House Party

We're back to recap another episode of HGTV's "Battle on the Beach," and this time the three renovating teams are tackling the main bedroom.

Of course, there are several twists along the way, and our couples are getting increasingly snippy with one another. And, dare we say, we're here for the drama.

But we might not be here for the winning team's bedroom design. We're calling this the show's first flop—but what do you think? Click the player above to hear our recap, and then email us at [email protected] and let us know if we're wrong!

Other topics we discuss on this week's podcast:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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“Fixer Upper” fanatics have been waiting with bated breath for the official launch of the Magnolia Network, the television and streaming channel curated by Chip and Joanna Gaines. For months, they’ve been teasing a mix of home and design, cooking, and gardening shows about “risk takers, creators, course changers, dreamers, and learners,” but the premiere on July 15 revealed the full extent of their programming—and their plans for the future.

This week on “House Party,” Rachel and Natalie take a close look at the slate of shows currently offered on the Magnolia Network and serve up their no-holds-barred thoughts. Some of the series sound laughably banal (like “Making Modern With Brooke and Brice,” in which “a married duo renovates amazing homes”). Others sound impossibly niche (“Super Dad” introduces us to Taylor Calmus, a DIY expert who helps fathers realize their kids’ backyard dreams). Above all, Rachel and Natalie can’t help but wonder if—and how—many of these shows will find an audience.

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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What do you get when you put our favorite HGTV stars on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL? No, it's not a weird spinoff of "Floribama Shore"—at least we don't think we'll see a crew of scantily clad home renovators partying it up Snooki-style. (Although, TBH, we'd watch that.)

No, this is HGTV's new show “Battle on the Beach,” where Ty Pennington (of “Ty Breaker”), Alison Victoria (“Windy City Rehab”), and Taniya Nayak (“Restaurant: Impossible”) each mentor a pair of renovation novices competing to fix up a house along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

The show, which airs on Sundays, premiered this week, so we tuned in to see if it's worth the watch. Click the player above to hear our recap and thoughts on the show.

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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We enjoyed last week's episode of "Celebrity IOU" so much that we had to see what was in store for this week. To our delight, the latest installment was arguably more entertaining—and heartwarming—due in large part to the celebrity guest, the lovely LeAnn Rimes.

"Property Brothers" stars Drew and Jonathan Scott returned to help the singer and actress fix up the home of her very dear friend Roger, who's been a guiding light in Rimes' life. To show her gratitude for nearly 20 years of friendship, Rimes teamed up with the Scotts to turn Roger's kitchen and deck space into an entertainer's dream.

The team had two major design challenges: fixing the awkward kitchen layout and churning out a moody yet welcoming all-black kitchen. And while all-black kitchens have the potential to go very wrong, the Scott brothers and Rimes really nailed it. To hear how they pulled it off, click on the new episode of "House Party" above.

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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When the "Property Brothers" stars debuted their latest show, "Celebrity IOU," last year, it was an instant hit. The HGTV endeavor pairs Drew and Jonathan Scott with celebrities who want to gift a home renovation to someone special in their lives (and they've managed to get quite a few A-listers on board).

So when the show returned this week after a hiatus, we knew we should tune in to see what all the fuss is about. In this episode, the brothers team up with Kris Jenner to build an outdoor oasis for Jenner's best friend, who's had a rough couple of years. (Kim Kardashian West and Kendall Jenner join in for some of the fun, too.) We discuss the episode, and whether there are actually any useful takeaways if you're not made of millions.

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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It's summer and that means we're all craving some pool time. With the current heat wave in the West, where temperatures are creeping up into the triple digits, jumping into a pool—any pool—sounds like heaven on earth. But what are those of us who don't own a pool to do?

One solution is Swimply, the app that allows you to rent a pool in your area. We've been privy to Swimply for a few summers, but with so many lingering questions (Do the pool hosts have insurance? Are the pool hosts home while you're taking a dip? Where do you go to the bathroom?), we were hesitant to take the plunge and rent a pool. This week, though, we welcomed Swimply co-founder and COO Asher Weinberger to "House Party" to answer all our questions and give us the scoop on how Swimply came to be, the impact it could have on homebuying, and some of the craziest uses for Swimply to date.

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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Christina Haack is one of the most infamous HGTV personalities of all time for a number of reasons including the success of her home renovation TV shows and her highly publicized personal life. She's been the star of two successful home renovation TV shows—"Flip or Flop" and "Christina on the Coast". Plus, her on-screen and off-screen drama with her ex-husband Tarek El Moussa pushed her into the public eye and onto the covers of gossip magazines.

Like Chip and Joanna Gaines and Ty Pennington, Haack is an A-list home improvement celebrity. But unlike the the Gaines and Pennington, Haack and her well-known TV shows have never been topics of discussion on "House Party." Therefore, with the premiere of the fourth season of "Christina on the Coast," we thought it was high time to see what all the buzz was about and recap the episode.

Click the player above to hear our no-holds-barred thoughts on Haack's interior design choices, the most snark-worthy moments of the episode, and much more.

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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It's pretty safe to say that everybody had big plans for 2021—and that doesn't exclude our favorite home improvement reality show network, HGTV.

You may recall that we discussed earlier this year the big plans HGTV had for its programming in 2021—a slate of 16 new shows on deck, including one, in particular, that caught our eye: "40 Year Old Property Virgin." As you can imagine from the title, this show, which just premiered on the Discovery+ streaming network, profiles 40-somethings trying to buy a home for the first time.

We had to tune in—and suffice it to say: We got more than we bargained for. Who knew HGTV was the new destination for cringe? Watch the show and hear our thoughts in this week's episode—and then let us know if you agree: [email protected]

Other topics we discuss:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've had our eyes on Kelly Clarkson's real estate portfolio for a while now. The singer and television personality famously bought—and is currently selling—two mega-mansions, one in Los Angeles and one in Tennessee. In terms of features, these two abodes are comparable. Both feature massive five-digit floor plans, extensive backyard water features, and farmhouse-style touches like exposed wood. They're both located in star-studded enclaves (the Los Angeles home is in Encino and the Tennessee estate is in Hendersonville). And, of course, they both have the celebrity pedigree of being owned by the beloved Clarkson. But the one glaring difference between these two properties? The Tennessee estate has been languishing on the market for years. Four years, to be exact.

However, this week we finally learned that Clarkson found a buyer. The Hendersonville house went into contract, but the final sale price is unknown (although she most recently slashed the price to $7.5M in December 2020). Guess we'll just have to wait a little longer to see if Clarkson will walk away from this one a winner.

But the question still remains: why did it take so long for this sprawling southern estate to sell? We have some theories that we couldn't wait to propose on week's episode of our official podcast, "House Party." In addition to celebrating Clarkson unloading her Tennessee palace, we also toast a "House Party" milestone: our 100th episode! We couldn't have done it without our loyal listeners and we are so grateful for their support.

Other topics we discuss on this week's episode:

Want more “House Party”? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it is for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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