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HGTV Lied to Me:  Myths About Real Estate

  • Writer: Katie Muellenbach
    Katie Muellenbach
  • Sep 1
  • 3 min read
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Let’s get one thing straight: I love HGTV. I’ve binge-watched every home buying, flipping, and renovation show out there. But once I got into real estate myself, I realized… HGTV may have slightly misled me. Not on purpose. They just forgot to mention a few things—like how sometimes showings are less ‘house hunting’ and more ‘free cardio with a side of awkward small talk in stranger’s living rooms.


So here we go. From one real person to another: here are real estate myths HGTV told us (and the reality checks that followed).


  • You’ll Find Your Dream Home in 3 Showings or Less


The myth:

Couple sees three homes. One is too modern, one is too rustic, and one is - you guessed it - juuuuust right. Boom. Cue the champagne and happy life.


The reality: You may fall in love on day one… or you may see 17 houses, then circle back to the first one with a measuring tape, a flashlight, and your cousin who “knows about foundations.” And that’s okay! Finding your home isn’t a game show—it’s a journey (sometimes involving weird smells and 12 rejected offers).



  • Renovations Only Take 3 Weeks and Cost Exactly $12,000


The myth: They redo a kitchen, two bathrooms, and remove a load-bearing wall before the next commercial. Budget? $12K. Timeline? Three weeks. The couple even goes on vacation in the meantime to avoid the mess and chaos.


The reality: In real life, contractors are busy, materials get backordered, and someone always forgets to measure for the new vanity. What starts as “just replacing the cabinets” can quickly spiral into “a plumber is coming Tuesday and now we need permits.” Also, why does grout come in 47 colors, and what type of alien can pick a paint color without overthinking?



  • Every House Just Needs a Little Paint


The myth: Peel off some wallpaper, slap up some white paint, add some rustic shelves—and voilà! Instant transformation.


The reality: Sometimes what a house really needs is all the unsexy stuff:  new roof, updated electrical, and to stop smelling like moth balls and regret. Paint can do a lot, but it can’t fix a cracked foundation or carpet from 1975.



  • You’ll Make a Huge Profit Flipping, Even if You’ve Never Held a Hammer


The myth: Buyer finds a fixer-upper, spends weekends hanging out in cute overalls and doing a little painting. They flip the house for a $95K profit. Easy!


The reality: Flipping can be profitable, but it’s also risky, stressful, and full of unexpected surprises. Like termites. Or a sewer line from 1942. Unless you’ve got solid experience, a great team, and a decent amount of wiggle room in your budget, flipping might flip you.



  • Realtors Just Open Doors and Say “This Is the Living Room”


The myth: Realtors have an easy gig: wear nice shoes, open some doors, say “this kitchen has great flow,” then cash a commission check.


The reality: Behind the scenes, we’re juggling inspections, coordinating closings, interpreting contracts, calming nerves, solving mysteries (like “why is the water pressure suddenly gone?”), and sometimes delivering bad news. Our texts with clients are longer than most novels.


HGTV is like the social media filter of real estate—it’s pretty, it’s fun, and it’s definitely not the whole picture. In the real world, real estate is messy, super emotional, exciting, and incredibly rewarding when done right.


 
 
 

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