Parents' Guide to

Instant Dream Home

By Stephanie Morgan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Formulaic extreme home design show still brings the fun.

TV Netflix Reality TV 2022
Instant Dream Home TV show: Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

diggerman
diggerman Adult
August 20, 2022
age 2+

Useless

This show is a disgrace to all men who actually build things. The work that is going on is the sideshow, and the production, hype, and how much drama they can make it look like is the main show. Another case of paid actors making a lie for people to watch.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In INSTANT DREAM HOME a team of rapid-fire renovators take big risks and makes painstaking plans to transform deserving families' homes from top to bottom in just 12 hours.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This latest home makeover show may not be breaking any new ground, but it's still a good time for anyone interested in home design. Plus, the families featured on Instant Dream Home will truly humble you with the grateful and generous manner in which they walk through life. As is the way with extreme renovation shows, this one sets itself a needlessly impossible challenge (in this case, completing the entire surprise redesign in only 12 hours). Manufactured drama ensues and, not so surprisingly, the crew manages to complete the project despite the setback of the week just in the nick of time.

Luckily, host Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black) adds some needed freshness to this stale formula with her vivacious attitude (and outfits) and her unapologetic lack of building and design knowledge. This show is exactly what you would expect -- modern makeovers for unsuspecting but incredibly deserving people -- but will still leave you with a smile.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about if home makeover shows are realistic. Do you think there are corners cut with things that aren't shown on camera?

  • How do the people featured on this show demonstrate compassion? Why is this an important quality?

  • Are there parts of this show that don't feel real? Does the drama in each episode feel manufactured?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate