To renovate or relocate?
That’s the conundrum a new HGTV show aims to help solve
With soaring real estate prices, families looking for newer or bigger homes are increasingly faced with a dilemma: take on a renovation project or move to another house.
HGTV’s new series Reno vs. Relocate focuses on that exact issue. With the help of stylesavvy designer Robin Lewis and property guru Vanessa Roman, the shows encourage fence-sitting homeowners to take action.
The episodes, shot in the Toronto area, typically involve two people living together who are on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to what to do with their home.
Many viewers will relate to families who stew over the fact that they have dysfunctional kitchens and bathrooms, no space for their kids to play, half-finished basements or clothes bursting in closets the size of telephone booths.
In each show, homeowners are presented with two options: a state-of-the-art graphic simulation of a renovation of their home from Lewis, and a tour of one house that perfectly matches their wish list and budget from Roman. Armed with this information, the homeowners have to choose before any hard work begins.
“At that point, if they decide to come with me and do the reno, then it becomes a reno show, and if they decide to go with Vanessa and find a new place, it becomes a property or real estate show,” says Lewis. If they choose to renovate, Lewis transforms their home into a functional, fabulous space. If they choose to relocate, Roman takes them to two more properties that fit their wish list.
If it’s a reno, Roman crunches numbers to see how the reno has added equity to the home. If the couple chooses to buy a new home, Lewis executes a mini makeover to stage the house in preparation for resale.