For almost my entire childhood, I would watch HGTV nightly. From the numerous shows from the Property Brothers, to Love it or List It, to Income Property, to Flip or Flop, to Good Bones, HGTV presented stars I tuned in to watch them navigate the challenging world of real estate and construction, along with their designs. Then, there’s shows such as House Hunters (and the international version) and My Lottery Dream Home, which focus more on the tedious process that is finding a home to buy.

However, over the past six months or so, I’ve noticed a shift in the Home and Garden Network’s programming and not a good one. In July, the network cancelled multiple shows, including Married to Real Estate, Izzy Does It, Bargain Block, Battle on the Beach, Christiana on the Coast, and The Flipping El Moussa’s. The network says the decision was made due to falling linear ratings, the rising cost of materials needed for home renovations, and the rise of Do It Yourself TikTokers who are renovating their homes and that it will shift to a model that is more focused on design and house hunting.

While I didn’t watch every show that was cancelled, most of them (Izzy Does It, Christina on the Coast, and The Flipping El Moussa’s) I did. Income Property last aired in 2016. Good Bones wrapped in 2023. Love It or List It is now down to eight episodes and one season per year instead of two seasons a year, with 10 episodes per season. The Property Brothers went from airing every Wednesday for a decade with different versions of renovation shows to now airing a handful of episodes of new shows every year, including one that was basically House Hunters with Drew and Jonathan.

And while HGTV has replaced these shows, the new shows, such as Farmhouse Fixer, Neighborhood Watch, Zillow Gone Wild, World’s Bargain Dream Homes, Bachelor Mansion Takeover, Junk or Jackpot?, Tropic Like It's Hot, and Wild Vacation Rentals all are similar programs that don’t draw my interest. 

HGTV fans don’t just tune into the network to see house hunting, designing, and renovating. We tune in to see personalities and stars, and for the most part, the stars I grew up with are not on TV as much (or at all) anymore, and the network doesn’t feel the same. While I thoroughly enjoyed The Flip Off with Christina Haack and Tarek and Heather El Moussa, not having either solo show back once The Flip Off aired left a huge hole in my HGTV programming block.

I have enjoyed the Property Brothers’ latest new show -- Property Brothers: Under Pressure -- which takes viewers inside the process of finding a home, either buying or selling, going through the negotiation process and the renovation. It is filmed more like the first few seasons of Property Brothers back in the early 2010’s where we would see Drew and Jonathan negotiate on contracts with the sellers of houses. The show has a feel like it is produced by the Brothers and not HGTV, which is maybe why I enjoy it more.

I’ve watched less HGTV in the past six months than I ever have and that trend will more than likely continue.