A place like home is a phrase everyone is familiar with. Home is a place to live and where you feel safe. Thus, it is important that the space should be flexible and comfortable and should make you feel like a place to live in.
Many people prefer to change the interior or even renovate the entire house when they feel like they need a change of environment. But, then, they either go to the interior designers or take responsibility themselves.
Going to experts can cost a lot of money, and sometimes although you need the change, you may prefer to stay in the same place without any modification. But there are ways you can get your home renovated at low prices or in an affordable way.
There are TV shows on several online streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and HGTV from where you can get the idea to make changes and give a fresh look to your home space. Some top shows that would give some insights into their property renovation on Amazon Prime are listed.
10. The Block
Couples compete to transform old buildings into upscale flats, with the goal of selling them at auction for the highest price to win a reward of $100,000. Jamie Durie served as the initial presenter of the original series, which was released in 2003 and continued for two seasons straight in 2004.
After a six-year break, The Nine Network brought back The Block, and on September 22, 2010, the show’s third season was released. There are 18 seasons to date, but Prime Video has only 12 seasons available to watch.
Initially, the show’s format followed four couples who were challenged to repair a run-down apartment building in the Sydney neighborhood of Bondi over the course of 12 weeks.
Each of them is given a budget of A$40,000. The apartments were then put up for auction, with the winning pair receiving a reward of $100,000 and each couple keeping profits above a set reserve price.
The current structure is essentially the same, except that the series typically consists of five couples, is set mostly in the suburbs of Melbourne, and has a budget of at least $100,000.
9. Grand Designs
Grand Designs has been broadcasting since its debut in April 1999. Kevin McCloud has served as its host; more than 200 episodes over the 23 seasons have been shown.
The episodes follow a regular format where McCloud visits the property over the time it is being rebuilt and talks about the changes made and his opinion about it. At the beginning of each episode, McCloud gets to know the clients starting the project.
He goes to the construction site with them and goes through the building’s blueprints. The desired project is displayed in a computer-aided design or computer-visualization perspective.
After that, he returns to the site frequently to monitor the construction’s progress and note any modifications, problems, or delays. Once the project is complete, he makes one last trip and provides opinions about the changes.
The projects shown in the Grand Designs are extravagant and unusual. They vary in style and design- from underground homes to converted water towers, and various kinds of projects are featured in the show.
8. Brand New House On A Budget
Do you think you cannot fix your DIY disaster or renovate the boring decor of your house without an adequate budget? Then, this show, Brand New House on Budget, is for you.
The show follows the queen of interior design, Linda Barker, who is challenged with doing a huge home renovation on the tightest budget possible, transforming dull residences into lovely family homes utilizing smart style strategies, bargain shopping, and upcycling.
She will show you how you change the face of your house for just £5k. This show delivers fantastic and valuable home makeovers that you can try in your homes too.
While people have provided a good rating for this show, some argue it is not practical. Linda shows that so much can be done with £5k, but the audience argues that it is impossible in the real world.
Most of the costs during the renovation are taken up by the laborers. The homeowners can do basic work like painting and redoing lamps and furniture, but it will require an expert or professional to do electrical, plumbing, sewing, and carpentry work.
7. Changing Rooms
Changing Rooms was a popular home improvement show between 1996 and 2004. It used to be aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom.
Later, the program was franchised under the same name for the regional TV markets in the US, New Zealand, and Australia. The show’s premise was for couples to swap residences with neighbors or friends, with each pair decorating one room in the other’s home.
Carol Smillie and Handy Andy Kane first hosted the show. For series 14 and 15, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, the show’s previous designer, took up hosting duties from Smillie in 2003. In 2004, the show was canceled after one episode.
Channel 4 announced in October 2020 that it would revive the show, with Llewelyn-Bowen and Davina McCall serving as new presenters. However, it was notified on March 22, 2021, that McCall would not host the relaunched series because of scheduling issues and the show’s delayed production because of a pandemic.
Then, Anna Richardson was announced as the host on May 5, 2021. But, she also left the show after one season.
6. Big Dreams Small Spaces
Who does not like to keep the area they live in looking beautiful? Anyone would love to have a garden that helps relieve some tension and maintain a peaceful and fresh environment at home.
But, having any knowledge about the garden or the plants could be difficult. And there is one person for the rescue, i.e., horticulturist Monty Don.
He is the host of Big Dreams Small Spaces. In the show, he works with amateur gardeners to assist them in creating the garden of their dreams. He will give his gardening counsel after listening to the client’s plans.
There is no cash prize, and the budget is often lower, which is covered by the gardeners. However, some have big dreams like turning their backyard into a forest or creating a community vegetable garden for their neighbors.
Even on IMDb, the show has received phenomenal ratings of 8.1 out of ten. Many wrote the review that the show was relaxing to watch and helped them gather knowledge of the garden.
