First Home Stories From HGTV Stars

"My husband, Patrick, and I got our first house back in 2002, in Bend, Oregon. It was a 1923 Craftsman in serious disrepair. Even though our budget was tight, we allocated funds to stay in a rental during the renovation, and I’m so glad we did. We had a major construction site—new windows, doors, wiring, roof, floors, the works—and two little boys on our hands.” —Karrie Trowbridge, Mom & Me

"We still live in the first house we bought together, in Paradise, California. It was a bank-owned property that was only 60% finished and rodent-infested. Our gut said the risk would be worth it, and it was.” —Chenoa and David Rivera, Rustic Rehab

"By the time I became the owner of a historic home in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, it had been stripped of most of its original beauty, except for a walk-in vault, which I used as my shoe and handbag closet. Since it was a short sale, I bought quickly without considering everything that needed to be done. Lesson learned: Old houses have old problems." —Alison Victoria, Windy City Rehab

"I renovated my first place, in Indianapolis, top to bottom. I did a substantial chunk of it myself, including tiling the bathroom. Except I accidentally used both matte and glossy tiles and didn’t realize until after they were installed. Whoops! Unbox all your tile and check it first." —Mina Starsiak, Good Bones