Whether buying new houses or fixing up old ones, television shows centred around the property world have always been immensely popular.
Given the genre’s popularity across all demographics, it’s no surprise that property-based shows have extended far beyond the typical ‘House Hunters’ style format.
As Netflix has shown, there is almost no limits to how a property show can be presented and packaged, so here are five of the best series on the streaming service focused on homes.
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes
Presented by award-winning architect Piers Taylor and actress and property enthusiast Caroline Quentin, The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes is exactly what the name of the show suggests.
Taylor and Quentin visit all corners of the globe to profile some of the most remarkable houses, often built in extreme locations including in the side of a cliff, underground, at the top of a mountain, and out in the unforgiving desert. The show sets itself up with the first episode featuring the famous 747 Wing House – built from a 747 Boeing plane.
Speaking with the owners and architects behind these property marvels, what is most fascinating about the show is how they’ve managed to transform seemingly impossible visions into gorgeous homes – always at great expense and often many years after the start of the project.
For a property show that pushes the boundaries of architectural possibilities, then look no further than The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes.
Selling Sunset
A series that has taken the world by storm, Selling Sunset is part reality show, part property show. Think Keeping Up With The Kardashians meets House-Hunters-For-Multimillionaires.
Focusing on the Los Angeles-based Oppenheim Group real estate company and its glamorous female realtors, Selling Sunset combines typical reality TV drama (much of it undoubtedly staged but hugely entertaining nonetheless) with the high-end property market of LA.
Viewers therefore not only get involved with all the office gossip and personal life drama but get ample opportunities to tour inside luxurious mansions only the likes of business tycoons, Powerball winners, and celebrities can afford.
Selling Sunset is certainly not educational and intellectually enlightening, but it’s a fun and easy-to-watch show – and sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed from a Netflix series.
Tiny House Nation
Forget the architectural marvels and giant mansions of the two shows above and go to the other extreme with Tiny House Nation. There has been a rapidly growing trend for tiny houses – in no small part due to skyrocketing property prices – and this show demonstrates what can be achieved in spaces of 500 square feet or less.
Presented by renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, Tiny House Nation goes across the United States and renovates tiny spaces into practical and stylish homes – from shoebox city apartments to mobile homes. They even turn an old railroad car into a gorgeous tiny home.
Tiny House Nation proves that with some creativity almost any space can be turned into a comfortable and livable home – and that size doesn’t always matter!
Grand Designs
One of the most enduring property-related shows still running, Grand Designs has been going strong on British television since 1999, with the more recent seasons available on Netflix.
Presented by Kevin McCloud since the very first episode, Grand Designs focuses on homeowners who embark on building their dream house with hugely ambitious plans.
Whether it’s converting a derelict water tower in London, building a house from shipping containers, or renovating a 600-year old castle, almost every project goes well over budget and far beyond schedule – and as stress levels rise, so does the entertainment value.
While The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes comprises wealthy owners supported by visionary architects, the people who feature in Grand Designs are usually ‘regular’ folk who have poured their life savings into these projects, making it a more relatable show for most viewers. It’s probably why it has maintained its popularity after more than 20 years.
Interior Design Masters
The only competition-based property show on this list certainly warrants its place. Interior Design Masters sees 10 interior designers go up against each other in a series of design challenges across various residential and commercial locations. The winner of the show is awarded a contract to design a bar at a London hotel.
Presented by Ferne Cotton with the judging led by famed interior designer Michelle Ogundehin, Interior Design Masters is available on the BBC and Netflix for international audiences.
The first, and so far only, season has already aired, so if you haven’t watched it yet, avoid any Google searches in case they reveal the eventual winner. There has been no confirmation of the second season yet, but given its large fanbase, it is surely only a matter of time before the show is renewed.