Social Media Stars Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein Bring Instagram Sensation “Cheap Old Houses” to HGTV in August
The highly anticipated 10-episode series Cheap Old Houses starring Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein – founders of the addictive social media phenomenon by the same name that touts more than 1.6 million Instagram followers and counts A-list celebrities among its fans – will premiere Monday, Aug. 9, with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. The series is inspired by the Finkelstein’s uber popular Instagram feed, which racks up millions of views with images of surprising property bargains that are architecturally intact and available for under $150,000. In each episode, cameras will follow the couple as they tour low-priced older houses across America and ultimately choose which ones to feature on their famous site. In addition to airing on HGTV, the first four episodes of Cheap Old Houses will be available to stream on discovery+ early on Aug. 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 Aug. 30.
During each walk through, Ethan and Elizabeth will share stories of the homes’ historical significance and architectural uniqueness. Relying on Elizabeth’s background as a historic preservationist as well as the couple’s shared passion for saving old property gems – and with the help of 3D graphic renderings – the pair will imagine what the houses could look like with proper restorations. They also will visit beautifully restored homes formerly featured on their immensely popular Instagram account.
“We started Cheap Old Houses on Instagram and it ignited a movement,” said Ethan. “Our site features the best historic properties on the market right now and that means we have to go find the best places to post.”
“We always say no sleep until every house is saved,” said Elizabeth.
To start the season, Ethan and Elizabeth will scour online real estate listings to plan their latest road trip to upstate New York in order to check out two cheap old houses listed for just over $100,000. Traveling in Old Blue, their vintage cheap old truck, they’ll drive to Amsterdam to tour a large 1900s Victorian home with a detached carriage house and then on to Fort Plain to see a huge 1850s home with a 1950s retro vibe. During their travels, Ethan and Elizabeth also will stop in Greenwich to visit a saved old schoolhouse that has been meticulously restored.
“Cheap Old Houses is a real estate rabbit hole – and we live it,” added Elizabeth. “And that’s not even the best part. We get to meet the people who restore these houses too.”
Fans are invited to connect with Cheap Old Houses across HGTV’s digital platforms at HGTV.com and by following @HGTV and #CheapOldHouses on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They also can check out the Finkelstein’s latest property listings at @cheapoldhouses on Instagram. The new episodes of Cheap Old Houses will be available the same day and time as the linear premieres on HGTV GO – Mondays beginning Aug. 9 at 9 p.m.
ABOUT HGTV
HGTV delivers families with relatable stories, superstar real estate and renovation experts and amazing home transformations that inspire a passionate audience. For anyone seeking entertaining and aspirational home and lifestyle content, HGTV is the place to be. HGTV offers: a top 10 cable network that is distributed to more than 81 million U.S. households; a website, HGTV.com, that attracts an average of 10.5 million people each month; a social footprint of 25.7 million; HGTV Magazine, a monthly publication that reaches more than one million readers; and exclusive collections of home-oriented products through the HGTV HOME(TM) consumer products line. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. HGTV is owned by Discovery, Inc., a global leader in real life entertainment spanning 220 countries and territories, whose portfolio also includes Discovery Channel, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and the forthcoming multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
ABOUT discovery+
discovery+ is the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service. discovery+ features a landmark partnership with Verizon that gives their customers with select plans up to 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon. discovery+ has the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service at launch, featuring a wide range of exclusive, original series across popular, passion verticals in which Discovery brands have a strong leadership position, including lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; as well as science, tech and the environment, and a slate of high-quality documentaries. For more, visit discoveryplus.com or find it on a variety of platforms and devices, including ones from Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku and Samsung.
