TV Shows For Real Estate Fanatics

Real estate is not just a business--for some, it's a general interest. Today, many magazines and TV shows cater toward people who are interested in homes and real estate, even with no plans to buy or sell in the near future.

Magazines such as House & Home focus on decorating, while Better Homes & Gardens and Good Housekeeping take a more holistic approach on entertaining, cooking, and staying healthy. Others focus on architecture (Architectural Digest) or a specific lifestyle (Southern Living, Romanic Home, Real Simple, and Country Living). Click here to briefly read about each of these magazines, along with a few others.

HGTV also has a magazine that features decorating ideas, articles, and every day home solutions. You can subscribe to the magazine here. However, HGTV is better known for its television shows that deal with varying aspects of home ownership, renovation, and decor. You can read a summary of some of the channel's most popular shows, below:

House Hunters-This show follows home buyers and renters as they tour three different properties. Viewers get a full tour of each home, as well as information on price, size, age, and amenities.  Next, viewers watch the homebuyers as they debate which of the three homes to buy or rent, based on their wish list and budget. Tune in on weekdays at 10p/9c. Variations of the show include House Hunter International, House Hunters Renovation, House Hunters on Vacation, House Hunters: Million Dollar Homes, House Hunters' Guide to House Hunting, and House Hunters: Where are They Now?

Property Brothers-Join brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott as they help couples find, buy, and transform fixer-uppers into their dream homes all within a specified budget and certain amount of time. Tune in on weekdays at 9p/8c.

Love it or List it: These hour long episodes show homeowners' struggles when they must decide to either renovate their home ('love it") or sell their home ("list it"). The show pits Realtor David Visentin and designer Hilary Farr against one another as David tries to convince homeowners to sell their current home and buy one of the three properties he shows them and Hilary tries to convince them to keep their home after she renovates and redecorates it given the family's budget. Tune in on Mondays at 9p/8c

HGTV Design Star-this reality TV show documents the competition for one designer to win his or her own show, similar to The Next Food Network Star. Contestants partake in weekly interior design challenges, sometimes alone and sometimes in teams, with one competitor being eliminated each week until only the winner remains.  Contestants are given both time and budget restraints. Season eight premiered last summer and, unfortunately, new episodes are not yet showing.

For a complete HGTV program guide, click here.

Fall Cleaning

Sometimes, Spring cleaning isn't enough. While you've been gone on vacation, dust and cobwebs have accumulated in your home. The answer? Fall cleaning.

Why? Fall cleaning often reduces the stress of spring cleaning. Cleaning outdoor furniture and grills before they are put away for the winter means that you no longer have to clean these items in the spring. Experts say that fall cleaning is actually just as important as spring cleaning, as it's crucial for the general upkeep of a home. 

Where to start: take inventory of your cleaning supplies and where they can be found. Buy any products you know you will need, but do not have. 

What to do: power-wash windows, clean gutters, refresh your dishwasher with baking soda, clean (or replace) your humidifier(s), steam clean carpets, and clean your oven, refrigerator, and kitchen cabinets. 

Think this list is lengthy? It's only a small sample! For a more complete list of recommended fall cleaning activities, click here.  Below is a brief video on how you can inexpensively clean your oven without using harsh chemicals.