Hands up if you’ve ever lost a couple of hours sitting on the sofa watching a property show? Whether it’s a 30-minute fix or a full-on binge, programmes about other people’s homes are fascinating.

Entire cable channels are dedicated to home renovations, property sales, flipping houses and so on. We just can’t seem to get enough of them.

In this quick read, we look at some firm favourites and why they’re so good.

1)         Grand Designs (Channel 4)

Perfect if you like to dream big and who doesn’t love Kevin McCloud when he gets on a roll thinking the homeowners have lost their minds. A good mix of dream homes, eco homes and eccentric homes.  At the end of the show it’s like marmite, you will either love it or hate it, the house that is.

Kevin has fronted the show since its start in 1999 and has completed 22 series which just goes to show how much we love to watch home builds make their transformation and watch other people risk their money!

2)         Homes Under the Hammer (BBC 1)

Daytime TV is like a warm, snuggly blanket. It’s easy watching and seemingly endless. Homes Under the Hammer is just that. You see properties transform from crumbling bricks and fluorescent wallpaper into homes you want to live in.

Gracing our screens since 2003, there are well over 1,000 episodes, which just goes to show that the fantasy of turning a dump into a dream home is one we all relate to.

3)         Location, Location, Location (Channel 4)

While some of us tune in to Kirstie and Phil to enjoy their flirty, no-we’re-not-a-couple banter, the rest of us just can’t imagine buying a home without their wise input.

On our screens since 2000, 36 seasons in, and we’re still watching. The journey of unhappy buyer to elated homeowner has proven irresistible and it doesn’t seem like viewers are ready to switch off.

4)         A Place in the Sun (Channel 4)

Ever fancied running off to Spain and opening a chip shop in Benidorm? Well, many of the participants in this long-running overseas property show have, and we love to see it. People look for homes all over the world, and they all seem to have sun, sea and dodgy tiling in common. Still going strong after 22 years, it seems that viewers have a never-ending appetite for sun-drenched property hunts.

5)         George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (Channel 4)

Forget bricks and mortar, this one is a real eye-opener at how people choose an alternative to the traditional home.  The show follows people who turn unconventional things such as old boats, buses, shipping containers and a railway carriage into homes.  The show is notably known for its small spaces. We all sit in awe at the courage (or absurdity depending on your view) at how these people brave the unknown.

Amazing Spaces has been on our screens since 2012 but George has been on various shows since 2004.  Amazing spaces created the spin-off Shed of the Year.

6)         DIY SOS (BBC 1)

Property renovation with a heart, this show is about well-loved homes begging for a much-needed makeover. While many of the changes are made to cater for a family’s needs, this programme combines heart-wrenching stories with good, old-fashioned demos. Amazingly, it’s been on our screens since 1999 (that’s a whole different century).

At PR Lettings & Management, we live, breathe and watch property all the time. So, what’s your favourite property programme? We’d love to know what is popular around Preston, Leyland and Chorley.