HGTV's House Huntersis one of the longest-running reality shows to ever grace our television screens. Since 1999, viewers have enjoyed watching home buyers, who are often couples, drool over stunning houses hundreds of thousands of dollars over their minuscule budget. The House Hunters budget memes get us every time.
But the journey presented is always exciting, as is being able to see various styles of architecture and interior design at various price points across America. If anything, House Hunters is a show about learning to compromise.
Now on Season 207, the neverending HGTV reality series gifts us with even more clueless participants! Hey, we don't know much about the world of real estate either. But do these buyers, or "hunters," get paid to appear on the show? Let's discuss.
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Do 'House Hunters' participants get paid to be on the show?
The "house hunters" are presented with three different housing options based on their practical / dream requirements and budget, as chosen by a local real estate agent. They then weigh the pros and cons of each location and ultimately make a final decision. In short, the compensation for said buyers is mere crumbs.
According to Showbiz CheatSheet, home buyers get paid a measly flat rate of $500 for their time on House Hunters. And considering it takes about 30 hours over three to five days to film a single episode, as reported by The List, appearing on the show surely isn't worth it for the money. Don't quit your day job, folks.
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Though Elizabeth Newcamp and her husband, Jeff, received $500 to be on an episode of House Hunters, they received just a bit more to be on House Hunters International.
"A cameraperson, sound engineer, director, and fixer would be in our town of Delft, in the Netherlands, for one week in mid-July 2016 to shoot our episode," Elizabeth wrote in her 2019article titled "What It’s Actually Like to Be on House Hunters — Twice" for Slate. "We would be paid a flat rate of $1,500 for our time."
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Considering the scheduling chaos, time, and acting chops (apparently much of the show is fictionalized for the camera) necessary to appear on an episode of House Hunters, it's a bummer that the buyers are hardly compensated. So, why on earth did Elizabeth and her hubby decide to appear on both the OG HGTV show and its spinoff?
"It is obviously not the money ... or fame (although I was once recognized by a lovely American couple in an airport in Budapest as the “Crazy Bathtub Lady”). But Jeff and I can’t resist doing interesting things. We loved getting a little peek at the world of entertainment. Plus, we walked away with a video snapshot of this one moment of our lives," Elizabeth wrote.
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Are realtors paid to appear on 'House Hunters'?
Realtors aren't paid at all to appear on House Hunters. Considering the show's wild popularity, however, it's worth it for them to show their faces and offer their services for free. In return, they get free publicity. As you can imagine, realtors' sales and careers boom after being featured on an HGTV series.
In the end, House Hunters isn't about earning money or winning, as it's more of a scripted narrative series about the dramatized journey of purchasing the picture-perfect home — which, for wonderfully eccentric hunters like Elizabeth, is loads of fun. Get ready for your closeup because if you're applying to be on the show, that's what the unique reality TV experience is all about.
According to Showbiz CheatSheet, house consumers get paid a measly flat rate of $500 for their time on House Hunters. And taking into consideration it takes about 30 hours over three to 5 days to film a single episode, as reported through The List, showing on the show indisputably isn't value it for the cash.
Buyers are said to be typically paid $500 to film around 50 hours of footage, which is then edited down. In response to questions about the show's authenticity, the show's publicist said: We're making a television show, so we manage certain production and time constraints, while honoring the home buying process.
To put it simply, no.While HGTV doesn't specifically address payment in their application, they do note that homeowners now must have a $100,000 renovation budget (this requirement was previously $50,000 and then $75,000).
Each episode shows participants touring three homes before they eventually choose at the end. The decision-making process you see on screen may mirror real-life concerns the participants had while searching for their home, but the reactions and conversations are scripted and filmed after-the-fact.
The couples and families featured in each episode are real-life people who are genuinely in the process of buying a home. Most people over the age of 18 are eligible to apply to be on House Hunters.
In fact, by the time the show is recorded they've already bought the house. The other two you see them traipsing through are just two other vacant houses that are chosen at random by the producers who are working with some local realtor, and not necessarily the one you see on the show.
That's pretty accurate, according to News & Record. An HGTV rep reportedly told the website: “The homeowners always pay for the renovation and they are given the opportunity to purchase the furnishings and décor used for the staging. What they don't purchase is removed from the home." So there you have it!
If you win the 2024 HGTV Dream Home on Anastasia Island, Florida, near St.Augustine, you can sell the home. If you win the 2024 HGTV Smart Home in Atlanta, Georgia, you can take the cash option, and the house would likely be put on the market. Several past winners of HGTV's popular sweepstakes contests have done that.
But here's the kicker: More often than not, the homes are staged, meaning the homeowners don't get to keep the furniture and decor that's shown on TV. “Most if not all of our flipping shows are staged,” Betsy admits, noting that, depending on the client, sometimes the renovation will include some of the furniture.
Real drama. But don't discount "House Hunters" as a show with no drama. I'd estimate 80 percent of the couples featured on the show file for divorce within four weeks of filming.
If you're interested in appearing on the show, please fill out an application on the Pietown.tv website. Visit the House Hunters show page. See all Be-on-HGTV listings.
According to Showbiz CheatSheet, home buyers get paid a measly flat rate of $500 for their time on House Hunters. And considering it takes about 30 hours over three to five days to film a single episode, as reported by The List, appearing on the show surely isn't worth it for the money. Don't quit your day job, folks.
If you're feeling bummed about the fact that many of the homes have already been purchased before filming, don't be — according to what Nate Lambert, who was on "House Hunters International," wrote on a blog post on Medium, everything else is true to real life (at least, in his family's experience).
Producers Jennifer Davidson and Tara Sandler never imagined an idea sparked by their very own house hunting ordeal would become HGTV's longest-running show, spanning 24 years, 243 seasons, at least 16 spinoffs and no end in sight. Launched on Sept.
Does HGTV pay for the renovations? There's a common assumption that making it on a show comes with a free renovation, or at least discounted goods. On the contrary, homeowners have to come up with the money for the projects.
HGTV makes absolutely no mention of cutting paychecks for any Love It or List It show participants, so it's safe to say the homeowners on this show aren't coming up financially whatsoever. Instead, homeowners are investing in new home designs and construction by agreeing to be on the show.
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