip your first house in 45 days or less.

House Flipping Shows: FAQs

Are House Flipping Shows Real?

Yes and no. The real answer is…it depends! What are we defining as “fake” here?

Do some TV Networks embellish on the numbers (ARV, Repairs, & Purchase Price) of a property? Sure. This is what the media does.

Do some shows create more drama when there might not be any? Absolutely. That’s REALity TV for ya’!

However, if you look past the common practices of today’s media, you’ll see that there is more realness than fake from these shows.

I’m sure you’ve seen an HGTV Show where a house flipper purchases a neglected home, slaps fresh paint on the walls, stages the house, and then sells it in 3 weeks' time. Easy, right!?

Well, not so fast. A lot of the time these house flipping shows do not show the acquisition process of getting the house under contract, the negotiations, and the closing of the deal on the front-end. This acquisition process requires special skill sets that the TV shows like to gloss over. This way, the TV Network can focus on the sexy parts of the house flipping process. Like, renovating the home and the profit numbers!

The most important thing is that a house flipper should always do their due diligence and have the proper education to know what they are getting into!

What also makes these shows seem unreal is that they tend to not feature the following:

• History of the houses being flipped.
• How the money was raised to finance the house flipping projects.
• The general contractors or workers involved in the home renovation.
• The negotiation process or signing of the contracts & disclosures.
• Major problems like foundation, electrical, and plumbing issues that can increase project budgets.

All in all, a house flipping show only lasts about 20 minutes to 1 hour on your TV Screen. When the reality, the timeframe to flip a house can take weeks to over a year!

How Many House Flipping Shows Are There?

It’s difficult to state the exact number of flipping shows that you can watch on television, YouTube, and Netflix – but let’s just say: tons. In fact, most of HGTV’s programming is all about real estate and home renovation shows. The rest comprises of categories like decorating, gardening, entertaining, design, specials, construction, salvage sales, and appraisals.

Nevertheless, there’s no shortage of shows on house flipping whether you prefer watching online, on Netflix, or on TV. What’s more, the high number of these shows ensures that there is something for everyone.

Why Was Flip This House Canceled?

Flip This House was a house flipping show that aired five seasons on A&E and Bio TV networks between 2005 and 2009. All episodes featured listing, renovation costs, market value, and profit potential of the flip.

The show initially followed flipping activities by a South-Carolina-based company known as Trademark, but the partnership ended in Season 1 due to contractual agreements between A&E and the former. It returned for four more seasons and officially ended in 2009, with Season five as the finale.

Why Did Fixer Upper Get Canceled?

The announcement by Chip and Joanna Gaines that the Fixer Upper show was coming to an end after 5 seasons caught many people by surprise. This is because Fixer Upper was one of the most popular house flipping shows ever created.

The Gaines revealed they were being overstretched for some time and couldn’t handle all of their responsibilities to the best of their abilities.

They had a home life and four children, a business, and a TV show, which spread them thin.

After juggling time between each they decided to call Fixer Upper “quits” in order to focus on their family & business.

Is Fixer Upper Coming Back?

Yes. Fixer Upper is returning to our screens with four new episodes as part of its summer and fall slate. The show will include a new edition dubbed Welcome Home set at the couple's Texas home and a baking competition at Silos Baking Co.

How Do You Get On A Home Remodel TV Show?

If you'd like your home featured on a home makeover show, reach out to the network or production company airing your favorite show, and inquire about casting opportunities.

Alternatively, check out dedicated casting websites like Backstage.com, as show directors post upcoming casting opportunities frequently. Or, go to Craigslist, as most production companies turn to the platform when they have no contacts in new areas. But be wary of companies and websites that ask for a fee to apply.

Final Thoughts

House flipping shows are a great source of inspiration for anybody wanting to venture into real estate investing or house flipping.

However, as you now know, there’s much more to learn about real estate investing than what meets the eye!

Cheers & Happy Investing!