My husband and I were on ‘House Hunters International.’ Here are 5 things that surprised me most about being on the show.
In a delightful recount of their experience, a couple shares the behind-the-scenes journey of appearing on HGTV’s popular show “House Hunters International.” After receiving an exciting job opportunity in Germany, they jumped at the chance to relocate and found themselves cast in an episode of the beloved series. As avid fans of the show, the couple was thrilled to be selected, but they soon discovered that the filming process was filled with unexpected challenges and surprises. The lengthy pre-production phase included detailed questionnaires, virtual interviews, and the meticulous preparation of their personal story, which was crucial in showcasing their journey to viewers.
Throughout the four days of filming, the couple encountered several unique aspects of the production process that many viewers may not realize. For instance, they had to maintain consistent hair, makeup, and jewelry throughout the shoot, a detail that required careful planning and coordination. Filming also took place out of order, which meant the apartments they viewed were presented differently on screen than they experienced in real life. The couple had to repeat scenes multiple times to capture their genuine reactions, as the crew aimed for authenticity in their responses. Despite the repetition and the challenges of remembering specific details, the couple found the overall experience to be incredibly rewarding. They cherished the opportunity to share their love story and document a significant milestone in their lives, all while receiving support from the friendly HGTV crew who aimed to accurately reflect their journey.
As the episode aired, the couple reflected on their adventure, emphasizing the fun and excitement of the filming process. Their experience serves as a reminder of the hard work that goes into creating a seemingly simple television show, as well as the joy of pursuing dreams abroad. With their episode now part of their shared history, they look forward to new adventures in Germany, all while cherishing the memories made during their time on “House Hunters International.”
My husband and I appeared on an episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters International.”
Courtesy of Ashley Packard, Tony Cordoza/Getty, Hill Street Studios/Getty, Tyler Le/BI
My husband and I appeared on an episode of HGTV’s ”
House Hunters
International” in 2023.
As a fan of the show, I was excited to be selected and encountered lots of surprises during filming.
I was surprised by how long the pre-production process was and how many takes some scenes took.
It was always a dream of mine to move to Europe, so when the opportunity to
relocate to Germany
for work presented itself, my husband and I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
As I was scrolling through an expat Facebook group, I came across a dream opportunity posted by a
casting director
— the chance to star in an episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters International.”
I messaged the casting director to express my interest and was given a form to apply. As an avid fan of the show, I was thrilled when we received an email stating we had been selected.
Now that our episode has aired, I’ve had some time to reflect on what wasn’t seen on camera. Here are five things that surprised me most about the
filming process
.
The pre-production process was lengthy
The application process included several forms and a lengthy pre-filming questionnaire asking us to detail how we met, why we were moving, and what we did for work. I was also asked to send some photos to represent our story.
Then, we had virtual interviews to share more about ourselves, our lives, and our apartment preferences.
Luckily, this process didn’t delay our move since we were concurrently filling out documents for our visas.
My hair, makeup, and jewelry had to be consistent throughout filming
On the first day of filming, I was informed that I’d need to maintain the same hair, makeup, and jewelry for the next three days — a detail I hadn’t considered but was crucial for uniformity in the episode.
I did my own
hair and makeup
despite hoping a professional would do it. To maintain outfit coordination for each scene and day, we took photos and were meticulous about remembering our looks.
Filming was done out of order
To create a 30-minute episode, my husband and I filmed for four days. However, once we began, I was surprised to learn that filming wasn’t done in chronological order.
For example, the apartments we saw were shown in a different order on TV than we saw them in real life.
My husband and I had to repeat some scenes multiple times
Because the director wanted our genuine reactions to the apartment showings, we weren’t scripted to say, touch, or do anything. However, we did have to repeat some dialogue, movements, and expressions multiple times.
There was only one camera person on the shoot, which meant we needed to retake every scene at least four times so he could capture our individual reactions and our reactions as a couple. He also had to zoom in on any details, such as us touching an object or moving our hands.
For the scenes to remain consistent, we had to remember exactly where we stood, what we touched, what we said, and how we reacted.
Filming was a lot of fun
One of the best parts of the filming process was sharing our love story on camera. It was so exciting to have a big milestone in our lives documented — it’s something we’ll always remember.
Overall, we had a great experience filming our episode. The
HGTV crew
and staff were kind, helpful, and sincere in their desire to showcase an accurate reflection of us as a couple and our journey relocating to Germany.
This story was originally published on October 25, 2024, and most recently updated on November 17, 2025.
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Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering Business news.