Besides, the viewers love the show because it is less dramatic and more inviting and inspiring. People have also found the advice provided by Monty has loads of helpful information for gardening and learning about plants.
5. Martha Knows Best
Martha is an Emmy Award-winning television show host, entrepreneur, and The New York Times bestselling author of 90 books. Her books cover everyday life, including cooking, entertaining, gardening, home renovating, collecting, organizing, crafting, healthy living, holidays, weddings, and pet care.
In the show Martha Knows Best, she showcases to the audience her latest gardening projects on her New York farm. She also advises fans on their home projects and helps her celebrity friends turn their farms into beautiful spaces.
She has a gardener to help her, whose name is Ryan McCallister. The curly-headed, blue-eyed gardener can make jokes while working, which makes the show fun to watch.
Some other cast members in the show are Drew Barrymore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lauren Conrad, Lorraine Bracco, and Coco Austin Martha. And, if you are a farm owner or want to own one in the future, this could be a go-to show that you can watch and get some idea on how to design your farm.
4. Best Laid Plans
Best Laid Plans follow Charlie Luxton, an architect, and Sophie Morgan, a property developer, who assist homeowners whose expensive remodeling projects have encountered difficulties. The duo guides the homeowners on resettling with their home design dilemma.
Charlie is a tv personality who also writes and speaks about the environment and sustainable architecture. Sophie is a Tv host as well as a businesswoman. She is a director at numerous companies like Empire Investors, Sophie Morgan Creative, and Votal.
Each episode shows two families renovating their homes. The hosts discover the families’ dilemmas when trying to build their dream homes and help them solve them. They even take them on a quick detour to see other properties from which they can get inspiration. The show ended with the homeowners having their new dream house.
While many found it interesting to watch, the documentary show got a 7.7 rating on IMDb with mixed reviews from the viewers. People have found this show informative in terms of floor plans and always have shown stunning finished rooms.
But the homeowners are similar, which made every episode look alike. Thus, a fan wrote that there needed to be more variety in the design challenges, which could keep his interest in the show.
3. Design Doctors
The Design Doctors, which features architects Catherine Crowe and Denise O’Connor, are on a mission to help people get rid of beige, make room, and add some imagination to their houses without going over budget. They push the limitations to provide original, bold, and distinctive designs in every project.
The project ranges from high-end houses to luxury hotels. The duo will show how one can build the home of their dreams without going over the budget. It is one of the most popular and best real estate shows on Amazon Prime.
These two Irish architects will take you on how to build the home you fall in love with without emptying the bank or your pocket.
2. The Restoration Man
The Restoration Man is the British home renovation television program that first aired on March 14, 2010, on Channel 4. It features George Clarke, an architect who travels around Great Britain interviewing individuals who are renovating historically and architecturally significant buildings.
The show frequently features people trying to turn non-residential buildings into residences, such as windmills, water towers, and churches. Each episode details the owners’ challenges during the conversion, such as limitations for listed properties.
Clarke conducts historical and architectural studies on each property. He speaks with former residents and workers and then presents his findings to the current owners and helps them in the conversion.
The show has seven seasons to date, and it is one of the most loved shows on Amazon Prime. Many found the series interesting as there are always unique characters, and every episode dealt with different difficulties.
But there were some complaints from the fans regarding e the sound. Although the reality show had a rating of over seven on IMDb, the review from the viewers stated after season four, the recording quality dropped.
1. Fixer Upper
The couple Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines, who owns a home remodeling and decorating firm in Waco, Texas, are the main characters in the show. The show’s first season debuted in April 2014. On November 21, 2017, the fifth and last season premiered, and all of them are available to watch on Amazon Prime.
The show begins by showcasing three central Texas properties that a couple may buy. All of the properties need a different amount of repair and maintenance. Joanna designs the home once the couple selects it. Chip serves as the main builder. Buyers generally spend less than $200,000 total and invest at least $30,000 in improvements.
While the program became popular at that time, it also helped the homeowners whose houses were featured in the show. The homeowners in the show earned a profit by selling the houses that the Gaines couple had renovated.
The Bicycle House featured in episode 12 of season 1, bought for less than $50,000, was put up for sale in 2016 for $350,000. Additionally, the properties can be rented on VRBO for $250 per night. Likewise, Barndominium in Season 3, Episode 6, was put up for sale for $1.2 million in April 2017.
Moreover, the show had six total nominations, with two in Primetime Emmys. The viewers have also well-liked the show and call the design phenomenal. They are also impressed with how the married couple interacts with each other when it comes to business and professional life.
A user even said that the show’s name should be changed to “Fixer upper, the construction of a marriage.” Thus, the fans love not only their design but their bonding as well.