Things HGTV Forgot to Tell You About Owning a Home

HGTV makes homeownership look like a dreamy montage. Sledgehammers swing in slow motion, walls come down with dramatic music, and within 30 minutes, a fixer-upper turns into a dream home.

Reality check: owning a home is wonderful, but it’s not always glamorous. Here’s what HGTV forgot to mention.

Furnace Filters Are a Thing

And they need to be changed. Regularly. It’s not fun, it’s not Instagrammable, but it keeps your furnace happy and your air clean.

Lawns Don’t Mow Themselves

The grass looks lush on TV, but in real life? Someone’s out there mowing every week in the summer. (And that someone is probably you.)

Snow Is Your New Gym Membership

In Calgary, shoveling isn’t optional. You’ll be out there at 6 a.m., bundled up, wondering if you can count snow shoveling as cardio. (Spoiler: you can.)

Repairs Are Constant

Something will always need fixing — whether it’s a leaky faucet, a garage door that suddenly refuses to open, or the mystery creak in the floorboards.

It’s Not All Bad News

Here’s the flip side: homeownership also means freedom. Want to paint your walls hot pink? Go for it. Want to plant a garden? Dig away. Want to host friends in a space that’s truly yours? Nothing beats it.

The Truth

Homeownership isn’t a highlight reel. It’s day-to-day life, with its quirks and chores and occasional surprises. But it’s also where memories are made. And that, more than any HGTV reveal, is what makes it worth it.