Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein Find Beauty in Forgotten Historic Homes in New HGTV Series
Don't look now, but we're just days away from the premiere of the new HGTV show from Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein, the couple behind one of our favorite Instagram accounts of all time, Cheap Old Houses.
Cheap Old Houses the series is inspired by the Finkelsteins' cult-favorite Instagram feed, which features surprisingly beautiful properties available for under $100,000.
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"We always say no sleep until every house is saved," Elizabeth says in the intro.
In each episode, cameras follow the couple as they tour low-priced older houses across America that need saving, examining what makes each one special and how they would return them to their former glory. They also visit homes formerly featured on their Instagram account to see how their new owners went about restoring them.
But it's not a reno show. If anything, it's educational. Cheap Old Houses looks at forgotten pieces of history through a loving, inspirational lens.
"We want to inspire people to feel like this is an acceptable thing they can do," Elizabeth told Southern Living. "We're not bringing in huge expensive designs. These are real people. Everything is authentic. We hope that that brings a little authenticity and real reality to reality tv."
Unlike their Instagram account, the series features homes with listing prices up to $150,000. Elizabeth explains that this gives them more options in terms of finding "visually spectacular" homes for the show. And they don't disappoint.
In the first episode, Ethan and Elizabeth travel to upstate New York in order to check out two cheap old houses listed for just over $100,000: a large 1900s Victorian home with a detached carriage house and a huge 1850s home with a 1950s retro vibe.
"One of the best parts for me is picking out the special features and crooks and nooks that old houses have. There's some amazing things in these houses," Ethan says. "There's hardware in some that's worth more than the house itself! We take stock in what they already have. Listen to the house and restore it with sensitivity."
While they couldn't give too much away regarding the upcoming 10-episode season, they did say that viewers can expect stops in two Southern states: Texas and North Carolina.
But remember, they're just getting started.
"We have a lot tapped for the South for next season," Elizabeth offers. "If we get renewed," she adds with a laugh.
Cheap Old Houses premieres Monday, August 9, with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. In addition to airing on HGTV, the first four episodes of Cheap Old Houses will be available to stream on discovery+ early on August 9 as a special preview. After the initial launch, two additional new episodes of Cheap Old Houses will drop early each Monday on discovery+ through August 30.
