There are now shows about building, buying, remodeling, and selling your home on every channel almost every day. TV show hosts have become celebrities and household names. Some TV stations have had real estate show weekends exclusively devoted to real estate TV shows. The UK has an insatiable appetite for entertainment.
Why Crazy TV Ownership?
The UK has experienced some unsustainable house price increases. This has resulted in property owners having large amounts of equity in their homes. Most people who have owned a home for the last 5 years now have a great asset. Taking care of your home and getting the best out of it has become paramount. It’s no wonder the UK has gone crazy for Property TV.
We have reviewed some of the most popular programs.
Channel 4 Property Staircase. Channel 4
Hosted by Sarah Beeney, this show showcases the ups and downs of new real estate developers. Usually, every show proves that Budget is king. The developers shed a few tears as they made their first attempt to make money from real estate development. Certainly not a task for the faint of heart. Sarah Beeney is an experienced developer and gives some invaluable advice.
Our review: Sarah Beeney can seem like she knows it all, and “I told you so” is often on the tip of her tongue. However, it’s great to see other people’s mistakes and she makes some very valuable points. We found ourselves yelling ‘don’t argue with her just listen
UK-style Channel 4
Two savvy, young and successful London property hunters, Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer, take on the weekly challenge of finding someone their ideal home to buy, in just a few days! Filmed on location across the UK.
Our review: some good tips for looking for your new home. Some of the home seekers can be a bit ambitious and annoying. The show is repeated on some satellite channels, so some of the house prices are very historical.
Sell Houses Channel 4
Estate agent Andrew Winter tours some of the UK’s hardest-to-sell homes, meeting stressed-out homeowners whose properties have been stuck on the market for months.
Eager for a sale and unable to understand why no one wants to buy their house, they are desperate for a solution. Andrew gives frank opinion of him and recommends the course of action. Critical appraisal of him is often opposed…until the owner accepts his advice, it is vital if he wants to sell his house. And they sell what they do.
Our Review: Andrew Winton is blunt in his comments on hard-to-sell homes and their owners. There are no sensitive comments from this man. Some of the owners are subject to the frank and honest opinions of him. 9 times out of 10 he is right. It’s for us that his brutal honesty makes the show more enjoyable. Andrew Winton manages to sell those houses. His firm but fair manner makes him a must to watch.
a place in the sun
Amanda Lamb hosts A place in the sun, the show that helps buyers find the home of their dreams in exotic locations abroad. Amanda (Scottish widow ad) finds a wide range of the best properties available and guides potential buyers through the quirks and pitfalls of the local market.
Our review: An excellent program that has extensively researched real estate market trends in various sunny locations. Essential if you are thinking of buying abroad
house doctor
Anne Maurice is the domestic interiors equivalent of Anne Robinson. She is quick-witted, quick-tongued, and quick with her forecast. If she’s not lightening, stripping, or painting it white, she’s mercilessly depersonalizing it, wrapping it all up in a big black garbage bag and dispatching it with a crisp “goodbye.”
Our Review: Anne Maurice points out the obvious to these home sellers, and if they don’t believe her, potential buyers give them candid insights. His shows can get a bit repetitive. Nevertheless, a must see show.
Other people’s houses Channel 4
Providing an excellent opportunity to peek behind other people’s curtains each week, Naomi Cleaver follows a couple as they try to renovate a property and uses this as an excuse to see what other people have done to buildings of a similar style.
Our Review: This show provides a wonderful opportunity to see ordinary people’s ideas of what they think a house should look like. Some useful ideas, but lacks the brilliance of similar programs.
Relocation Relocation Channel 4
Could you relaunch your life, selling your house to finance a new double existence; Buy a place in the country and a pied-a-terre in the city? Professional property hunters Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer present a new series, Relocation Relocation, which helps six couples find the ideal balance: urban energy and rural relaxation.
Our review: If you can afford two houses, one for work and one for weekends, this may be for you. Some of the participants may seem a bit smug.
safe as houses
Safe as Houses: ‘Tracy and Stephen Gibbs’
Moving house is high on the list of the most stressful things you can do, and this real estate show explores that fact with realtor Emma Basden and builder Jason Maloney. Steve and Tracy plan to move from Cheshunt to St Austell in Cornwall, where Tracy loves the sea, the fields and the kind of property they can afford. But things don’t go as planned.
The UK has experienced some unsustainable house price increases. This has resulted in property owners having large amounts of equity in their homes. Most people who have owned a home for the last 5 years now have a great asset. Taking care of your home and getting the best out of it has become paramount. No wonder the UK has gone crazy over Property TV…