A recent Reddit post brought reality shows into question, asking internet users, "People who have been on reality TV shows, what's rigged and whats not?"
One person said that two family members were part of the show. That commenter said the producers had the family members tape two endings of the show and then decided which one to air.
"My aunt and uncle were on 'Love It Or List It,'" the Reddit user wrote. "(Producers) had them record both endings, and the network chose which one they thought was best. They are still in the house and they love it, but the show says they listed it."
This revelation is a big let-down for fans because most tune in to see the competition between designer Hilary and real estate agent David. But the Reddit discussion challenges whether there's any competition at all.
Another disappointing accusation questions the show's timeline for designs and renovations. While the show makes it seem as if the renovations are completed in a short period of time, Reddit users said renovations can take months as producers attempt to create as many episodes in a time frame as possible.
One Reddit user went into more detail about the headache surrounding the construction on the homes.
"As mentioned, nobody wants to list their house -- they just want a free renovation and to be on TV. However, the show only pays for 50 percent of the work they do on your house, and the producers do what they want for TV and don’t really respect the homeowners’ wishes. (Plus,) they shoot a bunch of episodes in one market at a time, so they use one set of contractors for all of the homes. If they get behind on the work on a given home, they pretend that the work is done so they can wrap on the episode, then they take the crew with them to the next house. You then have to live in an unfinished renovation until the whole set of episodes is finished and the crew can get back to you. This can be months or not at all."
These accusations have landed the hit HGTV show in more hot water. According to Country Living, a couple from an April 2015 episode filed a lawsuit against the show, citing "shoddy work and unfair trade practices."
But not all participants on the show had negative experiences. Julia Sweeten, a real estate blogger, featured a couple whose time on the show was positive.
According to Sweeten, the remodel on one couple's home took about seven weeks, and they only peeked in on the house twice during the renovations. The families have to move out while construction is going on.
"Meeting David and Hilary was a thrill and they have every bit of that back and forth repartee as you would expect having watched the show," the woman, Marci, told Sweeten. "They were both truly quite fun to work with."
Marci said their reactions to the final look of their home were genuine. The couple ultimately decided to sell the home, but that wasn’t until the episode aired.
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