After a significant production delay since it was green-lit,the second season ofThe Flipping El Moussashas started to air.And it is now clear why the production was interrupted.Aside from the fact thatHeather Rae El Moussaand her husbandTarek El Moussaare alsofilming another flipping serieswith Tarek’s ex-wifeChristina Haack, the couple also ran into a stalled housing market, hiring challenges, permit delays, a deck fire, and every problem imaginable with their first renovation project for Season 2 ofthe reality series.
But even with these delays aside,Season 2 has an underlying problem that has carried over from the first season. The structure of the series revolves almost entirely around the profit that Tarek and his wife earn after they flip the homes they have purchased to renovate and sell. But the series is missing a key element from the filming process, and it remains a persistent problem.
‘The Flipping El Moussas’ Is Missing The Feel-Good Element
Many renovation seriesrely on more than the makeoverto keep audiences coming back. Of course, viewers are primarily interested in witnessing the transformation as renovators take a run-down home and give it new life. However, another significant aspect that encourages viewers to fall in love with a series is the feel-good aspect that comes from seeing new or prospective homeowners viewing their potential dream home.
The problemThe Flipping El Moussasruns into is that without the presence of grateful homeowners there to marvel at the end of the renovation project, or the inclusion of prospective buyers ready to start their new lives in their next home,that heartwarming quality other renovation shows rely on is lacking. InThe Flipping El Moussas,it is clear from the state of the homes when they were purchased that the previous owners were down on their luck. So, without depictions of showing the home to excited prospective buyers, the series risks a predatory feel.
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Without seeing the families viewing their potential new home, the episodes end with a simple tally of the total amount that Tarek and Heather made on the flip. This is standard for most renovation series, and the inclusion of a segment sharing the profit on its own isn’t necessarily problematic, as this information is also a part of the draw for flipping shows. However, the problem is that, with the state of the homes at the beginning of the episodes, and the absences of prospective buyers looking to find their dream home, the episodes aren’t able to evoke that warm and charming noteother HGTV series are known for. Without these elements,The Flipping El Moussascomes across as a predatory cautionary tale of investors champing at the bit to take advantage of homeowners who have fallen on hard times.
Heather’s Real-Estate Background Could Help the Flippers
With Heather’s background in luxury real-estate sales, as seen from her stint on theoutrageous Netflix reality seriesSelling Sunset, it is almost surprisingThe Flipping El Moussasdoesn’t take advantage of her sales skills on the series.Heather’s role as shown in the flipping series is primarilybringing her eye for elevated designto the projects, to maximize the final profit.Considering the stalls that caused production delays in the second season, there is a rushed quality to each of the renovations so far, and even though the imperative to sell quickly is always high when flipping a home in order to avoid carrying costs, it feels as though the actual sale of the house is treated as a given in the series. This is a missed opportunity to create tension in the episodes, and to evoke that heartwarming quality home-flipping shows often rely on.
With Heather’s background showing homes on reality TV, it feels strange the series does not utilize her skills by showing the back half of the flipping process, where viewers are invited into the excitement of potential new homeowners. It seems obvious that the series wants to evoke the warmth of a typical home renovation series by instead sharing glimpses ofTarek and Heather’s home lifewith their children. But, the homes that are being renovated in the series invite images of other homeowners who ran into hard times, so with the emphasis being on the profit the El Moussa family makes on the flip, rather than on the happy families they help to find a new home, the series falls short of the feel-good mark. Season 2 of The Flipping El Moussas had clear struggles getting off the ground, but now that it is here,the problem with the series is not the production delays, but the emphasis on personal profit.
Season 2 ofThe Flipping El Moussasairs Thursdays on HGTV.
Stream on MAX
The Flipping El Moussas
Follows couple Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa during their personal and professional journey of newlyweds and real estate experts.
