Parents' Guide to

Love It or List It

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Mild real-estate series likely won't interest kids.

TV HGTV Reality TV 2008
Love It or List It Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Elect168
Elect168 Adult
January 4, 2022
age 18+

I want David Back

I liked the show when it had both Hilary and David, there was an entertaining competition, This is now lost. Now that it is just Hilary being bossy and pushy, there is no longer any entertainment. Please put them back together - together they make the show entertaining, I will stop watching id David doesn't return ! I am not a kid, and found it entertaining.
ilighte
ilighte Adult
August 31, 2020
age 16+

New Contractor Disrespectful towards Female Host

I do not care for the new contractor. He does not have a team member attitude. He seems to have a disrespectful additude towards the Host( a woman). She's speaking and he interrupts her, his tone of voice and body language is "your a woman and you don't know what you're talking about", and "what you're asking me to do is ridiculous". He interrupts her and speaks in a "Downing tone" to her, (like she's a stupid woman) I might stop watching the show.

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See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

LOVE IT OR LIST IT is a Canadian real estate reality show that helps homeowners decide whether they will renovate their home or move to one that better suits their needs. Each episode features homeowners who have outgrown their home thanks to having children, owning too much stuff, or being overwhelmed with repairs. After reviewing their budget, designer Hilary Farr tries to renovate the home in order to convince them to stay. Meanwhile, real estate agent David Visentin searches for a house that they can purchase and move in to if they sell their current home. Satisfying the homeowners' specific needs and tastes is never easy, especially when they far exceed the budget they have to spend, or when renovations uncover expected problems. But Hilary and David do their best, and in the end, homeowners have to decide whether they are going to stay and enjoy their newly renovated home, or put it on the market.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (5 ):

The fun series addresses some of the emotional and financial challenges homeowners face when making renovation and home-buying decisions. Love It or List It also highlights the kinds of things that people must factor in when upgrading a home, and offers some perspective on how these renovations can factor into purchasing a more desirable one later.

Some of the interactions between the hosts and the homeowners seem rehearsed, especially when they are touring differing homes. Furthermore, some of the homeowners' expectations seem a little irrational to be real. Folks interested in real estate and renovation may find it interesting, but kids won't find much here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about real estate shows. What makes them so popular? Do you think the problems people face and decisions that they make on these reality shows are real? Or are they being created or exaggerated for entertainment purposes?

  • What do you think goes on behind the scenes in shows like this? What are you not seeing?

TV Details

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