Top 10 Current Home and Design Shows

Unlike a lot of popular home shows which make it seem like drastic renovations can be magically completed over a weekend, “Rehab Addict” spreads the restoration of one house over several episodes in a season so viewers get a more realistic impression of what it’s like to bring a home from decrepit to jaw dropping. Host Nicole Curtis picks older homes with a lot of historic character that have seen better days and attempts to bring them back to their former glory. Because you get to see the whole in-depth process with all its ups and downs, it’s really easy to get super invested in each home and feel a swell of pride when the project is finally complete.

“This Old House” is pretty much the home reno show that started it all. The show has been on the air since 1979 - that’s 10 years longer than “The Simpsons!” If you’ve seen every episode of “This Old House,” at this point you probably have the skills required to be a licensed contractor. There’s something very soothing and low-stress about the format of the show. Everything always seems to be under control and the experts have a solution to any problem thrown at them. And, if you want a chance to get the show to help with one of your home reno dilemmas, you can write to “Ask This Old House,” a spinoff of the original series.

Keep your eyes peeled next time you’re in the garden section at Home Depot because if you’re lucky, you could be chosen to get a free backyard makeover on “Yard Crashers.” The Yard Crashers crew chooses one lucky homeowner (or pair of homeowners) each episode and spends two days completely revamping their outdoor space. They may have only been at the hardware store for a quick DIY project, but these families will end the weekend with a totally new and improved yard. Oh and if one of the hosts - Chris Lambton - looks familiar, that’s because he made it to the final two on Ali’s season of “The Bachelorette.”

The most satisfying part of watching “Property Virgins” is that you feel like a real estate expert after just a few episodes. You see the young couple with their big hopes and dreams for their new home, and you know that there’s no way they can afford it. Three bedrooms in that neighborhood? Yeah, right! You’re not willing to do any renovations? Good luck! “Property Virgins” is legitimately a great learning tool, though, because you get a really good sense of what you can expect out of the modern housing market. The show takes place in a variety of different cities, providing a solid overview of what it’s like to buy a home in today’s real estate climate.

A first impression is a lasting impression! Most home design shows focus on improving a home’s interior, but “Curb Appeal” works under the principle that it’s what’s on the outside that counts. You’ll be inspired to give your home a pretty face after watching what this crew can do with some new siding, paint and a few artfully placed bushes. The team tackles all manner of issues, from lack of greenery to crumbling facades to just plain lack of character. When the “Curb Appeal” crew is done working their magic, each home will definitely turn heads.

This Canadian show helps homeowners make a few extra bucks by creating a rental unit in their home. Host Scott McGillivray is both a real estate investor and a contractor. So he knows his stuff when it comes to making the right decisions about reno and design. Everyone would love to find a way to offset their mortgage payments and improve the value of their homes and “Income Property” delivers great advice for doing so. After watching this show, you’ll be convinced that renovating and renting out your basement is the key to financial bliss. Season 11 of the show, “Income Property: On Vacation,” focuses on creating and renting vacation properties.

Another Canadian export, “Love It or List It” helps couples or families who are unhappy with their homes decide whether to renovate and stay where they are or move on to better things. The couples can never agree on what the best course of action is and it’s pretty much guaranteed that disaster will strike at some point during the renovation. Much of the fun of this show is the combative banter between designer Hilary and real estate agent David. Fans love to try to guess whether the couple will decide to love it or list it and are often bitterly disappointed when they clearly make the wrong choice.

Home improvement power couple Chip and Joanna Gaines stole the hearts of HGTV lovers everywhere when their show debuted in 2013. This husband and wife team helps families buy and renovate inexpensive homes that need a lot of love. And they have four kids at home. Talk about making the rest of us feel like underachievers. Chip’s impressive reno work and Johanna’s shabby chic style will have you considering a move to Waco, Texas, where the show is filmed. Chip and Joanna want nothing more than to please their clients and it shows. Every episode ends with some very happy families seeing their new homes for the first time.

If you’ve seen at least one episode of “Property Brothers,” you know the drill. First, identical twins Jonathan and Drew Scott take a nice young couple to an absolutely gorgeous home with every feature they’ve ever wanted. Then, they break the news that this house is way out of their budget. After the couple gets over that disappointment, the brothers show them a few houses that are serious fixer uppers, and using some sweet technology, show them how they plan to work their magic to turn the place into their dream home. And boy, do these guys deliver! Don’t miss “Brother vs. Brother,” which shows Drew and Jonathan competing against each other in a series of home reno challenges.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“The Block” (2003-04; 2010-)

“Tiny House, Big Living” (2014-)

“Grand Designs” (1999-)

The charm of “House Hunters” lies is in the fact that the formula for each episode is consistent and the couples or homeowners-to-be on the show are so delightfully predictable. Everyone thinks they need tons of room to entertain, someone’s going to make a joke about the walk-in closet (most likely the wife will ask her husband where he’s going to put his clothes) and paint colors are seemingly unchangeable. Fans pride themselves on being able to accurately predict which home will be chosen in each episode. And when you feel like you’ve seen every episode of the original series, set your DVR to record “House Hunters International,” “House Hunters Renovation,” or “Island Hunters“ for hours of house hunting fun.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite home renovation show? For more well-designed top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.