“The Flip Off” Stars Told Us What You MUST Do Before Tackling a Reno
Renovators, start your power drills! Tonight is the premiere of HGTV’s new show, The Flip Off, where Christina Haack will compete with Tarek and Heather El Moussa in a series of renovation challenges. Each team bought a fixer-upper, renovated the home room by room, and put their new-and-improved property back on the market. The winner—aka the team that scores the highest return on investment—will be dubbed the blended family’s best flipper.
Of course, there’s a lot more that goes into the art of the flip than breathing new life into a run-down home. It’s having an acute knowledge of the real-estate market and creating a sellable space that appeals to today’s homebuyer. So how do these three renovating pros do it? House Beautiful recently sat down with The Flip Off stars, who told us the magic behind a successful flip is dependent on one thing: Location, location, location.
“I don’t have a cut-and-paste style,” Christina shares. “I really design for the neighborhood and for the house. I really put time into what the comps are and what buyers are looking for.” Heather agrees and says looking around a neighborhood can offer some insight into what type of buyer you’re hoping to attract. “You don’t want to be way out of left field and have a completely different style than those buyers are going to like.”
Location might have some sway in the final flipped product, but regardless of where you live, this trio never wants your home to feel like a cold, sterile box. “I’m over all-white walls,” Tarek said. “I can’t! I love color and I love texture.” While Christina isn’t crazy about all-white spaces either, she says there’s a reason you see so many whitewashed rooms on the small screen. “I end up painting [some rooms] all-white for television because, when you accessorize, it really works on camera,” she says.
If you’re looking for a “wow” moment, Heather and Christina both recommend adding an accent wall to the mix. “It’s an easy way to dress up a room that doesn’t cost a lot of money,” Heather says. A contrasting coat of paint is one way to make a statement, but both women urge design lovers to think outside of the box with wood or textured wallpaper like grasscloth.
Whether you’re refreshing one room of the house or going for an all-out reno, it’s important to hire the right team. “Hire professionals to help because it can get out of control very fast, very expensive,” Heather says. “It’ll be a very slow project if you don’t know what you’re doing.” Tarek agrees and notes that high-quality work is well worth the investment. “Don’t hire the cheapest people—and don’t hire people without referrals,” he adds.
Ready to see how these pros take on the ultimate flipping challenge? Be sure to tune into watch HGTV’s The Flip Off premiere on Wednesday, January 29 at 8 p.m. ET.
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