Shraman Mitra
Like most other home renovation shows, HGTV’s ‘100 Day Dream Home’ faced its fair share of criticism when fans began asking questions about the show’s unscripted nature. While the home improvement show follows Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt as they build a dream home from scratch within 100 days, viewers often doubt its authenticity. They even wonder if the production team helped them with logistics and construction behind the scenes. There was also the question of the house’s future, as some viewers believed the network dismantled them after filming. Well, with fans now eager to know the truth, let’s delve in and find out if ‘100 Day Dream Home’ is unscripted or real, shall we?
Is 100 Day Dream Home Scripted?
Viewers would be well aware that HGTV has always touted ‘100 Day Dream Home’ as an unscripted series, and the evidence we uncovered supports that statement. For a reality show to pass the authenticity test, it has to get rid of pre-written scripts and depend on spontaneity for the entire filming process. Besides, as the people featured on the show need complete independence to act as they want, the cameras are expected to document everything from the breathtaking to the ugly. Additionally, no part of the show can be rehearsed or pre-determined before being recreated in front of the cameras.
‘100 Day Dream Home’ does get off to a good start in its argument for authenticity, as we can confirm that the houses documented on the show are built for actual homeowners. After commissioning Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt to build the home of their dreams, they sit down with the duo to discuss the specifics. Furthermore, the homeowners have a detailed discussion on the actual budget for the build, as they pay for the entire house out of their own pockets. Therefore, the completed homes belong solely to their respective proprietors, who have the right to either move into or sell the place according to their convenience.
On the other hand, readers would be glad to know that apart from being TV stars, Mika and Brian have their roots in the real estate industry. While the former is a real estate guru with years of experience in the field, her husband is a pretty sought-after property developer who has taken on several top-rung clients throughout his career. Since building an entire house in 100 days is a massive challenge, the couple often finds themselves at the mercy of bad weather, logistic issues, and other critical issues that slow them down.
Regardless, the production team does nothing to bail the pair out from such situations, and instead, cameras even document the errors that sometimes cost them thousands of dollars. Interestingly, Mika spoke about the challenges of filming the show in a 2022 interview, where she explained how the clients often go back on their original plans in the middle of a build. Thus, she and Brian must accommodate the changes since they have a binding contract to construct a house based on the homeowner’s decisions. Moreover, the realtor even claimed they must say no to clients sometimes, especially when the demands are too tough to execute within 100 days.
Yet, Mika insisted that the show documents everything in real life to make it appear more authentic. Hence, even though the evidence indicates that the show is genuine, readers must realize that producers are expected to do everything possible to attract more viewers to the network. Consequently, they occasionally make minor edits during post-production to make a show appear thrilling. However, this changes nothing in the actual narrative, and ‘100 Day Dream Home’ is still an utterly unscripted home renovation show.
Read More: Where is 100 Day Dream Home Filmed?
